Utah Symphony Presents "Halloween Hi-Jinks" Concert

Utah Symphony Presents
"Halloween Hi-Jinks" Concert

Utah Families are invited to enjoy the magic and thrills of the Utah Symphony’s 22nd annual Halloween concert and costume contest complete with prizes, musical storytelling and festive symphonic tunes.

“Halloween Hi-Jinks: The Haunted Hall” will take flight October 30 at 7 p.m. in Abravanel Hall and feature selections from well-known music from the symphonic repertoire such as Hector Berlioz’s chilling “Witches’ Sabbath” and “March to the Guillotine,” Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, and Igor Stravinsky’s electrifying “The Firebird.” The program will come together with the musical storytelling of some spooky visitors who threaten to interfere with the Utah Symphony’s Halloween festivities, under the direction of Associate Conductor Vladimir “Count Dracula” Kulenovic.

Melissa Singleton, Front of House and Publications Manager for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and Preston Walton, Assistant Vice President with CCS Fundraising, will perform special roles in the program narration (Witch and Ghost/Kastchei, respectively).

Sponsored by KSL NewsRadio, the Utah Symphony’s traditional Halloween costume contest will precede the concert in the lobby of Abravanel Hall at 5:30 p.m. Guests from KSL NewsRadio will judge the contest, which has become known over the past 22 years for its exciting prizes and outrageous costumes. They will choose three finalists from adult, child and group categories to appear onstage during the concert to be ranked by the audience. Potential contestants must be in line at the judges’ table (on the main floor of the Abravanel Hall lobby) no later than 6:15 p.m. to be considered.

Single tickets for the performances range from $8 to $20 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office (123 W. South Temple) or by visiting www.utahsymphony.org.

Program:
Johann Sebastian Bach
       Toccata and Fugue in D minor(Stokowski), BWV 565
Anatoli Liadov
       Kikimora, Opus 63
Georges Bizet
       Suite No. 1 from Carmen
              I. Prélude (Prelude to Act I)
Edvard Grieg
       "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Igor Stravinsky
       "Danse Sacrale" from Le Sacre du printemps
Hector Berlioz
       "Witches' Sabbath" from Symphonie fantastique, Opus 14

Intermission

Jean Sibelius
       Finlandia, Opus 26, No. 7
Hector Berlioz
       "March to the Guillotine" from Symphonie fantastique
              IV. March to the Scaffold: Allegretto non troppo
Igor Stravinsky
       Suite from The Firebird (1919 revision)
              III. Infernal Dance of King Kastchei
              IV. Berceuse
              V. Finale

Vladimir Kulenovic – Conductor
Since his professional conducting debut in 2006 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada, Kulenovic has conducted performances with the Verbier Festival Orchestra, Beethoven-Orchester Bonn, Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss am Rhein, Aspen Music Festival AACA Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, Indian Hill Orchestra, Connecticut Valley Chamber Orchestra, Juilliard Conductors’ Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Institute Symphony Orchestra and Boston Conservatory Orchestra.

Kulenovic studied with Kurt Masur at the Kurt Masur Conducting Seminar in New York in 2008 and 2009, as well as at the Beethoven-Orchester Bonn and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, where his final performance with the Verbier Festival Orchestra was internationally televised on Medici TV. Kulenovic spent the summer of 2010 as a conducting fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, and has also conducted in other prestigious music festivals worldwide, including the National Arts Centre Conducting Programme, the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and the Mozarteum Internationale Sommerakademie in Salzburg.

Kulenovic was awarded the prestigious Alfred B. Whitney Prize for the highest scholastic achievement at the Boston Conservatory where he graduated summa cum laude, as valedictorian, earning degrees in Conducting and Piano Performance. As a pianist Kulenovic was awarded the Second Prize at the Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Paris.

Melissa Singleton – Witch
Melissa Singleton is the Front of House and Publications Manager for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and runs their Volunteer Network with some of the most amazing volunteers in the state of Utah. She received her BA in Directing and Theater Education from Southern Utah University and has participated both in front of and behind the curtain on stages throughout the state of Utah including the Egyptian Theatre, Off Broadway Theatre, Rose Wagner Theatre, Children’s Theatre and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Singleton is on the Board for the Off Broadway Theatre, and is a guest reviewer for Utah Theater Bloggers Association.

Singleton currently performs with And … Go! Improv Comedy, and teaches Improv at the University of Utah. She additionally teaches stage makeup, combat, costuming, and acting with Salt Lake County. Although she was last seen on the Capitol Theatre stage as a Harem girl in The Italian Girl in Algiers with Utah Opera, this is Singleton’s debut at Abravanel Hall.

Preston Walton – Ghost/Kastchei
Preston Walton is an Assistant Vice President with CCS Fundraising and currently serves as fundraising counsel for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. With all clients, Walton works closely with the organization and its leadership to develop creative and compelling campaigns in support of their fundraising efforts. Walton joined CCS in 2009 and brings extensive experience working with leading organizations including: The Jesuit Network for Equitable Excellence in Higher Education, University of San Francisco, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Arts Council Silicon Valley, and Four Seasons Hotels.

Walton received his B.S. in Hospitality Industry Management and M.A. in Organization & Leadership from the University of San Francisco. He is currently President-Elect of the University of San Francisco Alumni Association. When Walton is not in Salt Lake City working with Utah Symphony | Utah Opera he resides in San Francisco, CA.

Abravanel Hall
123 West South Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah


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