Salt Lake City—For the past 40 years, USUO has been an industry leader in education and community engagement, offering nearly 250 performances and interactive opportunities annually for students and adult learners, presented by professional orchestra and opera artists.

Furthering USUO’s legacy is the brand-new Mindful Music Moments program introduced at the beginning of this school year. This innovative program enables students to deeply connect to music through guided listening and mindfulness exercises in the classroom. Created by mindfulness partner The Well, the program provides teachers with 40 weeks of Spanish- and English-language curricula, featuring daily mindfulness prompts, each followed by three to four minutes of an orchestral musical selection—including some that feature the Utah Symphony. The mindfulness prompts are intended to cultivate students’ sense of awareness, ability to listen, and their emotional connection to music.

Additionally, the featured repertoire can be uniquely curated so that students experience a preview or a follow-up to a live Utah Symphony performance, creating familiarity with the work and a deeper impact during those in-person opportunities. Many of the selected compositions were written by artists that reflect the diverse communities here in Utah.

“This program gives students—and just as importantly, teachers—a moment of stillness and reflection.” says Director of Education & Community Engagement Ben Kipp. “These exercises are designed to meet them exactly where they are and give them the skills to compassionately respond, not just simply react.”

“My students are more attentive and calm down more quickly,” notes a participating teacher. “The students come back into a proactive learning mode a lot quicker. Having a social-emotional learning program in my classroom is huge!”

USUO’s education team aimed to register 10 schools for Mindful Music Moments this year; however, within just seven minutes of open registration, all 10 slots were filled. Recognizing a greater need, USUO met the demand. The program’s growth is staggering, with 22 schools now registered for its first year, including 14 “Title 1” schools. The overwhelming demand is a testament to the fact that this is an extraordinarily valuable resource for teachers and students—and that USUO is delivering on its mission to connect the community through great live music.

While USUO continually evolves its education programs to meet the needs of teachers and students, its longest-standing program is the Fifth-Grade Concerts that were started by Maurice Abravanel, the Utah Symphony’s legendary past Music Director for which Abravanel Hall was named. Each year, nearly 20,000 students attend these special performances during the school day; for many, it is their first introduction to live symphonic music.

“The music was outstanding!” said a student attending the winter 2023 Fifth Grade Concert at Abravanel Hall. “All I had to do was close my eyes, and I would appear in another universe. I was blown away with everyone’s talent, and how we got to learn about composers and their life.”

Additionally, this year’s in-school symphony concerts, aptly dubbed “This Is an Orchestra!,” have begun, led by new Assistant Conductor Matthew Straw. Designed to demonstrate the instruments of the orchestra, as well as varying musical elements and styles, this program brings world-class professional musicians right into Utah Schools. The repertoire includes classics from composers like Beethoven and Dvořák, as well as newer works by award-winning composer Jimmy López Bellido and Joe Hisaishi, the leading anime movie composer. Already in the 2023-24 school year, performances have taken place in Rich School District, Kanab School District, and Washington School District.

Tasked with interpreting different elements and styles of music, students acquire listening, concentration, and visualization skills. In addition, they realize the power of music to tell stories through the lens of different cultures and time periods, as well as to express universal emotions and understand how live music builds community. As a result, these programs complement and supplement the core educational standards set in Utah. Plus, USUO’s education programs seek to establish lifetime enjoyment of, participation in, and advocacy for the musical arts. “We say often that we aren’t in the music business, but the memory-making business,” says Kipp.

USUO also extends beyond the classroom—and engages students at the secondary school and college levels—through the Salute to Youth concert. Following a rigorous audition process, Utah’s talented and dedicated young musicians perform as soloists alongside the Utah Symphony. This year, nine musicians have been selected to perform in the 63rd Annual Salute to Youth concert, which is open to the public, on Wednesday, November 22.

Another cornerstone of USUO’s education programs—and one which provides learning opportunities past the academic years—is the Utah Opera Resident Artist (RA) Program. Each season, hundreds of applicants audition for a spot as one of five early-career artists selected to spend nine months with USUO, participating in mainstage performances at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre; developing their craft through coaching, workshops, and masterclasses; and connecting the community through great live music as they travel to all corners of the state, visiting more than 150 schools annually.

One highlight of the RA program is a captivating exploration of opera presented in the style of a game show titled “Who Wants to Be an Opera Star?" Presented at school assemblies, this program introduces opera in an accessible format that is exciting for the youngest audiences, K through 6th grade. Students become active participants, discovering the nuances of storytelling through music, unraveling the intricacies of character development, and exploring the vibrant history of opera.

“It’s the best thing I could have done for my students this year,” reflects a Midvale Elementary School teacher. “Not only was it opera, it was vocal technique, career day, and modern music all rolled into one. And our students need it.” In September, the RAs ventured out on their first state tour of the school year, performing for students in Vernal, Dutch John, Manila, and Lapoint.

Joining the second-year RAs (pianist Laura Bleakley, soprano Jasmine Rodriguez, and baritone Tshilidzi Ndou) are two artists new to Utah Opera this year: mezzo-soprano Sarah Scofield and tenor Jeremiah Tyson.

Altogether, USUO delivers more than two-dozen types of education programs, from performances in school gymnasiums, to opportunities to peek behind the scenes at dress rehearsals, to classes and lectures for adult learners. Kipp, sharing his thoughts on the meaningful work he and his team carry out at USUO, reflects: “USUO has such an incredible legacy of providing music education to generations of Utahns. Our team gets to carry on that legacy, creating and designing experiences that are meaningful to communities throughout the state. My colleagues and I have a lot of fun and we get to bring that fun with us into each program we offer—I think people see and feel that.”

For more information about USUO’s education programs, please visit utahsymphony.org and utahopera.org.

ABOUT UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA’S EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF

Ben Kipp, Director of Education & Community Engagement

Ben Kipp oversees education and community programming for the opera and symphony, offering nearly 250 educational opportunities each year across 25 different programs, serving nearly 100,000 students and adults.

Kipp brings 10 years of experience as an arts administrator and 13 years as a professional musician. Prior to relocating to Utah, Ben served as Director of Artistic and Educational Programming for the Contemporary Youth Orchestra in Cleveland, Ohio. During his tenure in Cleveland, Ben commissioned nine new orchestral works; and hosted more than 20 clinics, six residencies, and dozens of performances, many featuring high-profile musicians such as Machine Gun Kelly, Chris Thile, Ben Folds, Jason Mraz, Tommy Shaw, Kenny Loggins, yMusic, and Jason Treuting.

As an orchestral percussionist, Ben has performed with orchestras in Utah, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Miami, and Indianapolis, among others. He toured with the U.S. Air Force “Band of Flight” for two summers, and from 2016 to 2018, served as section percussionist in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Ben received his master’s degree from Cleveland State University, where he studied with The Cleveland Orchestra’s former Assistant Principal Timpanist and legendary teacher, Tom Freer.

Kevin Nakatani, Opera Education Manager

Kevin Nakatani oversees the educational services provided by Utah Opera and its Resident Artists.

Nakatani also partners with Utah Opera Artistic and Music Staff to provide professional development opportunities for the Resident Artists. Nakatani joined USUO with 11 years of experience as the Education Business Manager with Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, as well as 17 years of professional performing experience.

Jessica Wiley, Symphony Education Manager

Dr. Jessica Wiley is known for her passion for community engagement. She serves as Adjunct Professor of Bassoon at Snow College, runs a private studio from home, and subs with Ballet West. Wiley holds a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, in Bassoon Performance from Utah Valley University; Master of Music in Bassoon Performance from The University of Utah; Performance Studies Certificate in Classical Bassoon from Manhattan School of Music; and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Bassoon Performance with a minor in Music Entrepreneurship from The University of Utah. When not involved in music, you can find Wiley trail running with her dogs or cycling up a canyon.

Beth Foley, Education Coordinator

Beth Foley holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Utah State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration from Southern Utah University. Foley first became involved with USUO as a volunteer, and now works with teachers and schools to bring professional music experiences to students and communities around the state.

About Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera connects Utah communities through great live music and is the flagship arts organization of the Intermountain West. USUO’s 87 full-time symphony musicians and five opera Resident Artists perform for more 450,000 citizens in Utah and the Intermountain region each year, presenting more than 175 symphonic and chamber music performances; week-long runs of four full operas; and music education programs for students and adult learners. The organization’s statewide service includes tours featuring outdoor performances against the backdrop of Utah’s natural beauty as well as education offerings—most recently, the six-stop Music Elevated Tour in August 2023.

Founded in 1940 and one of just 16 year-round orchestras in the U.S., the Utah Symphony performs at downtown Salt Lake City’s Maurice Abravanel Hall, at its Deer Valley Music Festival in Park City, in Utah Opera productions, and at venues throughout the state of Utah. The symphony has embarked on seven international tours and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2016 in honor of its 75th anniversary season. The orchestra’s celebrated recording legacy includes more than 100 recordings; in April 2023, its latest album featuring Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles—a work inspired by three scenic Utah locations—was released to great critical acclaim. Thierry Fischer, who led the Utah Symphony as Music Director from 2014 to 2023, was named Music Director Emeritus beginning in the 2023-24 season.

Since 1978, Utah Opera has provided citizens with distinguished and entertaining productions at Salt Lake City’s historic Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre—showcasing emerging and established artists, celebrating traditional works, and championing new works and the American operatic tradition. Utah Opera is one of justsix opera companies in the U.S. with full production capabilities, including in-house costume design and set-building; the company currently has costumes for 50 productions and 19 full sets in its inventory. Utah Opera’s Resident Artist program is nationally recognized for providing invaluable career-training opportunities for professional singers and pianists.

USUO leads in music education, with interactive and immersive education programs that engage and inspire tomorrow’s musicians and music-lovers. In the community and in classrooms, these programs serve more than 91,000 students annually and reach every school district in Utah on a three-year rotation.

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Media Contact:

Megs Vincent

Communications Manager

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

mvincent@usuo.org | (801) 869-9021