SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Symphony left Monday on its tour of Utah’s five national parks.
The orchestra will play a set of music to match the views.
“I think all of us have gone to the parks and we drop our jaws in inspiration and awe of what we see. As a musician or a creative artist goes into the parks the first thing they want to do is perform and express that in their language,” said David Green, chief operating officer of the Utah Symphony.
Throughout the week the symphony will play at a venue overlooking each of Utah’s national parks, including: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion.
People from all over the world have bought tickets for the touring symphony, which is expected to give the parks and orchestra more exposure.
“We really hope that people here at the event or just watching from around the world will be inspired to travel to Utah,” said Emily Moench, public relations manager of the Utah Office of Tourism “Having such a spectacular backdrop with the symphony really shows and showcases the diversity of the tourism opportunities we have here in Utah.”
The idea came about after the 100th anniversary of the national parks and with the Symphony's 75th anniversary coming up, Green said, it seemed like the right time to combine the two. However, it posed several challenges.
“I know that orchestras don't go around the country doing this sort of thing and its probably because of the logistics involved. Having 85 musicians on stage and putting them in a position. This is our concert hall and it has everything we need at our finger tips, and when we are out in the wild. We are out in the wild and we have to plan for each contingency rain, wind,” said Green.
The concerts are free, but only standby tickets are available.
