The concerts will begin with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture." Tchaikovsky's commemorative overture celebrating the Russian defeat of Napoleon is a rare treat in Abravanel Hall and promises to fill the venue with the triumphant sounds of victory. Also on the program are the masterful Suite from Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier" and Pahud's arrangement of "Lenski's Aria" from "Eugene Onegin."

The Swiss-and-French flutist Emmanuel Pahud is one of today's most exciting and adventurous musicians. Born in Geneva, he began studying music at the age of six. He graduated in 1990 with the Premier Prix from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He continued his studies with Aurele Nicolet. At the age of 22 Emmanuel joined the Berliner Philharmoniker as Principal Flute under Claudio Abbado, a position that he still holds today. In addition to his engagements with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Pahud enjoys an extensive international career as soloist and chamber musician.

Pahud appears regularly at leading festivals throughout Europe, the USA and the Far East. He has appeared as soloist with many of the world's leading orchestras including the London Philharmonic, Zurich Tonhalle, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Mariinski, Camerata Salzburg, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Cincinnati Symphony, Washington National Symphony, NHK Symphony and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has collaborated with conductors such as Abbado, Rattle, Zinman, Maazel, Boulez, Gergiev, Gardiner, Harding, Järvi, Nezet-Séguin, Rostropovich and Perlman.

In the 2013-14 season, Pahud performs with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Utah Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Orchestre de Chambres du Paris, Potsdam Kammerorchester, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker. Real OrquestaSinfonica de Sevilla, and Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra.

In 1996 Pahud signed an exclusive contract with EMI Classics, a collaboration which has proven to be one of the most significant contributions to recorded flute music. His latest release is dedicated to the complete works for Flute by Frank Martin and has been just released by Musiques Suisses, it was immediately awarded the March 2013 "Diapason d'Or," France.

Founded in 1940, the Utah Symphony is dedicated to providing Utah residents and visitors with great performances which engage, educate and enrich lives. Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, the orchestra's parent organization, reaches 450,000 citizens in Utah and the Intermountain region, with educational outreach programs serving more than 200,000 students annually. The orchestra presents more than 70 performances each season in Abravanel Hall, participates in the Utah Opera's four annual productions at the Capitol Theater, in addition to numerous community concerts throughout Utah and the annual outdoor summer series the Deer Valley Music Festival in Park City, Utah. With its many subscription, education and outreach concerts and tours, the Utah Symphony is one of the most engaged full-time orchestras in the nation.

Single tickets for the upcoming performancse range from $18 to $69 and can be purchased by phone at (801) 355-2787 , in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office (123 W. South Temple) or online by visiting www.utahsymphony.org . $10 tickets are available to anyone 30 or younger through the USUO Upbeat and Youth Ticket programs. For subscriptions and group discounts, call (801) 533-6683 . Ticket prices are subject to change and availability and will increase $5 the day of the performance. For more information visit www.utahsymphony.org .

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The orchestra will perform these Romantic works including Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" Fantasy Overture and selections from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet," Feb. 14, 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall. Also on the program is Robert Schumann's Concerto in A minor for Piano and Orchestra Op. 54, featuring award winning pianist Nicholas Angelich.

The classic tale of Romeo and Juliet has affected lovers of all ages with their passion and dedication for one another in the midst of a deadly family feud, and has inspired artists and composers to produce new renditions of the tale through film, music, art and dance.

Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" Fantasy Overture is no stranger to the passion and adventure Shakespeare created in his original tale. The overture presents the agonizing story in full fold. Moments of intensity represent the power struggle between the two families, the Montagues and Capulets, followed by one of the most recognizable love themes in music history.

The selections from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" were originally written for the ballet in Moscow, but when the theatre dropped the ballet portion he finished it as a concert suite in order to present his music to the masses. This piece is one of the few non-political pieces Prokofiev wrote during that time. The music is stimulating and creates a canvas where listeners can visualize the classic story of Romeo and Juliet.

Robert Schumann's Concerto in A minor was written during Schumann's "Chamber Music Year," and fittingly accompanies the theme of this Valentine's Day weekend concert, coming from the Romantic era and originating from a love story. The piece was written for Schumann's own love, his wife Clara. Preceding the work was the infamous legal battle to wed Clara between Clara's father and Schumann. The music was written for Clara, who was the first one to perform the work at its premiere. Surprisingly this is the only piano Concerto Schumann wrote. Although no one knows the reason why, it could be to be an exemplar of compositional intention and deep devotion for his beloved wife Clara. This work will feature American Pianist Nicholas Angelich.

Fischer and Toby Tolokan, Utah Symphony Vice President of Artistic Planning, will present a free pre-concert chat Friday and Saturday night, one hour prior to the start of each performance on the orchestra level of Abravanel Hall.

Single tickets for the performances range from $18 to $85 for February 14 and $18 to $67 for February 15 and 16 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. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533- NOTE (6683). All ticket prices are subject to change and availability. Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.

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The orchestra will also perform a flood of other enchanting works including "The Swan of Tuonela," by Jean Sibelius, Benjamin Britten's "Four Sea Interludes," and Felix Mendelssohn's "The Fair Melusina," Friday and Saturday, Jan. 4 and Jan. 5, at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple in Salt Lake City.

Also on the program are two violin concertos by Vivaldi and Bach, featuring Utah Symphony Concertmaster Ralph Matson.

Like the explorers of old, composers have forever been drawn to the mystical nature of water in all its stunning variety.

Folklore and legends spring to life in Mendelssohn's alluring symphonic poem, "The Fair Melusina." This work ripples with mythical imagery as shifting moods reflect the beauty, suspicion and sorrow of the mysterious water spirit Melusine.

Finnish composer Jean Sibelius originally composed his tone poem "The Swan of Tuonela" as a prelude for an opera in 1893, but instead, revised and used it as one of the four movements of his "Lemminkäinen Suite." In this expressive piece, one can hear the somberness as the swan glides majestically around the black waters surrounding Tuonela, the Kingdom of Death.

Handel was commissioned by King George I to compose a new creation for his summer boating party on July 17, 1717. The concert was performed on a barge by 50 musicians. The king and his guests listened from the nearby royal barge as numerous other boats floated down the River Thames. Handel's beloved work shimmers with ever-changing tempos, gushing harmonies, and lively themes.

Britten's "Four Sea Interludes" was composed for his opera "Peter Grimes," and are heard during the various scene changes. The interludes "Dawn," "Sunday Morning," "Moonlight," and "Storm," transport the listener from one location to another, expressing the turbulence of the characters with an underlying swell of foreboding. Britten cleverly turned the interludes into a concert piece, placing them in a different order so they would flow freely and independently.

McGegan and Toby Tolokan, Utah Symphony Vice President of Artistic Planning, will present a free pre-concert chat each night, one hour prior to the start of the performance on the orchestra level of Abravanel Hall. Nicholas McGegan, Conductor

Nicholas McGegan is loved by audiences and orchestras for performances that match authority with enthusiasm, scholarship with joy, and curatorial responsibility with evangelical exuberance. Through twenty-seven years as its music director, McGegan has established the San Francisco-based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorale as the leading period performance ensemble in America and brought it to the forefront of the 'historical' movement worldwide thanks to notable appearances at Carnegie Hall, the London Proms, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the International Handel Festival, Göttingen where he was artistic director from 1991 to 2011.

Active in opera as well as the concert hall, he was principal conductor of Sweden's perfectly preserved 18th-century theatre Drottingholm 1993-96, running the annual festival there. And he has been a pioneer in the process of exporting historically informed practice beyond the small world of period instruments to the wider one of conventional symphonic forces, guest-conducting orchestras like the the New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong Philharmonics, the Chicago, St. Louis, Toronto and Sydney Symphonies, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Northern Sinfonia and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, as well as opera companies including Covent Garden, San Francisco, Santa Fe and Washington.

Born in England, McGegan was educated at Cambridge and Oxford and taught at the Royal College of Music, London. He was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours for 2010 "for services to music overseas." His awards also include the Halle Handel Prize; an honorary professorship at Georg-August University, Göttingen; the Order of Merit of the State of Lower Saxony (Germany); the Medal of Honour of the City of Göttingen, and an official Nicholas McGegan Day, declared by the Mayor of San Francisco in recognition of two decades' distinguished work with the Philharmonia Baroque.

But as McGegan said when a journalist talked admiringly of his work with an orchestra: 'I'm not working with them. I'm having fun with them'. It makes a difference. Ralph Matson, Violin

Ralph Matson was appointed Utah Symphony Concertmaster in 1985. He began his violin studies in Detroit with Emily Mutter Austin. Matson received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale College and a master's degree from the Yale School of Music. His principal teachers were Joseph Silverstein and Steven Staryk. He was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, and prior to his Utah Symphony appointment, was Assistant Concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Matson's solo appearances with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Utah Symphony include collaborations with Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Leonard Slatkin, Sir Neville Marriner, Eiji Oue, Joseph Silverstein, Keith Lockhart, and Pavel Kogan. Since 1996, he has participated in the Grand Teton Music Festival where he is Concertmaster of the Festival Orchestra.

Single tickets for the performances range from $18 to $53 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 Discounted student tickets will be available on the date of the performance. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). All ticket prices are subject to change and availability. Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.

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This performance of Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony will mark the continuation of the orchestra's season-long Mendelssohn Symphony cycle. In his U.S. orchestral debut, guest violinist Fumiaki Miura and the orchestra will also highlight traditional Scottish folk melodies as they pay tribute to Scotland's rich heritage with Bruch's "Scottish Fantasy," Nov. 30 (St. Andrew's Day) and Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall. The program will also include Haydn's Symphony No. 3 and Debussy's "Scottish March."

In 1829, the 20-year old Mendelssohn made his first trip to England which included a tour of Scotland. He attributed the initial idea for his "Scottish Symphony" to seeing the roofless ruins of the Holyrood Chapel in Edinburgh, behind the castle where Mary Stuart once resided. Though he did not finish his masterpiece until 1842, the stunning visual beauty of Holyrood that inspired him years before can still be heard.

Bruch's "Scottish Fantasy" was completed in 1880 and pays homage to the vibrant and rousing Scottish tradition with variations on several traditional bagpiper folk melodies, including "Through the Wood Laddie," "The Dusty Miller," "I'm A' Doun for Lack O' Johnnie," and "Hey Tuttie Tatie."

St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots all over world. It is a national holiday in Scotland, dedicated to the patron saint who brought Christianity to their beloved nation.

Fischer and Corbin Johnston, Utah Symphony Associate Principal Bass, will present a free pre-concert chat each night, one hour prior to the start of the performance on the orchestra level of Abravanel Hall.

Fumiaki Miura, the First Prize Winner of the International Joseph Joachim Violin-Competition (Hannover 2009), was born in Japan in 1993, and comes from a musical family. His father is a concertmaster and his sister is studying the piano. Miura began to play the violin at the age of three. In 2008 he was admitted to the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo as one of the most promising future talents and until recently he studied there with Tsugio Tokunaga. Since the beginning of the 2009/10 winter semester, he continues his studies at the Vienna Conservatory with Prof. Pavel Vernikov. He regularly attends master classes for example with Pavel Vernikov, Jean-Jacques Kantrow and Zakhar Bron.

He has already performed with many orchestras including the NDR Radiophilharmonie, Polish Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Ensemble Kanazawa, Osaka Philharmonic, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra and the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra.

In the season 2012-13 Miura will give his debut with NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg, at Konzerthaus Vienna with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and also his first appearance in the US with the Utah Symphony. A particular highlight of the current season will be the Polish premiere of Penderecki's Concerto for Viola and Violin in November 2012 with Julian Rachlin and Poznan Philharmonic.

Miura did not only win the First Prize of the Hannover Violin-Competition he also won the Music Critics' Prize and the Audience Prize of the 2009 competition and is therefore not only the youngest Winner in the history of the Competition, but also the one with the most prizes.

In both 2003 and 2004 as an elementary student Miura won Second Prizes in the All Japan Students' Music Competition. In 2006, he was awarded the Second Prize at the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition for Young Violinists. When participating in the Music Academy in Miyazaki he was awarded as one of the best performers in 2008 and 2009.

Single tickets for the Utah Symphony performances range from $18 to $53 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. $10 single tickets are available to concertgoers ages 30 or younger. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). All ticket prices are subject to change and availability. Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.

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Michael Cavanaugh, who was handpicked by Billy Joel to star in the Broadway musical "Movin' Out," has been called "the new voice of the American Rock and Roll Songbook" by Billboard Magazine. Cavanaugh was nominated for both a Grammy Award and a Tony Award for his role in the musical, which featured Billy Joel's music.

"The Music of Billy Joel and More" features Cavanaugh as pianist and vocalist as he performs Rock favorites including "Piano Man," "Pinball Wizard," "Uptown Girl," "Just The Way You Are" and "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant." The orchestrations performed by the Utah Symphony will add new layers to the music and enhance the memorable tunes.

This will be Cavanaugh's first appearance with the Utah Symphony. Michael's numerous symphony performances include invitations from the Boston Pops, Indianapolis Symphony, National Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and the Cincinnati Pops.

Cavanaugh is the New Voice of the American Rock & Roll Songbook. A charismatic performer, musician and actor, made famous for his piano/lead vocals in the Broadway Musical "Movin' Out." Cavanaugh was handpicked by Joel to star in title role and evokes a style rivaling the Piano Man. Michael appeared in the show for 3 years and over 1200 performances, receiving accolade after accolade, which culminated in 2003 with both Grammy and Tony award nominations.

Cavanaugh began playing at age seven, when his parents bought their first piano. Encouraged by family and friends, and inspired by his hero Billy Joel, Michael formed his first band at age 10 and began playing local functions, fine-tuning the craft that would become his chosen career. His first full time gig as a musician was an extended engagement in Orlando Florida at a piano bar called Blazing Pianos.

In January of 1999, Michael received an offer that would unknowingly change his life, with an opportunity to play Las Vegas at the famed "New York, New York Hotel and Casino." It was there that Joel spotted Michael and joined him on stage one fateful night of February 2001.

It only took two songs before Joel was convinced that he had found his new Piano Man, Michael Cavanaugh. Michael closed up shop at New York, New York and moved to New York City to work alongside Joel and Twyla Tharp, to shape the Broadway Musical that would be called "Movin' Out".

With the close of "Movin' Out" at the end of 2005, Michael began touring in his own right, creating a show that reinterprets the modern pop/rock songbook. Michael soon became one of the hottest artists in the corporate/events market. He continues to perform worldwide for company and charity events as well as sporting events including the PGA tour, the US Open and the Indy 500. It wasn't long before symphony orchestras discovered Michael's talents and audience appeal.

He accepted his first orchestral booking, "Michael Cavanaugh The Songs of Billy Joel and More" which debuted in April of 2008 with the Indianapolis Symphony and continues to tour. In October 2008, he signed with Warner/ADA to distribute his first CD titled "In Color". In June, 2010, Michael debuted his second symphony show in the "Generations of Rock" series entitled "Michael Cavanaugh: The Songs of Elton John and More" and continues to tour both symphony productions.

Tickets for the performances range from $29 to $85 and can be purchased by calling (801)355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office or by visiting www.utahsymphony.org . Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). Ticket prices and seating are subject to availability. Prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.

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