Students from across the Provo City School District attended live performances by the Utah Symphony at the Provo High School auditorium. During the event, conductor Kyle Dickson led students in an exercise to visualize different locations inspired by Sibelius’ Finlandia.
The performances featured 57 professional musicians playing a repertoire that included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Michael Giacchino’s Married Life from Up, movements from Debussy’s Petite Suite, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9.
For members of the Provo High School Wind Symphony, the Dvořák selections provided a direct connection to their own studies, as the student ensemble is preparing Symphony No. 9 for an upcoming band concert.
The visit was facilitated through Utah’s Professional Outreach Program in the Schools, known as POPS. Managed by the Utah State Board of Education and supported by the Utah State Legislature, the program brings professional arts organizations into Utah public schools at free or subsidized costs to support the state’s Core Arts Standards.
The Utah Symphony and district educators aimed to help students connect with art and explore how orchestral music suggests stories, emotions, and colors.
