Maestro move: Utah goes Posch
OrchestrasThe Utah Symphony has announced Markus Poschner as its next music director.
Poschner, 53, is presently chief of the Bruckner Orchestra Linz (to 2027) and Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (to 2025). He becomes chief conductor in Basel a year from now.
His official takeover date in Utah is 2027, but he’ll have a battle on his hands to stop developers knocking down Abravanel Symphony Hall and replacing it with a sports stadium.
“…but he’ll have a battle on his hands to stop developers knocking down Abravanel … Hall and replacing it with a sports stadium.”
This is old news: Salt Lake County government, which owns and operates Abravanel Hall as part of a group of Salt Lake County arts performance buildings, decided in September 2024 to keep Abravanel Hall as is, but most likely with significant upgrades/modernization being undertaken in about 3 years time.
https://kslnewsradio.com/2136255/mayor-wilson-confirms-future-of-abravanel-hall/
In any case, Markus Poschner most likely was the best choice for the next music director of the Utah Symphony, in terms of experience and energetic artistic outlook. He is the right conductor at the right time for this orchestra.
His two previous programs with the Utah Symphony, in late 2022 and 2023, witnessed two excellent performances of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, & two fine performances of Brahms’s Second Symphony.
Hasn’t Abravanel Hall been saved?
https://www.kuer.org/arts-culture-entertainment/2024-10-09/salt-lake-county-commits-to-abravanel-hall-thats-music-to-the-utah-symphonys-ear
Great choice. Markus is a superb conductor and a very nice man.