The UNLV Performing Arts Center opens the 2011-2012 Charles Vanda Master Series at 8 p.m. Oct. 1 with the Utah Symphony. The concert features conductor David Lockington and pianist Jeremy Denk and includes Mendelssohn The Hebrides, Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 and Dvorak Symphony No. 8.
Denk has been called "One of the best pianists of his generation" (Denver Post), and "dramatically satisfying" (Salt Lake Tribune). He has appeared as soloist with major orchestras, including the Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, New World, St. Louis and San Francisco Symphonies, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and London Philharmonia. Last season he played concertos by Beethoven, Copland, Mozart, Schumann and Stravinsky. He performed Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments under the direction of John Adams, first with the London Symphony Orchestra in London and Paris, and then as part of Carnegie Hall's City Noir. He appears often in recital in New York, Washington, Boston and Philadelphia.
Founded in 1940, the Utah Symphony has become an eminent presence in the American music scene through its distinctive performances worldwide and its well-known recording legacy. Previous to its official founding, the Utah Symphony's first incarnation was as a Works Progress Administration Orchestra from 1935 to 1940.
The orchestra became recognized as a leading ensemble largely through the efforts of Maurice Abravanel, its music director from 1947 to 1979. Under his direction, the orchestra made its first recordings of works by Varese, Milhaud, Gottschalk, Honegger and Satie, as well as the first full set of the Mahler Symphonies.
Ticket Info
Tickets to the Utah Symphony are $35, $50 and $75 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 895-ARTS (2787) or online at pac.unlv.edu. Student rush tickets are $13 each and are available one hour prior to each event, based on availability and with valid student I.D. UNLV faculty and staff discounts also are available. A $1.25 facilities fee, in addition to the ticket price, is charged on all Performing Arts Center tickets. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Learn more about upcoming performances at the Performing Arts Center.
About the Performing Arts Center
Founded in 1976, the Performing Arts Center at UNLV continues to be Southern Nevada's premier performing arts venue. Located on the north end of the UNLV campus, the PAC hosts a variety of performances each year in three distinct series - the Charles Vanda Master Series, the New York Stage & Beyond Series, and the UNLV Classical Guitar Series.
