Guest Artists
Salt Lake Symphony is committed to keeping Utah music alive by working with local soloists and composers.
Guest artists from past seasons
Gerald Elias
Gerald Elias, an acclaimed concert musician and award-winning author, has performed on five continents and is a former violinist in the Boston Symphony and Associate Concertmaster of the Utah Symphony. Music Director of the Vivaldi By Candlelight chamber music series in Salt Lake City since 2004, he has been a regular guest conductor of orchestras in Peru and Ecuador. A recipient of a Fulbright Senior Specialist grant in 2008, he taught and conducted at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima. A faculty member of the University of Utah School of Music, Elias has been honored by the Utah Chapter of the American String Teachers’ Association as Studio Teacher of the Year. In 1993 Elias co-founded the Abramyan String Quartet, which provided educational and outreach activities throughout Utah and toured internationally.
Igor Iachimciuc
Igor Iachimciuc was born in the Edinets Republic of Moldova, where he
began to study the cimbalom (string-percussion instrument) at age ten
at a children's music school. Later, while studying the cimbalom at
the Musicescu Academy of Music, he won 3rd and later 1st prizes at the
National Competition "Barbu Lautaru". He has also studied guitar and
piano. In 1983 he began to study composition at the College of Music
in Chisinau, Moldova, where his characteristic folk music influence
emerged. He continued his studies at the Academy of Music, composing
works ranging from folk, jazz, classical, to new music for solo
instruments, chamber ensembles, choir, and symphony orchestra.
Melissa Heath
Hailed as a “soaring, sparkling soprano” with “vivacious stage
presence”, American soprano Melissa Heath received her Master’s degree
in vocal performance from the University of Utah in 2009. Melissa has
performed the roles of Amy in Mark Adamo’s Little Women,
Cunegonde in Bernstein’s Candide, La Ciesca in Gianni
Schicchi, Marianne in Tartuffe, Gretel in Hansel and
Gretel, and First Lady in The Magic Flute.
Michael Huff
Dr. Michael Huff is the Artistic Director and Conductor of Utah’s newest choir, Utah Voices, Artistic Director of Heritage Festivals’ Festival of GoldTM Series, and has recently joined the faculty of Utah State University’s Caine College of the Arts where he is Director of Special Programs, and a Visiting Professor with the Department of Music.
Utah Voices
About Utah Voices Utah Voices was created by a handful of dedicated, hard-working people who truly love to sing. It is the culmination of the dreams and united vision of individuals who are passionate about making music. We desire to provide a unique and fulfilling musical opportunity to those who sing with us as well as those for whom we perform. We will strive to ensure that Utah Voices has a lasting position in our community and in the wonderful world of choral singing. In the beautiful words of the talented composer Gerald Finzi, "...as surely as birds must sing, so long as words exist and man is capable of feeling, there will be song."