Classical music and rare drawings coming together to transform the town
| A collection of drawings by Maynard Dixon that hardly ever come before the public eye will be on display in Helper Saturday during the “Maynard and Mozart” event. |
This Saturday, Helper is all about culture.The historical downtown area will play host to rarely viewed drawings by iconic Southwestern artist Maynard Dixon will be on display and the rich sounds of the Utah Symphony will resonate at the Rio Theater.
“We are going to have two unbelievable events happening at the same time,” said Helper Mayor Mike Dalpiaz, when a member of the arts council provided an update for May 17 at the last city council meeting.
The Helper Arts Council shot straight out to the starting gate with its first project “Maynard and Mozart.” Giving Carbon and Emery county residents to take a peek at Maynard’s drawings was a coup for the fledgling organization, dedicated to providing new cultural opportunities to the area.
Dixon, who was at one time a Mt. Carmel resident redefined art of the American West, according to historians who chronicled the artist through his life and until his death in 1946. Paul and Susan Bingham say it was his “uniquely modern style, one that gave the West a new language of expression.”
| David Cho, Assistant Conductor of the Utah Symphony & Opera will be at the Rio Theater Saturday. |
The artist started out in California and traveled to New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. He settled long enough in each one to capture the distinctive beauty of each state’s landscape.
“Utah was a favorite place of Maynard Dixon’s; he loved the light and found the Mormon people gracious and kind,” according to an excerpt from the Maynard Dixon Biography at www.maynardixon.org.
The biography also states, “Mount Carmel was Maynard Dixon’s summer retreat from the Arizona heat. Zion National Park was also a favorite area. The Utah paintings show the stark dichotomy of the state’s terrain.”
In the evening after their eyes are full with the sights of Helper and Dixon’s drawings, visitors can head over the newly spruced up Rio Theater and give their ears a treat.
While the event’s name cites Mozart, those who attend one of the two Utah Symphony performances will be enveloped by pieces from the B list – Bach, Brahms, Barber, Beethoven and Bartok.
The evening’s line up is as follows:
• Bach J.C.Sinfonia in B-flat, Op. 18: 3rd movement
• Brahms Serenade No. 2 in A, Op. 16 2nd movement
• Barber Adagio for Strings
• Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36
• Bartok Rumanian Folk Dances
David Cho, who is in his second season as the assistant conductor of the Utah Symphony & Opera, will conduct the performances.This past September, Cho won the 1st Prize at the Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition held in Mexico City, Mexico. His win leads to numerous guest conducting engagements in Europe and South America; most notably with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfonica Sao Paulo, and Orquesta y Coro Madrid, Cho’s biography states.
Wanting to create an inclusive event the arts council also reached out to the area’s young people.
The members of Utah Symphony will meet 50 students who have been identified by their principals for recognition at the special dinner being held before the performances. The students will then present the musicians with flowers and escort them into the theater.
Tickets are $20 for each performance and are still available, however, at this date anyone wanting to purchase them should call 472-0318 and the tickets will be held at the Rio for them.