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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
Northern Utah residents who think they have to travel to Salt Lake to enjoy the symphony or ballet will take pleasure in knowing the same quality performances are happening in Ogden as well. In fact, the Utah Symphony has been performing there for more than 50 years.
In 1949, two Ogden women arranged to have the Utah Symphony perform one Masterworks Concert in their town. The cost was $400 and a total of 300 attended the performance. Then, the Junior League formed a Symphony Committee to coordinate ongoing presentations in the greater Ogden area. In 1957, the Ogden Symphony Guild was formed and later became the Ogden Symphony Association. In 1982, Ballet West performances were added and the Ogden Symphony Ballet Association came into being.
During its most recent season, the Association presented 26 performances with a total attendance estimated at 28,000 patrons. The artist and production costs rose to more than $500,000.
Plans for the upcoming season include 14 Utah Symphony performances, seven of which will be from Ballet West, including Rosalinda, The Nutcracker and Peter Pan, and the Utah Opera will present La Boheme. The Children's Dance Theater will also perform REPete, a show that was originally part of the 2002 Cultural Olympiad with Pete Seeger.
The Chamber Series is held at the Peery's Egyptian Theater, and all other performances are held at the Val A. Browning Center at Weber State University.
Through the years, the Ogden Symphony Ballet Association has established several programs to promote its concerts. The Youth Guild, for example, consists of 150 high school age students who help with various aspects of each performance. The organizationÕs Educational Outreach Program has helped teach students throughout Weber, Davis and Morgan counties about the Orchestra. There have been free summer jazz concerts, and the Association has provided tickets to local groups serving the at-risk population. And through "The Ride" program, senior citizens who cannot drive to the concerts are picked up and returned home after the performances.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
