Utah Symphony's Ghost Light Podcast

Co-hosts Carol Anderson and Jeff Counts sit down with John Holiday prior to his Utah Opera debut in his signature role in Jonathan Dove and April de Angelis’ Flight. Many, not familiar with the opera world will know John Holiday from season 19 of NBC’s The Voice. John is one of the most sought-after countertenors (a cis-male that sings in a mezzo-soprano range) in the opera scene. John shares anecdotes about his career as an artist and educator in a pandemic world. One of the gems of the discussion was around John’s TEDx talk, “The Monsters Under My Bed,” that focuses on family dynamics and how you can find your worth, despite the situation. You can find that talk here: https://www.johnholiday.com/media# Does John have a story that he would like to see set as an opera? Find out in this amazing conversation with John Holiday.

Co-hosts Carol Anderson and Jeff Counts discuss the comedy, energy, music, and emotion of a colorful cast living out an unexpected overnight delay. John Holiday from season 19 of NBC’s The Voice makes his Utah Opera debut in his signature role in the opera that has entertained audiences around the world and speaks to us of the realities of our shared humanity – Jonathan Dove and April de Angelis’ critically acclaimed opera, Flight.

We interview a LOT of composers on the podcast. But many of the composers we’d like to interview are no longer with us. So we’re forced to talk about them instead. Jeff and Carol discuss the creation of Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in this Deep Dive episode.

What does Mr. Rogers, the flute, music education, passing out on stage, and the Utah Symphony have in common? Guest soloist DeMarre McGill. While a guest soloist with the Utah Symphony in May 2021, Seattle Symphony principal flutist DeMarre McGill joined co-hosts Jeff Counts and Carol Anderson. They discuss the state of the classical music world, what it’s like growing up in a musical family (his brother is the principal clarinet for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra), his advice to young musicians, and a story of a time when he fainted on stage DURING a performance. Hear their conversation on the first episode of season six of the Ghost Light Podcast.

Vocal Coach Nova Thomas joins the Ghost Light Podcast to discuss operatic voice types and the Fach system.

Pinchus Zukerman sits down with the Ghost Light Podcast.

Israeli director Omer Ben Saedia joined the Ghost Light Podcast prior to the opening of Utah Opera’s production of Peter Brook’s “La tragedie de Carmen” to discuss her thoughts about the current state of the world of opera.

Just prior to the recording of the upcoming USUO: On Demand performance with the Utah Symphony, guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas joined the Ghost Light Podcast. In Pablo’s mind the guitar is an instrument that transcends borders. It’s “an expression of diversity.” From the Troubadour tradition to flamenco, blues, jazz, and bluegrass, and so many other genres, the guitar is a unifying instrument because of its versatility. School and community outreach are an important element of Pablo’s career and mission. “I do what I do because I believe and have experienced a better world through music in our lives. Music is a perfect vehicle to tell stories, transmit values, erase borders, celebrate diversity, and bring people together by sharing our emotions.” As a child of parents who were teachers, the concept of changing the world around in you in whatever way you can was a major theme in his youth. As a young guitarist he found joy in playing in venues such as nursing homes. “We have the opportunities as musicians to

Voice actor Carin Gilfry joins the Ghost Light Podcast to her journey from pursuing a career as an opera singer to a career voicing thousands of commercials, instructional videos, IVR systems, eLearning programs, documentaries, video games, and audiobooks. Carin's voice may be familiar for fans of USUO in the Wasatch Front. You'll hear her voice in our radio and tv ads.

Utah Opera Senior Technical Director, Jared Porter joins the Ghost Light Podcast to discuss what goes on behind the scenes of an opera production.

Just prior to the opening night of Utah Opera’s production of Utah Opera’s October 2020 production, soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer joined the Ghost Light Podcast. Wendy Bryn was born in California, but grew up in Bountiful, Utah. Her career has taken her to New York and the Metropolitan Opera, and around the world to play roles as a dramatic soprano. She was slated to make her Utah Opera debut in fall 2020 playing the role of Senta in Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. Due to circumstances of the pandemic, that production was cancelled and replaced by Francis Poulenc’s The Human Voice, a monodrama based on the fictional story of Elle, and her sung conversation with an ex-lover who will soon be married to another woman. Harmer notes that learning and memorizing a new role was not what she planned for 2020, but was grateful for the opportunity to be on the Capitol Theater stage. The pandemic has hit the vocal musician community especially hard, especially here in the US where most professional singers have been

In the second episode in a mini-series about the pivots brought on by the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, Jonathan Miles joins the Ghost Light Podcast to discuss how USUO’s marketing strategy changed for the 2020-21 season. Music from this episode: • Finale from Igor Stravinsky’s "Octet for Wind Instruments" • George Walker’s "Lyric for Strings" • Andrew Norman’s "Switch" • Richard Strauss’ "Ein Heldenleben"

In the first of a mini-series about the pivots brought on by the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USUO Education Team sat down with the Ghost Light Podcast to discuss how the education offerings of the company have been re-envisioned in the last 6 months and going forward.

Changes/Transitions' is a commission written by Quinn Mason to commemorate the Black Lives Matter movement. The composer sits down with Principal Trombone, Mark Davidson and the Ghost Light Podcast to discuss the origins of the piece and its place in the current social climate.

Get to know the new President and CEO of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera of Jeff Counts and Carol Anderson introduce Steven Brosvik.

Jeff Counts and Carol Anderson give you a look behind the scenes into the world of classical music and the artists who make it.

Associate Concertmaster Kathryn Eberle sits down with Jeff Counts and Carol Anderson to discuss The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, pandemic life, and MOTUS Meets.

One of the interviews from the 80th Birthday Celebration featured Nick and Claudia Norton. The, now retired, couple share their memories of Maurice Abravanel, the 2002 Olympics, National and European tours, the opening of Abravanel Hall, and the Utah Symphony as a match-making organization.

African-American soprano Nicole Heaston joins Jeff Counts and Carol Anderson to discuss musical life during quarantine, the Purple Robe Series, and a story she'd like to see turned into an opera.

Utah Opera resident artist Brandon Bell joins Jeff Counts and Carol Anderson to discuss people of color in prominent opera roles and a topic that he'd like to see made into an opera.