The Utah Symphony Shows Power of Family Series Concerts

Most shows have sold out, and limited tickets remain for the orchestra's performances of "Peter and the Wolf" and "An Outer Space Adventure"

The Utah Symphony Orchestra has reported a huge boost in ticket sales for its Family Series concerts. These occasions are more popular than they have ever been before — with programs from December 2023 and March 2024 both boasting sold-out concert halls. In total, nearly 11,000 tickets have been sold in the last four months.

The success of these concerts lies in their format: they are 60 minutes long, with a relaxed atmosphere in which children are free to move rather than sit still. In addition, the orchestra lays on several activities before the show — including group art projects, souvenir crafts, and performance-themed snacks.

The month of March sees the orchestra present a popular children's orchestral work in Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. Though the two performances on March 16 are now sold out, there are limited tickets remaining for the 7pm performance on Thursday, March 14 at the Browning Center in Ogden.

The orchestra has also added a new twist to the story in the form of What About the Duck? Written by author Ruthie Prillaman and Utah composer Andrew Maxfield, this addendum to Prokofiev's work imagines what might happen to the duck's character where the original story leaves off.

"A couple years ago, I was playing Peter and the Wolf for my son who was probably four or five. And he loved it!" said composer Andrew Maxfield. "Every time the French horns came on, he would get scared and say ‘oh it’s that bad wolf!’ and at the end of the piece, spoiler alert, the wolf eats the duck whole and you hear the duck swimming around inside the wolf. But my son said, ‘what about the duck?’ and I thought, that is a terrific question! So, together with Ruthie Prillaman, we decided to create a piece that answered that big question — what about the duck?"

You can book tickets for the performance here.