Utah Symphony, so long

Keith Lockhart is in the home stretch of his 11-year run as Utah Symphony music director, bringing additional scrutiny to every guest conductor who appears in Abravanel Hall. The orchestra's board won't say which conductors it is considering for the job, and most of the prospective candidates are similarly coy about their interest. There was, however, an exceptionally strong string of guests in October and November: Hannu Lintu, David Angus and Arild Remmereit.

Artistic highlights for the orchestra included Lockhart's dynamic presentation of Grieg's complete "Peer Gynt," featuring blockbuster narration by Jonathan Epstein; a chamber-orchestra performance of music by George and David Crumb; and outstanding guest appearances by pianist Horacio Gutiérrez, violinist James Ehnes, percussionist Colin Currie and cellist Natalie Clein.

Utah Opera's year was bookended by two strong performances by Scott Piper. The tenor's multidimensional characterizations made "Tosca's" Mario Cavaradossi more than just a nice guy to whom bad things happen, and "Madame Butterfly's" B.F. Pinkerton more than an irredeemable cad.

Choir at the crossroads

Music director Craig Jessop abruptly left the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in March, saying only that he was "at a major crossroads of life." A month later, he was named head of the Utah State University music school in his native Cache Valley, where he also took over the Northern Utah Choral Society (now known as the American Festival Chorus). Meanwhile, back at the Tabernacle, Jessop's longtime assistant, Mack Wilberg, picked up the choir reins. Wilberg has not missed a step, leading the choir in two recording sessions, a performance on the Deer Valley Music Festival and a handful of blockbuster concerts with guests including the Osmond family and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Notable passings

Kenneth Kuchler, a 62-year veteran of the Utah Symphony's violin section, died in February, while noted conductor and music educator Jay Welch died in December.

Ludwig would be proud

The Fry Street String Quartet, resident ensemble at Utah State University, performed all 17 Beethoven string quartets over two weekends in October.

Up and coming

Ching Toa Aristo Sham, 12, of Hong Kong, won the Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition in June. Later that month, Chinese pianist Sijing Ye, 16, won the Bachauer's Young Artists competition.

Onward and upward

The Intermezzo Chamber Music Series continues to thrive, bringing stimulating programs of chamber music to Salt Lake City's summer concert scene. The Nova Chamber Music Series likewise enjoys a high profile as artistic director Corbin Johnston prepares to turn over the series' leadership to Jason Hardink. Barlow Bradford's Utah Chamber Artists embarked on a successful concert tour of Europe, and Brady Allred's Summer Choral Institute has acquired a healthy following in its second year.