Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Adds 10 New Artists for 2026–27 Season

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The ensemble will feature violinists Ellen Hayashi and Karen Ferry returning to the organization, alongside new principal timpanist Michael Tetreault and soprano Hyein.

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Utah Symphony | Utah Opera welcomes 10 new artists for the 2026–27 season, including a new assistant conductor, five Utah Opera Resident Artists, and four Utah Symphony musicians. Audiences will encounter these artists throughout the season on the podium, in the orchestra, on the opera stage, and through performances and programs across the state of Utah.

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Joining the organization are Utah Symphony Assistant Conductor Kyle Dickson; Utah Opera Resident Artists Hyein Hong, soprano; Isabelle Kosempa, mezzo-soprano; Colin Miller , tenor; J. Andrew Garratt Jr., baritone; and Marine Eckert, piano; and Utah Symphony musicians Michael Tetreault, principal timpani; Lucy Lu, associate principal second violin; Ellen Hayashi, violin; and Karen Ferry, violin.

Their paths to Utah are as varied as the roles they will take on this season. Some are returning to a musical community they grew up with, while others are beginning new professional chapters in the state. What connects them is the artistry they bring and the opportunities they will have to reach audiences not only from the stage, but through education, touring, and community engagement across Utah.

For Kyle Dickson, assistant conductor, joining the Utah Symphony offered an opportunity to become part of both an orchestra and a community.

'Utah Symphony | Utah Opera has a tremendous reputation for music making at the highest level,' Dickson said. He was drawn to the opportunity to work with the orchestra and guest artists across a wide range of repertoire, as well as to Utah itself and the opportunity to contribute to what the orchestra means to its audiences.

That connection extends to the next generation. Educational work has been an important part of Dickson's career and he hopes his new role can help young people across Utah develop their own relationship with live music.

'I want young people across Utah to know that the concert hall is a place for them, and that classical music can be a source of expression and representation for them, too,' Dickson said. 'I hope to be a bridge to the concert hall in the same way others were for me.'

Get to know Kyle Dickson and read his full Q&A at USUO.org .

Utah Opera welcomes five Resident Artists for the 2026–27 season:

Each brings a different story to Utah Opera. For some, opera began with an early experience that changed the way they understood music and storytelling. For others, the path was far less expected. Those experiences helped shape the artists they are becoming and drew them to continue that development with Utah Opera.

For soprano Hyein Hong, that moment came while playing Papagena in The Magic Flute as an undergraduate. Becoming the lively character showed her that opera could be about much more than singing; it was an opportunity to tell a story, inhabit a character, and connect with an audience. Hong later heard from teachers and colleagues about Utah Opera's supportive environment and performance opportunities, drawing her to the Resident Artist program.

Mezzo-soprano Isabelle Kosempa's path began with her grandmother, who taught her piano for more than a decade and encouraged her to sing. After exploring fields ranging from environmental science to English, Kosempa found herself continually drawn back to performing and the combination of imagination, storytelling, and music she found in opera. When considering Resident Artist programs, she said Utah Opera stood out because of its people and a community she saw as kind, passionate, and invested in one another's success.

For baritone J. Andrew Garratt Jr., opera was never the original plan. He intended to fly airplanes and join the Air Force like his late father until a heart condition requiring a pacemaker changed that path. While recovering from surgery, a friend invited him to the Sun Valley Music Festival Opera Institute. There, Garratt discovered that opera gave him the same feeling as flying. He was later drawn to Utah Opera by what he describes as its 'unwavering commitment to community.'

That commitment to reaching people beyond the stage is also central to why tenor Colin Miller and pianist Marine Eckert chose the program. Miller pointed specifically to Utah Opera's education programs and their ability to introduce the next generation of singers, performers, and musicians to opera in places where they might not otherwise encounter it.

Eckert's own love of opera began as a child watching the 1984 film adaptation of Carmen on VHS, followed by a birthday tradition of receiving tickets to an opera performance each year. Now, through Utah Opera's education and community engagement programs, she sees an opportunity to give others what was once given to her: 'a passion for music and opera.'

Throughout their residency, the five artists will develop their craft through professional training and performance while appearing in Utah Opera productions and taking part in education and community programs that bring opera to students, teachers, and audiences across the state.

Meet the 2026–27 Utah Opera Resident Artists and read their full Q&As at USUO.org .

Four musicians join the orchestra for the 2026–27 season:

Each was drawn to the orchestra for a different reason, from longtime connections with the Utah Symphony to the opportunity to begin a new professional chapter.

For violinist Ellen Hayashi, joining the Utah Symphony is a homecoming—and the realization of a goal that began in its audience. Raised in Utah, Hayashi remembers attending Utah Symphony and Utah Opera performances nearly every weekend. She credits the orchestra with showing her that becoming an orchestral musician could be a career.

Now, she will perform alongside musicians she grew up watching from the audience. 'What I really look forward to is being able to meet all of the musicians I grew up seeing on the stage and creating music with them,' Hayashi said. She is also looking forward to Masterworks performances, opera, and touring throughout Utah during her first season.

For Lucy Lu, joining the Utah Symphony marks another kind of beginning: her first official orchestral position. Lu was drawn to Utah after experiencing Salt Lake City and its surrounding mountains during the audition process.

'This is my first official orchestral job, so I'm just really looking forward to playing with my amazing colleagues and embracing these fantastic programs of the season,' Lu said.

New Principal Timpanist Michael Tetreault already knew the Utah Symphony before deciding to make it his musical home. Having performed with the orchestra on previous tours and recordings, Tetreault said he consistently came away impressed by the musicians' 'musical commitment and personal kindness toward each other.'

Now a member of the orchestra, Tetreault is looking forward to a season filled with the music that drew him to the position, including Ravel's complete Daphnis et Chloé, Brahms' Requiem, Sibelius' Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 5, Beethoven's Violin Concerto, Strauss' An Alpine Symphony, and Mozart's Don Giovanni. The move has also become a family transition for Tetreault, his wife, and their four young children; he says it has been easier than expected because of the community and culture they have found in Utah.

For violinist Karen Ferry, joining the Utah Symphony brings her back to the orchestra she grew up hearing. Raised in Utah, Ferry attended Utah Symphony performances throughout her childhood and later performed as a soloist with the orchestra through its Salute to Youth competition. Those experiences made the possibility of one day becoming a member of the orchestra especially meaningful.

Now, Ferry has returned to her home state to begin that chapter. 'Getting the chance to come back to my home state, join this incredible orchestra, and be close to friends and family is something I honestly never expected to happen so quickly,' Ferry said. 'I'm just really grateful that it did.' In her first season, she is especially looking forward to performing the orchestra's repertoire alongside her new colleagues.

Together, the four musicians bring new experiences and artistry to the orchestra, while beginning a season of new repertoire, collaborations, and connections with audiences across Utah.

Meet the newest members of the Utah Symphony and read their full Q&As at USUO.org .

From artists with deep ties to Utah to those beginning new chapters in the state, these 10 artists bring a range of experiences and perspectives to Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. Together, their arrival reflects the organization's commitment to bringing exceptional artists to Utah and creating opportunities for audiences across the state to experience their work.

That artistry extends beyond the concert hall and opera stage. Through performances, education programs, community engagement, and touring, these artists will connect with students, families, and audiences in communities throughout Utah.

Whether introducing a young person to live orchestral or operatic music for the first time, performing for longtime audiences, or building new connections across the state, these artists become part of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera's larger role in Utah: bringing great artistry to the state and connecting communities through great live music.

Meet the new faces of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and explore the 2026–27 season at USUO.org .

Season Sponsor for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera is the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. Masterworks Series Sponsor OC Tanner. Family Series Sponsor is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Foundation. Pop Series Sponsor is the Zions Bank Foundation. Utah Opera Artistic Director Sponsor (Christopher McBeth) is the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation. Chorus and Director & Opera Assistant Conductor Sponsor is Sandfur Schmidt. Principal Guest Conductor Sponsor is Patricia A. Richards & William K. Nichols. Assistant Conductor Sponsor is the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. Utah Opera Resident Artists Sponsor is the McCarthey Family Foundation. Official Voice Care Provider of USUO is Health University of Utah.

For 80 years, the Utah State Legislature has championed Utah Symphony (and in time Utah Opera), our education programs and statewide initiatives, and arts education across Utah. USUO gratefully celebrates the Legislature's enduring commitment to arts education and its visionary leadership in enriching communities throughout our state.

Utah Symphony | Utah Opera connects Utah communities through great live music and is the flagship arts organization of the Intermountain West. USUO's 87 full-time symphony musicians and five opera Resident Artists perform for more than 400,000 citizens in Utah and the Intermountain region each year, presenting more than 175 symphonic and chamber music performances; week-long runs of four fully produced operas; and music education programs for students and adult learners. The organization's statewide service includes tours featuring outdoor performances against the backdrop of Utah's natural beauty as well as education offerings—most recently, the six-stop Music Elevated Tour in August 2023.

Founded in 1940 and one of just 17 year-round professional orchestras in the U.S., the Utah Symphony performs at downtown Salt Lake City's Maurice Ab

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwopera/article/Utah-Symphony-Utah-Opera-Welcomes-10-New-Artists-for-202627-Season-20261002)._