Utah Symphony Music Director Designate Markus Poschner interview 

• Markus Poschner

On Nov. 18, Markus Poschner—whose roles include Chief Conductor of Bruckner Orchestra Linz, and Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana—was named to be the eighth Music Director of the Utah Symphony, beginning with a Music Director Designate term leading up to full duties beginning with the 2027-2028 season. Maestro Poschner spoke with City Weekly about what drew him to Salt Lake City, and the job ahead of him.

City Weekly: In the press release, you mentioned the experience of conducting the Utah Symphony for the first time in 2022 [including Beethoven's Fifth Symphony], and feeling a sense of connection. I'm not sure how easy that is to describe in layperson's terms, but what are some of the factors that lead to that connection?

Markus Poschner: In music in general, it's never about wrong and right. There are so many options and possibilities to interpret a symphony. And in the end, it's always a question of trust in the conductor, this bond of trust, how to get more meaning, more emotion. ... You realize you're speaking kind of the same language musically. A piece of music is a kind of vehicle to evoke emotions, to tell a story.

CW: You also mentioned that you think of a Music Director position in very geographically specific terms, that the choices you would make in Linz differ from those you would make for Utah. Can you share an example of how those different choices might appear in programming choices?

MP: I feel myself more or less as a kind of explorer, who is very open and curious to experience new things. ... I'm very inspired, for instance, by the culture of pioneers here in Utah, like it was with Maurice Abravenel. Our story, the chapter we're about to start now, must be a new kind of story—the soundtrack of tomorrow.

CW: Obviously there were moments over the past several months where the future of Abravanel Hall was somewhat uncertain. How important was it to you, and perhaps even to your decision to take this position, to know that decisions have been made supporting its preservation?

MP: For me, it's fundamental. This hall, with this wonderful warm and embracing sound, is part of our identity. It's not only a building, not only stones. It's really an instrument. It's deeply connected to our sound, to our vision of sound. So I was extremely shocked, let me say, ... when those discussions came up. I'd been quite depressed at that moment, because we had such great conversation; the first steps together had been done in terms of vision and goals. And this was like a slap in my face. So I've been very much relieved.

CW: What will your role consist of during the Music Director Designate seasons?

MP: In our business, we are usually [scheduling] three or four years in advance; that's part of the business. All of the decisions now affect 2027-2028. We always have one foot in the future—artistically, economically and all the other important parts. So we just have to prepare everything, to talk about our pathways and our course to bring everything together, to be very clear what is the mid-term and long-term road.

CW: What are the challenges at this moment of balancing programming that pushes both audiences and the artists, with programming that attracts audiences so that the symphony can remain viable?

MP: Our home here, the strong bonding to our audience, supporters, donors, whatever, is very important. On the other hand, my goal and my responsibility is to raise our reputation nationally.

As a Utah Symphony, we are a unique institution with our own history, and we have to teach that to the world. I feel it as a push to our own sense of being a first-tier orchestra in the United States. ... We need the best musicians for the future of the orchestra; we need to be as attractive as possible. ... It's a huge pyramid we have to build up [in terms of programming]: the masterworks, contemporary music.

We want to show that music makes us feel like a community. As a child, I used to believe that it was the politicians who would give us the guarantee that the world would be a better place.

Now, I'm not so sure.

It's artists that feel that connection as a community. ... Music is a universal tool of communication, not depending on passport, religion, color, whatever. It's going to be more important, wherever you look. We need to come together.