Where Music Ignites
About the Utah Philharmonic Orchestra
A community orchestra based in southern Salt Lake County, dedicated to igniting musical passion and increasing access to the arts.
Our Mission
To ignite musical passion and increase access to the arts in our communities.
Our Vision
Ignite · Access · Community
Ignite
The Utah Philharmonic Orchestra presents exhilarating, high-caliber musical performances that ignite musical passion in the hearts of our audiences and performers. Through music, we accelerate positive change in the communities we serve.
Access
Music changes souls. Not all individuals have access, means, or even desire to experience high quality music; we bridge that gap through performances in unconventional, unexpected spaces and through fresh, innovative engagement and collaborations.
Community
We foster an environment in which we cultivate the love of playing with musical excellence. We serve our community through powerful musical experiences.
Our Values
Excellence · Engagement · Harmony
Excellence
We strive for excellence in all we do — in the artistry of our ensembles, the professionalism of our business practices, and the integrity of our individual actions. We continually innovate, adapt, and review ourselves rather than settle for the status quo.
Engagement
We engage our community at the highest level: ourselves through our best effort, others through collaboration and invitation, and our audiences through written word, media, and the expression of musical passion.
Harmony
We build consensus, reach out to collaborate, and seek to understand and assist others through the expression of music. We learn from others — and give them the chance to learn from us — that all may be uplifted.
Our Story
A Community Orchestra Since 2005
The Utah Philharmonic Orchestra (UPO) is a community orchestra based in southern Salt Lake County. We appeal to amateur musicians who want a relaxed but high-quality orchestral group to play with, and to audiences looking for enjoyable live orchestral music experiences. Independent of any single municipality, we have the flexibility to move around different Salt Lake County communities for events and to set our own priorities each season.
Our history began in 2005 as the Riverton Metropolitan Orchestra. In 2008, we rebranded and reorganized as the non-profit Oquirrh Mountain Symphony, and in 2015 became the Utah Philharmonic Orchestra.
The UPO is governed by non-profit by-laws and led by a Board of Directors that meets monthly to guide direction, plan musical events, review finances, and make executive decisions. Operations are led by board officers and supported by orchestra and community volunteers — including online media and marketing, stage set-up, and our music librarian. Our orchestra currently has about 50 volunteer musicians who faithfully rehearse and perform together each season.
Where music ignites.