Utah audiences will have a chance to welcome back conductor Pavel Kogan next weekend when he takes the podium again for a program featuring Dvorak's "New World Symphony," Smetana's "The Moldau" and "Tatiana's Letter," from Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugene Onegin."
These days, Kogan said, he splits his time between his position as music director and chief conductor for the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, and freelancing as a guest conductor. "I conduct the subscriptions in Moscow Symphony Orchestra. I have a very flexible contract. I decide myself how many weeks of subscription concerts I spend with the orchestra, and also going on tour with the orchestra."
During the entire month of February, for example, Kogan will be touring the United Kingdom with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra.
"And the second part," Kogan said by phone from a New Jersey hotel, "is the guest conducting, which I spread out over the rest of the world. I guest conduct with Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium — most European countries with orchestras. I spend probably 10 to 14 weeks a year making guest appearances all over the world with the different orchestras."
Though he will be in many U.S. cities, Kogan said that Salt Lake City has a special place in his heart. "I come back with very deep feelings because I very much miss the Utah Symphony, with which I always had a wonderful collaboration and wonderful music-making. I very much miss the wonderful audience which always supported me a lot, and the community, and of course, my very good friends."
All the pieces on next weekend's program are Slavic, Kogan said. "At the same time, all three pieces are completely different in style, different in emotions and in imaginations and vision. I really like very much to present this type of program."
"The Moldau," he said, is a piece that describes nature. "I feel it very deeply and I hope we will transmit that to the audience."
As for Dvorak's "New World Symphony," he said it's a piece that's loved all over the world — particularly in America.
And he described "Eugene Onegin" as "one of the world's opera pearls in the opera repertoire, and the aria, 'Tatiana's letter,' is one of the most important arias for the soprano. It's quite often performed in a concert version, as it will be performed with the Utah Symphony."
If you go
What: Pavel Kogan, Utah Symphony
Where: Abravanel Hall, 123 S. West Temple
When: Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.
How much: $12-$48
Phone: 355-2787 or 888-451-2787
Web: www.arttix.org
E-mail: rcline@desnews.com