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Thierry Fischer is adding more time to his run with the Utah Symphony.
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and the orchestra's music director have agreed to extend his contract by three years, orchestra officials announced recently.
Fischer's contract was set to expire at the end of the 2018-19 season. The new contract will mean he will continue programming and conducting the Utah Symphony's concerts through the 2021-22 season.
Paul Meecham, president and CEO of US | UO, said in a statement that he was "thrilled" by Fischer's contract extension. "Thierry challenges us to reach for higher goals and to achieve relevancy and impact in the community," Meecham said.
The Swiss conductor, now finishing his sixth full season leading the Utah Symphony, said in a statement that he hopes "to bring an energetic vision to the orchestra's future over the next five years that will further enhance its standing and reputation throughout the state, the country and the world."
Since the Utah Symphony hired Fischer in 2009, he and the orchestra have performed at Carnegie Hall and toured the "Mighty 5" Utah national parks — an event captured in a KUED documentary (narrated by Fischer) that won five regional Emmy awards. He recently traveled with 16 Utah Symphony musicians to Haiti to teach music students and teachers.
As music director, Fischer has mounted complete symphonic cycles of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Nielsen and — as a tribute to his famed predecessor, Maurice Abravanel — a two-season cycle of Mahler's symphonies. He programmed the works of Stravinsky over multiple seasons, including his Utah Opera debut conducting "The Rake's Progress." This season, he programmed all five Beethoven piano concertos, all four Brahms symphonies, and all four Ives symphonies. Next season, the Utah Symphony will perform and record all five Saint-Saëns symphonies — the first American orchestra to record that composer's cycle.
During Fischer's tenure, Utah Symphony also has launched a commissioning program of contemporary classical works, including pieces by Michael Jarrell, Simon Holt, Augusta Read Thomas, Andrew Norman and Nico Muhly.
Fischer began a term in March as principal guest conductor for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and he is an honorary guest conductor at the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra.