Salt Lake City airport marks construction completion with premiere of new theme piece

Salt Lake City’s airport system is celebrating completion of The New SLC with the world premiere of a commissioned musical work by Utah composer Kurt Bestor. The milestone highlights the first new hub airport built in the United States this century and the final phase of a $5.1 billion redevelopment.

Why it matters: - Salt Lake City Department of Airports has completed the first new hub airport built in the United States this century. - The project is a $5.1 billion redevelopment that reshaped the airport into a central terminal and two linear concourses. - The finished airport is positioned as a civic showcase for Utah culture as well as a transportation hub.

What happened: - Salt Lake City Department of Airports commissioned Utah composer Kurt Bestor to create an airport theme celebrating flight. - Bestor’s new work, “Lux Altior,” received its world premiere at a celebration marking completion of The New SLC on Oct. 24, 2026. - Bill Wyatt, executive director of SLCDA, said the airport has focused on design that reflects the beauty and culture of Utah. - Wyatt said the commission extends SLC’s effort to embrace art across visual, auditory and performed forms.

The details: - “Lux Altior” translates to “The Higher Light.” - The piece was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and his fascination with flight. - The composition is meant to reflect the airport as a place for dreams, reunions, new cultures and new adventures. - Bestor said he aimed to create a unified piece using instrumentation from around the musical globe. - Bestor said he chose choirs because an airport is more than architecture and is also a place where people leave to pursue dreams or arrive to begin new lives. - The adult choir sings about the pursuit of Lux Altior and travelers’ collective dreams and aspirations. - The treble choir, performed by the Cathedral of the Madeleine School Choir, expresses hopes for Lux Pacem in Aeternum, or “Light and Peace Forever.” - “Lux Altior” is available at SLC Airport, Kurt Bestor and will stream on Spotify and Apple Music. - Information and photos for The New SLC Redevelopment Program are available at construction updates.

Between the lines: - The commission turns the airport completion event into a cultural statement, not just a construction milestone. - The use of choirs and a da Vinci theme frames air travel as both practical infrastructure and a symbol of human ambition. - The airport’s art strategy appears designed to make the terminal experience feel distinctly local and more memorable for travelers.

What’s next: - The remaining seven gates and six concessions are scheduled to open on Oct. 27, 2026. - Four more gates opened in July 2026. - Phase 1 opened in September 2020, Phase 2 opened in October 2023 and Phase 3 opened in October 2024. - The completed airport now has 94 aircraft gates and 101 concessions. - The redevelopment program broke ground in July 2014.