The Salt Lake City Department of Airports has pulled off something no other American city has managed in decades: building the first entirely new hub airport in the United States this century. To mark that rare achievement, officials turned to a local artist to create a piece that captures what the terminal is really about—not just moving planes, but moving people and their dreams.
Utah Composer Kurt Bestor to Premier Lux Altior at Final Celebration
We have focused on designing an airport that represents the beauty and culture of Utah. Engaging composer Kurt Bestor expands on a broader theme to embrace all aspects of our surroundings through art.”— Bill Wyatt, Executive Director, Salt Lake City Department of AirportsSALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, October 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The milestone celebration on October 24, 2026, includes the world premiere of “Lux Altior,” an original airport theme commissioned by SLCDA from Utah composer Kurt Bestor. Bestor, an award-winning composer, arranger and performer whose work spans orchestral, choral and popular music, wrote the piece specifically for the completion of The New SLC.
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“From the start, we have focused on designing an airport that represents the beauty and culture of Utah,” said Bill Wyatt, executive director, SLCDA. “Engaging the talents of a Utah-based composer Kurt Bestor expands on a broader theme SLC has undertaken to embrace all aspects of our surroundings through art—whether visual, auditory or performed.”
The title “Lux Altior” translates to “The Higher Light,” and Bestor drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s lifelong fascination with flight. The composition is meant to frame the airport as a gateway—a place where dreams take off, families reconnect, new cultures are discovered, and adventures begin.
“I wanted to create a piece that, while incorporating instrumentation spanning the musical globe, would sound cohesive and unified,” Bestor said. “I chose to feature choirs in this piece because an airport is more than glass, steel, wood and creative architecture. It is a place where people depart to pursue dreams and discover new places and cultures or arrive to begin new adventures and new lives.”
The adult choir sings of pursuing Lux Altior (The Higher Light), representing travelers’ collective dreams and aspirations. The treble choir, performed by the Cathedral of the Madeleine School Choir, expresses hopes for Lux Pacem in Aeternum (Light and Peace Forever).
Lux Altior is available at www.slcairport.com, www.kurtbestor.com and will stream on Spotify and Apple Music. For information and photos about The New SLC Redevelopment Program go to: https://slcairport.com/thenewslc/construction-updates/
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The New SLC Redevelopment Program broke ground in July 2014. The $5.1 billion project replaced three aging terminals with a state-of-the-art central terminal and two linear concourses. Phase 1 opened in September 2020, Phase 2 opened in October 2023, and Phase 3 opened in October 2024. Four more gates opened in July 2026, and the remaining seven gates and six concessions open on October 27, 2026. The completed airport has 94 aircraft gates and 101 concessions.
Nancy Volmer
Salt Lake City International Airport
+1 801-209-5774
Why it matters: In an era when most U.S. airport expansions are piecemeal renovations, Salt Lake City’s $5.1 billion greenfield hub project stands as a rare exception—and the decision to commission an original musical score signals that airport design is increasingly being treated as a cultural statement, not just an infrastructure project. That integration of art and architecture could set a precedent for how other cities approach major transportation developments.
