Classical Music Discoveries

The Orchestra of Southern Utah presents its final recital. The Musical Favorites Recital is an evening to remember, and features the talents of accomplished artists including violist Jason Bonham and tenor Benjamin Tyrrel.
Bonham’s playing has been heard throughout the continental US and Europe. As a member and substitute member of such elite orchestras as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, Jason has had the opportunity to perform in concert with some of the great performers of this generation.
Bonham began his studies on the violin at the age of 8 in the public schools of Southern California and was Principal Violist with Southern California Honor Orchestra. He completed his Bachelors Degree at Brigham Young University in Viola Performance (2001) and a Masters Degree in Viola Performance at Northwestern University (2004) in Chicago where he graduated with program honors. At BYU Bonham was the winner of the concerto competition for his performance of the Bartok Viola Concerto in 2001. He was principal of both the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and the Brigham Young University Philharmonic.
Currently Bonham is a teacher and performer in the Saint George, Utah area. He is Director of Orchestras at Tuacahn High School for the Arts, Adjunct Professor of Viola at Dixie State College, Principal Violist of the South West Symphony Orchestra and co-founder of the Chamber Music Society of Southern Utah (CMSSU). He also runs a private studio in southern Utah, and in the past has been an Adjunct Professor at Brigham Young University as well as private teaching at several music institutions in the Chicago Area. For more information of Bonham, visit his website www.jasonbonham.org.
Bonham performs “Introduction”, “The Young Juliet” and “Dance of the Knights” from the ballet Romeo and Juliet by Serge Prokofiev, “Elegie for Viola and Piano“ by Henri Vieuxtemps and “Allegro Appassionato” by Frank Bridge. He is accompanied by pianist Vernon Robison.
Tyrrel is a versatile vocalist whose styles range from opera to musical theater. Born and raised in Southern California, Tyrrel began his musical training at an early age with training in voice, piano andorgan. He received his B.A. in Vocal Performance from Brigham Young University-Hawaii in 2006. While at BYU-H, Tyrrel was a featured soloist with the BYU-Hawaii Concert Choir's 2004 Asia Tour, tenor soloist for Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Coronation Mass with the Honolulu Symphony. He performed Mozart's Coronation Mass again at Carnegie Hall in 2006 with Mid-America Productions. In 2003, Benjamin received first place in the NATSAA Hawaii Chapter vocal competition in both Classical and Musical Theater categories. After graduation, Benjamin relocated to Southern California to begin work with the top tier opera company, Opera Pacific in Orange County, CA, where he served as the Company Manager for two seasons before its closure in November 2008. Tyrrel is currently working on his M.F.A. in Arts Administration at Southern Utah University. Tyrrel sings “Una furtiva lagrima” from L’Elisir D’Amore by Gaetano Donizetti and “En Drøm (A Dream) Opus 48 Nr. 6” by Edvard Grieg. He is accompanied by pianist Gerald Rheault”
The final recital on October 6th also includes several other talented musicians from the Cedar City area.
The Robert Gordon Jazz Ensemble performs “Old Devil Moon” by E.Y. Harburg and Burton Lane and “Doxy” by Sonny Rollins. Both pieces have been arranged by Bob Gordon for this performance.
Pianist Elise Berrett plays “Prelude in C# Minor” by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
“Largo” from Xerxes by George F. Handel is performed by five students from SUU: trumpet players Robby Carnesecca and Tana Jensen, French Horn player Johnny Gallis, trombonist Bethany Brinton, and tuba player Tyician Knight.

Podcast hostess: Sandy Hedgecock
Recording/Sound: Ken Hedgecock
Photo of Jason Bonham is used by permission.

The Orchestra of Southern Utah presents an evening of Chopin and other Romantic Composers for this week's podcast performance. The recital features Julliard School student Hannah Sun and Dixie State College Director of Strings Dr. Paul Abegg. Hannah began studying the piano at the age of two in her native China. Her first teacher was her mother, concert pianist Qi Melody He. She has studied and performed piano in Australia and is currently a scholarship recipient at The Juilliard School in New York. Hannah has received numerous scholarships awards including First Prize in the Second New York Piano Competition in June 2004. As the First Prize Winner, she had the opportunity to concertize in venues up and down the East Coast. She performed in the documentary BEYOND THE PRACTICE ROOM, a behind-the-scenes look at the competition, shown on PBS as well as the McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase hosted by Robert Sherman on WQXR, New York’s Classical Music Radio Station. She has also received a scholarship to attend the Fontainebleau Summer Music Festival (where she received the Prix Nadia Boulanger), Silver Award from the National Foundation of the Advancement of the Arts, third prize in the Kosciuszko Foundation's Chopin Piano Competition, first prize in the Long Island School Media Association (LISMA) International Music Competition, full scholarships at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival at Mannes College of Music, full scholarship to the International Academy of Music in St. Petersburg, Russia, and grants from the Children's Foundation for the Arts. Hannah has performed with Orchestra of Southern Utah in 2005, the LaGuardia Symphony Orchestra in 2007, and the Corda Spirita Chamber Orchestra in Brisbane, Australia in 2008. More information about Hannah and her impressive career can be found at www.hannahsun.com. Hannah performs “Barcarolle Op. 60”, “Mazurkas Op. 33”, and “Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise Brilliante Op. 22” by Chopin for her September 29th performance at the OSU Recital. Violinist Dr. Paul Abegg is Director of Strings at Dixie State College where he teaches violin and viola, coaches string chamber music, and directs the Dixie State Symphony Orchestra. He spends his summers teaching at the New England Music Camp in Maine. Dr. Abegg received his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music from Michigan State University while studying with Robert Dan. He earned a Bachelor of Music from Brigham Young University. As a performer, Dr. Abegg has played solo, orchestra, and chamber music throughout the United States, Japan, Great Britain, Brazil, and Europe. Currently serving as concertmaster of the Southwest Symphony, he has also played with the Utah, Phoenix, Lansing, Ballet West, Kalamazoo, and Spokane Symphonies. Dr. Abegg performs “Sonatina Op 100 Larghetto and Finale” by Antonin Dvorak. He is accompanied by pianist Tracey Bradshaw. Several OSU musicians are also performing during the September 29th recital. Tracey is also accompanying violinist Marin Colby. Marin will play “Sonata #3 Adagio molto maestoso and Allegro” by Jean Marie LeClair. Cellist Emily White and pianist Teresa Redd perform “Cello Concerto” by Camille Saint-Saens. Pianist Mary Anne Andersen plays “Mazurka Op. 17 No. 4” by Chopin. She also accompanies Johnny Gallis, who performs “Villanelle” by Dukas on French horn. The Southern Utah String Quartet plays “Quintet (1862) Scherzo, Allegro non troppo” by Alexander Borodin. The Southern Utah String Quartet is comprised of violinists Patty Walser and Suzanne Steward, violist Sara Penny, and cellist Leah Brown. Pianist Abel Reed plays “Prelude in C# minor” by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Podcast hostess: Sandy Hedgecock Recording/Sound: Ken Hedgecock Photo: Hannah Sun Used by permission

The Orchestra of Southern Utah Talent Showcase Podcast features the magic of youth, the enchantment of renowned professionals, and the mystic of modern movie themes – with all the performers coming from the Southern Utah area.

Child musicians Sarah Sun, JessiKate Riley, and Anastasia Gliadkovskava perform as concerto soloists with the orchestra, under the direction of OSU conductor Xun Sun.

Sarah is the eight- year-old daughter of Xun Sun and Ling Yu. She has been studying piano with JoAnn Jones since she was 4 and now takes piano from Anna Gliadkovskaya. She has participated in the annual Music Festivals and earned Gold Cup trophies in both piano and violin. She participates in the Suzuki Strings program at SUU. She plays “Piano Concerto No. 5 in D Major, K. 173, 1st Movement” by Mozart on the piano.

JessiKate Riley (12) is the daughter of Douglas and Amanda Riley of Beaver. JessiKate began studying the violin at age 3 with Sara Penny. She has studied with Xun Sun and is currently studying with Dr. Paul Abegg. JessiKate traveled to Turin, Italy in 2006 to participate in the World Suzuki Conference, where she soloed in a children’s recital. She has earned several Gold Cups through the Southern Utah String Festival for solo and ensemble performances. She has participated in Suzuki Strings for many years and has attended the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute regularly. She performs “Concerto in A minor, 1st Movement” by Charles DeBeriot.

Anastasia (11) is this daughter of Kirill and Anna Gliadkovsky and has been playing piano since the age of 6. She made her debut with Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra in Southern California at the age of 8 performing at the 5000 capacity Burbank Bowl. She plays “Piano Concert in F Minor, 1st Movement” by Bach.

Women’s choir “In Jubilo” performs under the direction of Jackie Jackson and is accompanied by Dixie Morell. The ladies have several evening concerts each year as well as performing for a number of community and church events throughout their performance season. For the OSU Talent Showcase, they are singing “Lift thine Eyes” by Felix Mendelssohn, “Go Down Moses” arranged by Hayes, “The Place of the Blest” by Randall Thompson, “Chorus of the Cigarette Girls” from the opera Carmen by George Bizet, and “You Raise Me Up” by Brendon Graham and Rolf Lovland.

Cellomania is featured as they play “Baby Elephant Walk” by Henry Mancini from the Paramount Picture Hatari. It has been arranged for quartet by Larry Moore and for cello by Nina Hansen.

The full orchestra performs music by famed movie score composer John Williams. “Theme” and “Jewish Town” from Schindler’s List features special guest violinist Melissa Thorley Lewis. She currently plays in the Utah Symphony Orchestra, grew up in Cedar City with R.L. Halversen as her teacher. Her mother June Thorley and sister Colleen Dowse play in OSU.

The orchestra also plays the E.T. Theme, as arranged by John Cacavas. Jerry Brubaker’s arrangement of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and highlights from Harry Potter arranged by Michael Story are also performed.

This podcast is sponsored by the Cedar City RAP Fund and the Cedar City/Brian Head Tourism Bureau.

Podcast Hostess: Sandy Hedgecock
Recording/Sound: Ken Hedgecock
Program cover used by permission.

Mckay Tebbs and the Master Singers are featured performers at the Orchestra of Southern Utah Fall Recital Songs for Voices and Instruments. Also featured is composer Geoffrey Gordon.
Tebbs has been called “a top-notch guitar player” by The Independent Newspaper music critic Kyle England. “[He] can easily call himself a guitar virtuoso,” England added. When Tebbs was still in high school, his life was changed forever. He made a trip to Las Vegas where he discovered the music of Steve Vai and realized that he needed to practice more. His serious study of the guitar eventually led him to Berklee College of Music where he graduated with a degree in professional music. These different experiences have influenced Mckay's music to sound like what 20th Century Guitar described as "Adventurous smooth jazz." His music is characterized by instrumental rock guitar melodies played over jazz chord progressions. Tebbs described it as, “kind of like Carlos Santana going out to lunch with Kenny G.”
After graduation, Tebbs was hired by Southern Utah University to teach guitar. In 2007 he recorded his first CD, "The Way." Which music critic England said, "Will certainly bowl over guitar lovers and appreciators everywhere." In support of that CD, Tebbs has played at many different events and festivals all across Utah including: The Highland City Fling, Brian Head Summer Concert Series, The Zion Canyon Arts Concert Series, The St. George Arts Festival, Ancestor Square, the Dixie Center, The Electric Theater, and The Grind. His band was also picked as the opening act for the Oak Ridge Boys concert at the SUU Centrum in Nov. 2007. McKay Tebbs plays “Caprice #24” by Paganini and “Prelude” by Heitor Villa Lobos for the OSU recital.
The Master Singers are performing the Irish Folk Song “O Danny Boy” and the English folk song “Vive la Compagnie.” They are under the direction of James Harrison and accompanied by Roland Williams.
The Southern Utah String Quartet presents “The Rose” by Amanda McBroom and “Unchained Melody” by Alex North. The quartet is comprised of violinists Patty Walser and Suzanne Stewart, violist Sara Penny, and cellist Leah Brown. All are OSU musicians.
“Trio in D minor, Op. 49 No. 1, Molto Allegro ed agitato” is played by the Amor Trio. The trio includes pianist Tracey Bradshaw, violinist Sara Penny, and OSU cellist Brooke MacNaughton. Bradshaw will solo with OSU on November 19th during the Fall Concert.
Tenor Lawrence Johnson and oboist Virginia Stitt perform “Cruelty has a Human Hearth” and “The Piper” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Both are SUU music professors and have extensive performance experience.
We are also pleased to introduce a Geoffrey Gordon, composer, to our podcast family as we play his extraordinary work for Wind Symphony "Sones sueno del Maya."

Podcast Hostess: Sandy Hedgecock
Sound/Recording: Ken Hedgecock

Photo: Mckay Tebbs, used by permission

Revised 9/24/09

The Orchestra of Southern Utah opens its 2009 Fall Recital Series with an evening of Popular Music.

Youth group Cellomania performs three well-known songs that been arranged for cello quartet by John Reed of the Hampton String Quartet: “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones, “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This” by The Eurithmics, and “Happy Together” by The Turtles. The group will also play “Mellow Cellos Tango” by Michael Kibbe, “Baby Elephant Walk” by Henry Mancini from the Paramount Picture Hatari and “The Lord of the Dance” by Ron Hardiman. This final number was arranged for quartet by Larry Moore and then adapted for cello ensemble by Nina Hansen. Cellomania is under the direction of Hansen and includes Dane Stults, Jamie James, Ali Diaz, Ethan Hansen, Heather Leavitt, Emily White, and Emily Smolka. The group performed in Disneyland last spring and is working towards performances in China.

Color Country Winds performs five pieces under the direction of Bonnie Smith Ries. “American Anthem” was written by Gene Scheer and arranged by Michael Brown. John William’s “Theme from Jurassic Park” by John Williams as arranged by Johnnie Vinson will be performed, as will excerpts from “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Freddie Mercury and Queen, arranged by Paul Murtha. Color County Winds will conclude their portion of the recital with the Brown arrangements of “Music for a Darkened Theatre” by Danny Elfman and “The Legend of Zorro” by James Horner. This community band performs for parades, art festivals and other events with administration by Debbie Nollan.

Fred Dunnell sings “Because” by Howard Teschemacher and Guy d’Hardelot and ”Pale Moon” by Jesse G.M. Glick and Frederic Knight Logan. He is accompanied by his daughter Teri Kenney on the piano.

Pianist Sara Rollins presents “Rhapsody” by Brahms. The high school senior is also active in the Canyon View High School choir and her piano teacher is Diane Decker.

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg honors the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz film with vocalist Christine Reed, accompanied by Jana Dettimanti.

Podcast hostess: Sandy Hedgecock
Recording/Sound: Ken Hedgecock

Photo of "Cellomania" is used by permission.

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http://classicalmusic.mevio.com
http://www.orchestraofsouthernutah.com

A Lavish Outpouring of Talent By Bryce Christensen ““If you have a talent,” said the Irish poet Brendan Francis, “use it in every which way possible. Don't hoard it. Don't dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke.” A quintet of highly talented young musicians were lavishly sharing—not hoarding—their rare talents on the stage of Cedar City’s Heritage Center on the night of April 23rd, as they performed a rich variety of classical music for an appreciative audience. As featured soloists for the Orchestra of Southern Utah’s annual Roy L. Halversen Young Artist Concert, these five musicians—Anna Sun, Aubrey Shirts, Elise, Read, Ben Bradshaw, and Mike Wallace—offered powerful evidence that the vibrant local musical tradition that Roy Halversen did so much to foster during his more than four decades of music teaching and directing is alive and well. Performing first on the program, fourteen-year-old Anna Sun played the third movement of Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto, Op. 25. No. 1 with a poise and deftness astounding in a musician so young. Dancing skillfully over the keys, her fingers produced an irresistible cascade of radiant beauty. Always an inspiring presence, OSU director Xun Sun beamed with quite visible and well-justified pride as he directed the Orchestra in accompanying his gifted daughter. As Sun yielded the orchestra baton to guest conductor Alec Mariana, clarinetist Aubrey Shirts, a junior in music education at SUU, moved into the soloist’s limelight as she played the third movement of Carl Maria von Weber’s Concerto, Op. 74. Ms. Shirts fully captured the restless energy pervading most of this spritely number, yet still handled with perfect grace the short passages of liquid serenity. The spotlight next shifted to vocalist Elise Renee Read, another music major at SUU, who performed “Oh Mio Babbino Caro” from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and “Addio Donde Lieta Usci” from Puccini’s La Boheme. Ms. Read’s marvelously resonant soprano voice rendered both numbers with an impassioned fervor, soaring effortlessly into empyreal heights. As the final youth soloists of the evening, bassoonists Ben Bradshaw and Michael Wallace, both music students at SUU, joined their woodwind talents as a duet to play Johan Baptist Wanhal’s Concerto in F Major. Pouring forth a wealth of mellow and elegant harmonies, this duo together plumbed the majestic profundity of their deep-toned instrument. After the intermission, the lavish outpouring of individual talents gave way to an equally lavish torrent of collective talent, as Xun Sun again took up the baton to lead the Orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 (1st and 2nd movements with 4th movement coda). To be sure, this evocative number did feature two more memorable solos—a poignantly liquid clarinet solo, again showcasing Ms. Shirt’s exceptional talents, and a plaintive and mournful French horn solo by Pete Akins. But only the full resources of the orchestra could master the daunting challenge of a composition combining a wide range of musical effects. It was not for nothing that critic Harold C. Schonberg regarded Tchiakovsky as "a sweet, inexhaustible, supersensuous fund of melody,” and mining the inexhaustible supersensousness of the Russian composer’s work requires a complete and well-prepared orchestra. Indeed all the orchestra’s resources—the piercing summons of the brass, the stirring cadences of the drums, the hypnotic seductions of the strings, and the fluid sonority of the woodwinds—did come together, sometimes in fusion, sometimes in counterpoint, in the course of this wonderful performance. And what a musical ride the orchestra gave the audience, moving from the grave and somber opening strains into a veritable eruption of instrumental fury, and then subsiding again into brooding suspense! The audience could only marvel at how the same talents that enabled the orchestra musicians to play with courtly and regal dignity one moment could just a few minutes later enable them to overwhelm their listeners with a passage of scalding white heat. By the time the orchestra had played the final regal notes, the audience knew it had experienced something quite rare. And as listeners exited the concert hall, they were acutely and gratefully aware that remarkable musicians had shared their talents with truly lavish generosity. Podcast hostess: Sandy Hedgecock Recording by; Ken Hedgecock Graphics used by permission: Rollan Fell and the Print Shoppe, Cedar City

This week we go back 40 years into Ken's past to explore the large band ensembles he performed in and conducted during high school.

Performed works are:
American Overture for Band
March from "A Little Suite"
Rocky Point Holiday
Irish Tune from County Derry
La Procession du Rocio
Symphonic Movement
Four Scottish Dances
The Southerner March
Batuque
Danzon
Kalinnikov's Symphony #1 (Finale)

You don't want to miss out on this explosive band concert! Plus the finale is a 160 piece wind band conducted by Ken when he was a junior in high school.

Sandy and Ken also go over this week's listener comments
Podcast Hostess: Sandy Hedgecock
Recording/Sound: Ken Hedgecock

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My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-65102f45ebb87dab73ee6dac20aaf341}

This week we explore the different sounds of classical music from around the world from artists and composers you may not be familiar with. We know you will enjoy this classical romp through the world and maybe you'll have a new understanding of just where classical music is going in today's world.

Sandy and Ken also go over this week's listener comments.

This week's podcast contains music recommended by our listeners!

Yes, this is our "Listener Podcast" where hundreds of our listeners from all over the world sent in music they wanted to hear on our podcast. This week we feature everything from classical to jazz funk.

A very special thanks to our listeners and also to the performers for giving us permission to play their music for millions of people to listen to.

Sandy and Ken also read comments for our previous "International Jazz Podcast."

Don't miss this extraordinary podcast.

Jazz, born in the United States, has emerged in almost every country in the world in one form or another, each country has added its on flavor to it as well, making Jazz its own.

We want to thank all of our musical friends for allowing us to use their music on this podcast. We are proud to present to you Jazz from the following countries: the United States, Nigeria, Spain, Malaysia, the UK, France, Jamaica, Indonesia, Germany, Australia, Italy, Chile, Hungary and Japan. We hope not only to entertain, but to also open a whole new world of International Jazz to you.

It is with great pleasure that we present to you "Jazz from Around the World."

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