Preview the music for the "Immortal Melodies" Concert on Feb. 20, 2025

Certain melodies conjure the best of a symphony orchestra. The "Immortal Melodies" concert features some of our favorite pieces as well as showcasing two outstanding local musicians. Join the Orchestra of Southern Utah on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Heritage Theater, 105 N. 100 West, in Cedar City. Tickets now available at myosu.org.

The Moldau by Smetana takes a journey along a Czech river complete with a wedding dance as the river goes from the mountains of Bohemia to Prague. This symphonic poem tells a story complete with castles and rapids as the river wends its way to the Elbe. Listening link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6kqu2mk-Kw

Berceuse and Finale from Stravinsky's Firebird Suite conjures the magic of the bird who tells the king about what is really happening in the kingdom.  The famous ballet music is a triumph of good over evil.

Listening Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWvOgda1g2E

Alexander Borodin was a chemist who composed on Sundays. The Polovtsian Dances from the opera Prince Igor include a melody that became famous in the musical Kismet. "Take my hand, I'm a stranger in paradise" was a huge hit in 1953. Listening Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAMIimzqvW4

Pachelbel's Canon is a deceptively simple piece with eight notes repeating under a timeless melody. This arrangement by cellist Pat Pinkston gives the cellists a chance to share the melody. Using the harp for the piano part adds another level of musical magic. Listening Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_esxn9m-CHU

"We are so excited to be joined by some extremely talented instrumentalists for our February concert including Ben Bradshaw on bassoon and David Torres on trumpet. You won’t want to miss this spectacular addition to our season!" said Music Director and Conductor Carylee Zwang.

Dr. Ben Bradshaw has chosen a Concertino for Bassoon. The Finnish composer Bernard Crusell wrote this Concertino for bassoon in 1829 "for his son-in-law Franz Preumayr who was considered Sweden's foremost bassoonists at the time." They lived in Stockholm and this virtuostic piece was premiered in 1829. Bradshaw teaches at both SUU and Utah Tech and has played in numerous ensembles across the country. Listening Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6UH-HrxevY

Kevin McKee wrote Centennial Horizon as a commission from Albany trumpeter Catherine Sheridan. "With two contrasting movements (Aspen Grove and Roaring Gunnison) connected by an interlude (Alpenglow), I have attempted to capture some of the beauty and adventure of what truly is an amazing place: Colorado (the "Centennial State"). Inspired by my late grandmothers love of that state, the first movement is an homage to her," said McKee.  David Torres teaches at SUU where he has developed the Thunderbird Marching Band. He is an active performer with touring musical. Torres served as one of the final trumpet players/conductors for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Listening Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K55aX47d8aM

The Southern Utah String Quartet will provide lobby music by Schubert before the concert.

Concert tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Go to myosu.org for ticket purchases. No children under six or babies for the evening concerts please, as these concerts are recorded. Recordings are available on the website and selective past performances are posted on the OSUCedarCity YouTube channel.

"We are excited to bring this unforgettable music to you,"  said Harold Shirley, OSU President. "Come and enjoy an evening of great symphony orchestra music with us on Feb. 20."

Full artist bios at: https://osucedarcity.blogspot.com/2025/01/

More Music Exploration Resources

The internet provides many resources for families and teachers for music exploration.  Here are a few: 

Exploring the symphony orchestra with the Carnegie Hall resources on this link: https://orchestramap.carnegiehall.org/?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wmi-teachernewsletter-10-09-2024&utm_content=version_A&sourceCode=52049

Here are more music games and resources from Carnegie Hall: games and resources

PBS Music Games for Children  

Inside the Orchestra to Hear the Instruments

Music and the Mind from the Economist Sept. 17, 2022

"Playing an instrument is linked to better cognition"

"Evidence suggests that the rewards go far beyond the elation of performing well in front of others - those who play instruments have often been found to perform better on cognitive tests too."

Studies published in Psychological Science suggest "that the benefits of musical instruments remain for decades."

"Even just two years of music training enhances cognition."

In a study in Scotland that spanned from 1947 to 2017, it was found that "the more years and more hours of practice with an instrument that a person had, the more likely they were to show a positive cognitive change over the course of their life.  The effect was small but it remained significant even when the findings were adjusted to take into account confounding factors like years of education and socioeconomic status."

"The researchers theorise that driving people to regularly use a mix of focused attention, co-ordination, auditory-motor skills and memory results in advantageous cognitive changes. Yet another reward, then, from a love of music." 

 

Rock Gold Volume 2 Preview Listening

It's almost time for Rock Gold Volume 2.  Get your tickets at myosu.org soon.

Full article and soloists at https://osucedarcity.blogspot.com/2024/10/rock-gold-volume-2-coming-soon.html

Below are the listening links to preview the music. 

 Living on a Prayer

Sweet Caroline  

Get Lucky

9 to 5 

Sky Full of Stars  

November Rain

Bohemian Rhapsody

Comfortably Numb  

Thanks to everyone who makes it possible to have live symphony music available for Cedar City.

(Poster design by Rollan Fell.)

Spooky Spectacular and Haunting Resonance Listening Links

Listening Links for the Opening Season Concerts

Evening concert on Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.

More music for the adults.  Tickets available at myosu.org

Children's Jubilee on Oct. 12 with Musical Spook Alley and activites from 12 noon to 1:50 p.m. and a concert designed for all ages at 2 p.m.  FREE, but you need tickets at myosu.org

(Titles in Blue link to the videos - 

there may be ads so parents should help smaller children skip the ads.)

Wagner "Ride of the Valkyries"

"In the Walküre opera, the Ride of the Valkyries, which takes around eight minutes, begins in the prelude to the third act, building up successive layers of accompaniment until the curtain rises to reveal a mountain peak where four of the eight Valkyrie sisters of Brünnhilde have gathered in preparation for the transportation of fallen heroes to Valhalla. As they are joined by the other four, the familiar tune is carried by the orchestra, while, above it, the Valkyries greet each other and sing their battle-cry." (Wikipedia)

Danse Macabre

"The Danse Macabre also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory from the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death." The first violin solo uses a different tuning to conjure the spooky theme." (Wikipedia)

Hall of the Mountain King

"In the Hall of the Mountain King is a piece of orchestral music composed by Edvard Grieg in 1875 as incidental music for the sixth scene of act 2 in Henrik Ibsen's 1867 play Peer Gynt. In the play, Dovregubben is a troll king that Peer Gynt invents in a fantasy." (Wikipedia)

Stranger Things Theme

"A love letter to the supernatural classics of the 80's, Stranger Things is the story of a young boy who vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl." (notes from Netflix description) The version the Orchestra of Southern Utah will play is a new arrangement by OSU composer in residence Jacob Lee.

Psycho Suite

Bernard Herrmann's music for movies "went beyond just mimicking the onscreen action to elicit scares—they provided an undercurrent of unease that proved vital to the success of the whole film," (Wikipedia)  Director Alfred Hitchcock credited “33% of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.”  The OSU performance includes all of the first of the Suite and goes to the Finale after the Murder.

Isle of the Dead

"Isle of the Dead is the best-known painting of Swiss Symbolist artist Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901)."(Wikipedia) 

The music for "Isle of the Dead Op. 29, is a symphonic poem composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff, written in the key of A minor. The piece was inspired by a black and white reproduction of Arnold Böcklin's painting Isle of the Dead, which he saw in Paris in 1907. He composed the work from January to March of 1909." (Wikipedia)

 

Music Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers and 2024-25 OSU Season

The Orchestra of Southern Utah believes in the value of music education for all ages. We provide school assemblies as well as hosting an October family Jubilee with music, science, and art activities.

We encourage students to participate in their school and community music programs. Learning to play an instrument or sing in the choir helps develop listening skills, confidence, and social skills.

This is a student in the Portland Youth Philharmonic:

 “My concentration has improved a lot,” Liao says. “It helps with your patience with everyday schoolwork as well.” Walker says that the orchestra “has taught me a lot about focus and being pretty professional at a young age.” “You’re motivated to work harder,” Yin says. “You help each other build up. It’s not really competitive. I don’t think the Philharmonic is something toxic. Everyone is helping each other out. In the Philharmonic, I feel like I’ve found my niche—a place where I can be safe and heard.” (student cellist Pearl Liao)

Full article: Youth orchestra builds students

Here is another resource including special activities for different age groups

Carnegie Hall teacher, parent, and student resources

We hope you will join us this season for concerts.  Season tickets now available at season ticket link

Here is a look at the impact of choir on a student:


By Muriel Barbery translated by Alison Andersen

New Music by Young Composers

 We are excited to share new music at our April 11 concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Heritage Theatre. Tickets at https://www.myosu.org/tickets

You can preview most of the music at https://www.myosu.org/listening-links

Concert article: https://osucedarcity.blogspot.com/2024/03/exciting-new-music-for-april-11.html


Guest Composer 

Marshall McDonald is a pianist, composer, and arranger from Salt Lake City, Utah. He is an
accomplished musician with numerous bestselling albums and sheet music books. He is a “go to” musician in the state of Utah for orchestrating, arranging, and producing music.

Marshall was honored to be a guest soloist of the Tabernacle Choir playing his arrangement of “If You Could Hie To Kolob” on its weekly broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word. His music is prominently featured in the films “17 Miracles,” “Ephraim’s Rescue” “Christmas Oranges” and most recently “Escape from Germany.” He has written two commissioned symphonies for the Orchestra of Southern Utah entitled  “Africa” and the “Spanish Trail Suite.”

Marshall holds a Guinness Book of World Records for writing the music to the largest live
nativity ever assembled as featured in the YouTube video “Angels from the Realms of Glory”
featuring which has been viewed over 200 million times on YouTube. His music is also often
used by the group The Piano Guys.

Marshall was recently awarded by Governor and First Lady Cox The Governor’s Mansion Medal of the Arts as Utah’s musician of the year in 2023.

Marshall is a fulltime Institute teacher at the University of Utah and also currently serves as the music coordinator for the Church Educational System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He and his wife Kristien and their 6 children live in Salt Lake City.
His music website is at https://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com

Hal Campbell Composition Contest Honorees

Bryan L. Welton III (b. 2001) is a conductor, composer, percussionist, and software engineer from Lake Oswego, Oregon. As a young and upcoming student, he is attending BYU-Idaho and will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering, and double minoring in Music and Chinese Language. 

As a composer, he composes music that portrays strong emotions and feelings, drawing heavy inspiration from cinema scores. He has been composing for most of his life and has been studying composition in his free time under many great teachers. His goal with each composition is to leave both listeners and players feeling like they’ve been on an emotional journey or have learned something deeper about life. His motto with composition is “I’ll never write a piece that doesn’t have a point”

As a percussionist, he has played with high school groups, community theaters, and has toured nationally with his university’s Symphony Band and Symphony Orchestra.

He has written many compositions for various ensemble types, including solo piano, string quintet, marching drum corps, indoor percussion, wind ensemble, concert band, choir, and more.

Evan Chamberlain has been playing piano since the age of 5 and French horn since the 8th grade. He recently completed a Bachelor’s of Music Education at Brigham Young University-Idaho, studying Horn and Composition. Evan’s passion for music stems from his parent’s musical background, and from film scores, such as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.

Both in and out of school, Evan has participated in many types of music making, including orchestral, choral, and jazz ensembles, brass and wind quintets, piano accompaniment, and solo performance on both horn and piano. He took private lessons in composition and gave a distinguished recital of his music while in his senior year of university studies.

He considers his composition style to be a mix of early modernist styles and French impressionism. This stems from the influences of composers such as Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky, Copland, and Hovhaness, along with the great film composers of our day. Evan sees music primarily as a form of human expression and communication, and it is the collaborative effort of composer, performer, and listener to understand and make sense of the message that leads to truly wondrous musical experiences.

In his free time, Evan enjoys distance running, reading fantasy and informational texts, building miniature models of castles, reading about and listening to music (surprise!), and spending time with his family and friends. He currently resides in the Sacramento valley of California.

Born in American Fork, Utah in 2004, Landon Fowles grew up in Eagle Mountain. In
seventh grade, he began playing the trumpet. He joined the Westlake High School Marching
Band in his ninth-grade year, while still attending middle school. Landon was a founding
member of the Cedar Valley High School’s Crimson Regiment, starting his time there as a
section leader. While in high school, Landon was a featured soloist countless times in the wind
symphony as well as the marching band. During his senior year in high school, Landon started
arranging music for marching band/pep band and brass quintet. He was also selected to
participate in the All State Wind Symphony as well as being awarded the John Phillips Sousa
Band Award. Following high school, Landon earned the Presidential Music Scholarship to
attend Southern Utah University. He started composing music during his freshman year of
college. While in his first semester, he collaborated with a classmate to film a 10-minute short
film, which Landon scored. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience and scored another short film
this past summer. He is currently in his sophomore year, studying Music Education at SUU. He
aspires to be a music educator, film composer, and professional trumpet player.

Watts Mason began his musical journey at five years old as a piano student. Self-taught and driven by an unwavering passion for composition, Mason's artistic endeavors truly took flight around the age of 19. Since then, he has carved a distinctive niche for himself in the realm of music, seamlessly blending skillful craftsmanship with the emotive storytelling of his compositions.

Mason's music transcends traditional boundaries, reflecting a dynamic fusion of genres mainly featuring late-romantic styles intertwined with more contemporary ideas. His dedication to the craft and unique, self-taught perspective infuse his work with a refreshing authenticity. He has been writing for orchestra for 8 months now and hopes to continue his journey of exploration of all instruments and styles.

Composition Contest Honorable Mention

Sarah Roundy is a 19 year-old composer from Boise, Idaho. Sarah graduated Centennial High

School in 2023 and is pursuing further studies at Brigham Young University majoring in Commercial

Music with an emphasis in Film and Media Composition, expected graduation in 2028. Creating music is

her passion and she’s been doing so her entire life. She has studied piano for 14 years and also plays cello,

bass, and percussion. Until recently, Sarah was studying composition with Dr. Alexander at Boise State

University. Her compositions have been played at the Idaho Music Educator’s Association conference and

have also been played by the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Centennial High School Chamber

Orchestra. She’s grateful to the Orchestra of Southern Utah for giving her the opportunity to hear one of

her compositions performed by a professional orchestra.

Short description of her composition: 

Ex Nihilo is one of three movements in a collection of works titled Tenebris Ad Lucem meaning

“Out of darkness to the light.” These three movements follow the journey of space pioneers searching for

a new home because their former planet fell into ruin. The three movements' purpose is to convey the

journey and the emotions of the space travelers. The movement being performed is titled Ex Nihilo

meaning “Out of Nothing.” It depicts the takeoff of the pioneer’s rocket ship as they depart from their

dead planet and venture into the infinite expanse of space.

Mars, Jupiter, Reformation Symphony and more

 

Exciting and epic music favorites for the upcoming Orchestra of Southern Utah concert.

Preview the Feb. 15 concert music with the links below.

Tickets are at https://www.myosu.org It is best to get tickets in advance.

OSU Presents the Opening of "Also Sprach Zarathustra"

Largo from New World Symphony by Dvorak

 Reformation Symphony by Mendelsson with the grand finale on themes from "A Mighty Fortress is Our God"

Mars opens the Planets by Holst

Jupiter is at 19:42