After being named one of the youngest winners in the history of the Metropolitan Opera National Council competition at the age of 21, BYU student Rebecca Pedersen began a prestigious operatic career. Although she has partial hearing loss and did not have any formal training until five years ago, Pedersen has now performed at The Met, Lincoln Center, and other acclaimed venues. Her mentor, BYU music professor Darrell Babidge, believed in her potential from the beginning and says the hard-working opera singer (a 2016 graduate of the BYU School of Music) is on her way to an international career.

Convocation is this Friday, April 22 at 8:00 am, 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. For family and friends who can’t be present at the convocations, they can view the ceremonies online by clicking on either the video or audio play button below. We hope you enjoy the live streaming of the CFAC and Law School convocations. These live streams allow you to view archival quality performances in real time. The streaming begins about 5 minutes prior to the posted start times. The live stream is provided as a courtesy of the College of Fine Arts and Communications. We apologize in advance for any possible interruptions or technical difficulties that may arise during the performance. Please note that audio or visual disruptions are subject to sources beyond our control. Footage will be made available a week after the event.

Keep an eye out for Jordan Kamalu. Or rather an ear. Kamalu, a BYU commercial music studies major who is graduating this month, has been surrounded by music from a very young age. Throughout his university experience, composing music has given him unique opportunities and even earned him a Student Emmy nomination. Before going to college, Kamalu had already received two awards for composing music. Winning the National PTA Reflections contest his senior year in high school gave Kamalu a vision of how he could make a living by doing what he loved. That’s the dream isn’t it? “Music was something that I excelled at and enjoyed doing,” said Kamalu. “I really didn’t see any other way of making money that would be as enjoyable.” From that moment forward, composing became Kamalu’s focus. - See more at https://news.byu.edu/news/byu-grad-finds-early-success-music-composition

The Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center has aided in the education and academic success of BYU’s fine arts and communications students for more than 51 years. The HFAC has been home to many major BYU events, arts groups and renowned artists since its dedication on April 3, 1965.

BYU DANCE Evening of Dance May 6-7 | de Jong Concert Hall Young DanceMakers, the performing company of the BYU Children’s and Teen’s Creative Dance program, perform dances inspired by activities and words of discovery BYU THEATRE Charlotte's Web May 27-June 11 | Pardoe Theatre This heartfelt drama about friendship tells the story of a girl with the ability to understand the language of animals, an irresistible young pig, and an extraordinary spider who works a miracle within the magic of her fragile web. BYU SCHOOL OF MUSIC The Lost Children of Hamelin June 8-11 | de Jong Concert Hall In this new opera, a girl sets into motion a series of events that reveal the true identity of the piper and the fate of the lost children of Hamelin in Germany in the year 1295.

Adapted from “the best American children’s book of the past two hundred years” (Children’s Literature Association), this heartfelt drama about friendship boasts a girl with the ability to understand the language of animals, a gluttonous rat, an irresistible young pig, and an extraordinary spider who works a miracle within the magic of her fragile web. Final Dress Rehearsal May 26 Post-Performance Discussions June 2, 9 ASL Interpreted Performance June 2 CHARLOTTE’S WEB Adapted by Joseph Robinette Based on the book by E.B. White Directed by Shawnda and Bradley Moss TICKETS

Last September, the BYU Men’s Chorus invited YouTube sensation, Alex Boyé, to join them in a new music video of Baba Yetu, a choral, Swahili version of the Lord’s Prayer. That new video has now reached more than 100,000 views in less than a week. BYU Sound Engineer Jeff Carter recorded and mixed a new version of this popular song from the Men’s Chorus repertoire to include the BYU Philharmonic conducted by Kory Katseanes and features Alex Boyé, a former member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir who rose to fame with his 'Africanized' version of well-known pop songs. 'As this is an African version of the Lord’s Prayer, we thought of Alex Boyé and his 'Africianized' songs, so we invited him to be a soloist and he was perfect,' said Benjamin Jacob, president of the BYU Men's Chorus. 'He brought his own style to the piece–just a great combination of Men’s Chorus and Alex Boyé.' Read more and see the video >>>>>>>>>>

Championship formation dancing, breath-taking lifts and spins-all performed in a seemingly endless stream of shimmering costumes-no one does it better than the Ballroom Dance Company. The first American team ever to win the prestigious British Formation Championships, a feat they have repeated an unprecedented 22 times.Over 160 ballroom dancers take the stage and dazzle the audience with breathtaking costumes and creative choreography. This concert promises to thrill audiences with a fast-paced performance of ballroom and Latin dance in a theatrical setting. TICKETSApril 8 — 9, 7:30 PMApril 9 2:00 PMLocation: Marriott CenterTime: 7:30 PMMinimum Age: 6Cost: $16

Night at the HFAC is a student-run event designed to showcase student performances and projects as well as any type of creative work from all the departments and schools in the College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) to the entire student body at BYU. Students will share through dance, theatre, music, the visual and media arts. This exciting event aims to help BYU students see what fellow classmates are working on behind-the-scenes. Our college has an extraordinary amount of talent and we are excited to experience it, so, we made a list of all the reasons you should attend this glorious mashup of all things CFAC. First off, here are all the details you need to know for a fun-filled night. >>>>>

Acting professor Barta Heiner is retiring this year after spending the past 28 years developing the BFA acting program at BYU and impacting thousands of students’ lives for the better. Heiner was born in Ogden, but grew up in Canada and Arizona due to her father’s career in the LDS Church Education System. Heiner is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA and has performed in more than 100 productions including the recent movie “Once I Was A Beehive,” in which she played the part of Nedra. Read more at the Universe>>>>>

The BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present the epic, anti-war drama, Mother Courage and Her Children in the Pardoe Theater of the Harris Fine Arts Center, at 7:30 p.m., on March 17-19, 22-25, 28 and April 1, with 2 p.m. Saturday matinees on March 19 and 26.

Virginia Dall, or Ginger as she is most commonly known, grew up thinking it was normal to have artwork hanging everywhere in the home. Her mother, a professional artist who influenced Dall’s artistic inclination, encouraged her desire to draw constantly as a child. She spent much of her childhood looking through her mother’s art books, cultivating her own artistic voice. Today, Dall is a senior in the BFA Illustration program at Brigham Young University who has worked on several high profile projects throughout her time as a student. One of Dall’s pieces was chosen as the poster for the BYU 2015 Fall Opera, Manon. Dall’s hard work and dedication are paying off. Recently, she was selected as the winner of the Visual Arts category of the 2016 Phi Kappa Phi Arts Competition, sponsored by the national honor society, Phi Kappa Phi. Nominated by her professor, David Dibble, she is invited to attend a banquet where she will receive her award. “We as area faculty nominated Ginger because of her dedication and personal passion for her work,” Dibble said. “She is unique in how she has crossed the bridge mentally into the professional world and is highly motivated to both improve as well as help others around her to do the same.” Initially, Dall was unaware of the competition, stunned at her nomination and the opportunity to showcase her work. “I have been working closely for the past several months with David Dibble on my BFA show and professional portfolio,” Dall said. “I was especially grateful for his role in being nominated.” Dall has also started working as a studio assistant for LDS artist, J. Kirk Richards, an important stepping-stone in reaching graduation and her future career as an artist.