Guest Artists

Guest artist Dmitry Rachmanov will perform a free piano recital at Brigham Young University Friday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Madsen Recital Hall.

The Brigham Young University Jazz Legacy Band will present a concert of Dixieland and Swinging Jazz with special guests Lemoyne Taylor and the Mississippi Mood Orchestra Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall.

Film Maker and Projection Designer Alison Dobbins will be visiting Brigham Young University from November 20 to November 22 to present workshops and discussions on the integration of digital media with live performance. This is a great opportunity for new media artists, theatre designers, and live performance directors to hear about the growing field of projection design. The schedule of events available to attend are listed below. Alison is currently the head of Design and Technology and an Assistant Professor of Integrated Media Performance Design at Michigan State University. She received her M.F.A. in Digital Cinema from National University and her A.B. in Mathematics from Oberlin College. Alison is a motion graphics artist interested in documenting and exploring new ways of presenting creative activity as a projected performance art. Visit her website at TheatreBeans.com. Theatre and Media Arts Forum The World of Projection Design and Opportunities for Students in the Field Thursday, November 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. in the Nelke Theatre Open to students, faculty and staff. Come hear Alison Dobbins talk about what artists are doing with the integration of media and live performance, and how to get involved. Q & A Brown Bag Lunch with Alison Dobbins Thursday, November 21, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 pm in F-556 HFAC Open to students. Bring your lunch and have an informal question and answer discussion with Alison Dobbins about the life of a media artist and what ever else you would like to ask. Drinks and dessert will be provided.

Brigham Young University’s School of Music welcomes guest artist Hans Halt, string bassist, who will perform a recital Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 5:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.

Brigham Young University will host Croatia’s world-renowned ensemble, the Zagreb Saxophone Quartet with special guest Eugene Rousseau, presenting music ranging from Baroque to 20th century Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.

Costumes encouraged, and ticket price includes free CD The Brigham Young University School of Music will present a special Halloween concert, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” based on Edgar Alan Poe’s masterpiece composed by faculty artist Christian Asplund Thursday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Halloween costumes are encouraged. Admission is $6 and includes a free CD. To purchase tickets, call the Fine Arts Ticket Office at (801) 422-2981 or visit byuarts.com/tickets. The concert will also feature the narration of guest artist Michael Lee, an Oklahoma-based speech artist. An introduction will be given by BYU English professor and world-renowned Poe expert Dennis Perry. Asplund is a composer-performer who has studied and earned degrees from BYU, City University of New York, Mills College and the University of Washington. His teachers include Thea Musgrave, Alvin Curran, Michael Hicks, Tom Durham, John Rahn, Joel Durand and Stuart Dempster. For more information, contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Brigham Young University’s School of Music welcomes Argentine-American pianist Mirian Conti who will perform a guest recital Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 5:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend. Music selections include “Villageoises — Petite Pieces Enfantines” and “Mouvements Perpetuels” by Francis Poulenc, “Three Mazurkas” by Frederic Chopin and “Nocturna” by Julian Plaza. Conti earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree at The Juilliard School and was selected as one of the “100 Outstanding Alumni” to celebrate the school’s centennial in 2005. In recognition of Conti’s talent and achievements, the school created a scholarship in her name. Conti has performed worldwide as a soloist and with a number of orchestras. For more information, contact Ken Crossley, (801) 422-9348, ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

FEATURING RISING STAR NATHAN PACHECO, YOUNG AMBASSADORS, LIVING LEGENDS

Brigham Young University’s School of Music welcomes guest artist and Grammy Award-winner Thomas Glenn, tenor, who will give a vocal master class on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. and present a vocal recital on Friday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Both events are free and will be held in the Madsen Recital Hall. The public is welcome to attend. Glenn will be accompanied by his wife, Amy M. Glenn, at the piano. Thomas Glenn is a graduate of the prestigious Adler Fellowship at the San Francisco Opera, where he performed the Steersman in “Der Fliegende Hollander,” Vitek in Janacek's “The Makropulos Case,” Gherardo in Puccini's “Gianni Schicchi” and the Physicist in the world premiere of John Adams’ “Doctor Atomic,” in which he won a Grammy Award for participating in the 2011 recording with the Metropolitan Opera. Thomas Glenn has three degrees in music performance: a bachelor’s from BYU, a master’s from the University of Michigan and a doctorate from Florida State University. Amy M. Glenn has worked for the San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Conservatory, Calgary Opera and American Conservatory Theatre. She holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from BYU and a master’s degree in collaborative piano from Florida State University. For more information, contact Ken Crossley, (801) 422-9348, ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Think of the climax in your favorite movie. As the tide turned in an epic battle or when the romance was finally mutual, powerful music undoubtedly swelled behind the triumph. Such synergy between music and other media is not found only in films. You can enjoy plenty of it this September 24 to 26 during events that surround WRENCH, a concert by Amsterdam-based ensemble Hexnut. The concert features seven new compositions inspired by and choreographed with the images of photographer Edward Burtynsky. Steve Ricks, an associate professor of composition at BYU, helped coordinate the multimedia event, that fuses the photography of Burtynsky, the musical talents of the Amsterdam-based group Hexnut, and music specially written for them by composers from around the world, including Ricks himself. The artwork of Burtynsky and the music of Hexnut are both striking when experienced separately, but combined they create a uniquely moving experience. Two lectures by guest composers, a pre-concert reception in the BYU Museum of Art where Burtynsky's work is on display, and a screening of the documentary film Manufactured Landscapes at BYU International Cinema are ALL free events as part of a showcase around the concert. The Artwork of Edward Burtynsky The Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky focuses his work on imagery that “explores the intricate link between industry and nature” and that features “highly expressive visions that find beauty and humanity in the most unlikely of places.” Such unlikely places include scenes from Chinese poultry manufacturing plants, mining sites and rock quarries, all shot from expansive perspectives. “I think Burtynsky’s art is just so striking and interesting at a gut level,” Ricks said. “It’s so pertinent to life as we know it right now and the issues that our planet is dealing with.” The exhibition Edward Burtynsky: The Industrial Sublime, currently on display in the BYU MOA, provides an excellent opportunity for patrons to examine the extent human footprint across the world. Burtynsky’s photography prompts the thoughtful observer to consider the effects of global industrialization and the role of each member of the human race on these developments. The Music of Hexnut Hexnut, a contemporary band formed by Ned McGowan in 2004, features an eclectic lineup, including flute, contrabass flute, trumpet, piano, several recorders and a mezzo-soprano vocalist. Playing pieces specially written for them by contemporary composers, the band performs with a theatrical flair that is anything but predictable. “Hexnut is kind of a unique, quirky ensemble,” Ricks said. “ is a characteristic of a lot of chamber groups in Amsterdam just because they have a really thriving arts community and music community.” Hexnut spearheaded the collaborative project WRENCH, for which eight composers were commissioned to write music inspired by one or several of Burtynsky’s photographic works. Hexnut couples these compositions in concert with projected images of Burtynsky to create a unique multimedia experience. “It wouldn’t be like the music was background to the images or that the images were just wallpaper to the music,” Ricks said of the concert’s balance. “There would be a dynamic relationship between the two presented in a concert setting.” One of The Aims of a BYU Education is to have an “intellectually enlarging” experience. The unusual sounds employed by Hexnut allow listeners to not only have a taste of innovative European music, but also experience its convergence with the stunning photographic art of Burtynsky. Collaboration Events The three-day Burtynsky Collaboration event, taking place September 24-26, will feature many other opportunities for participants to gain exposure to unique international music and art. Tuesday’s events include a lecture by WRENCH composer Seung-Ah Oh about her work and a screening of a documentary about Edward Burtynsky, entitled Manufacturing Landscapes. The screening will be presented by the BYU International Cinema and will be preceded by a discussion led by BYU Humanities Professor Chip Oscarson. The Seung-Ah Oh lecture will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. in E-400 HFAC, and the documentary screening will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. in 250 SWKT. Wednesday features the WRENCH multimedia concert experience by Hexnut with projected images of Edward Burtynsky, which will start at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Concertgoers are also invited to a pre-concert reception in the Lower Level of the Museum of Art, which will include in-gallery discussions about works by Burtynsky. The events will conclude on Thursday with a Barlow Lecture by guest composer and flutist Ned McGowan. The lecture will be from 3 to 5 p.m. in E-400 HFAC. For more information, contact Steve Ricks at stevericksmusic@gmail.com or 801-422-6115.

Based on works from “Industrial Sublime: Photographs by Edward Burtynsky”

The Brigham Young University School of Music will host a pair of performances as part of this year's Double Reed Roundup. Admission to both events is free and the public is welcome to attend. - Oboist Michele Fiala and bassoonist George Sakakeeny will present a guest recital Friday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Fiala and Sakakeeny will perform works by Mozart, Paul Reade, Poulenc, Ibert and others. They will be joined in performances by BYU faculty Geralyn Giovannetti, oboe; Christian Smith, bassoon; and Jeffrey Shumway, piano. Sakakeeny, a professor at Oberlin College, has performed as a soloist throughout the world and presented several world premieres. He is a master teacher and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. An assistant professor of music at Ohio University, Fiala has performed as a soloist and ensemble artists throughout the United States. She holds advanced degrees from Arizona State University. - The Orpheus Winds Trio and the Sundance Trio will present a faculty recital Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. The Orpheus Winds Trio will perform works by Koestier, Hetu and Jaren Hinckley. The Sundance Trio performs the second half of the program with works by Alyssa Morris, Planel and Mahle. Geralyn Giovannetti, oboe, Jaren Hinckley, clarinet, and Christian Smith, bassoon comprise the Orpheus Winds Trio. The Sundance Trio includes Giovannetti, oboe, Smith, bassoon, and Jed Moss piano. For more information, contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348. Source: BYU News

The Laycock Center at the Brigham Young University will present “The Laycock Duos,” Saturday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall, to accompany the release of a new CD from BYU’s Tantara Records. Tickets can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981 or byuarts.com/tickets. Tickets are $6 and include a free CD. The evening will feature BYU faculty, student and alumni artists performing improvised duos, including Ray Smith, Steve Ricks, Ben Nichols, Christian Asplund and others, with visiting musicians John Butcher, Stuart Dempster, Malcolm Goldstein, LaDonna Smith and William O. Smith. The Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration in the Arts was established to create opportunities for students in the College of Fine Arts and Communications to collaborate with master mentors. For more information on Tantara Records, visit www.byumusicstore.com/tantara-records/. For details on the recital, contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348. Source: BYU News

Brigham Young University’s School of Music welcomes guest artist Rachelle Woolston, soprano, who will perform a vocal recital Tuesday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.

Guest artists the Aulos Ensemble will present “Masters of the High Baroque” at Brigham Young University Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.

Oboist Marlen Vavriková will present a Brigham Young University School of Music guest recital Friday, Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital assisted by BYU faculty pianist Jeffrey Shumway. Her performance is part of a Double Reed Roundup hosted by the School of Music. Admission is free, and the public is welcome to attend. She will perform Miniatures for Oboe and Piano (1972), Appello for Oboe and Piano (1995), Amoroso for Oboe and Piano (1975) and the Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1950) by Petr Eban, and Fairytale about Love: A Fantasy in Three Parts by Edvard Schiffauer. Both are contemporary Czech composers. A native of the Czech Republic, Vavriková graduated from the Janacek Conservatory in Ostrava in 1996, and went on to earn a master of music degree in oboe performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music and a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has performed with major ensembles and music festivals throughout the world. For more information, visit marlenvavrikova.com or contact Geralyn Giovannetti at (801) 422-3317. Source: BYU News

Robert Mealy, one of America’s leading baroque violinists, and harpsichordist Avi Stein will be featured in a guest recital Thursday, Jan. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall at Brigham Young University. Admission is free.

'Monte Belknap, with Friends,' a unique evening featuring Brigham Young University School of Music violin professor Monte Belknap and guest artists, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, in the Madsen Recital Hall.