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BYU’s Philharmonic Orchestra Shines With First Concerts in New Music Building

April 14, 2023 04:10 PM
The BYU Philharmonic Closes Out its Season With Conductor Kory Katseanes’ Favorite Pieces
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The Legacy of the Harris Fine Arts Center: How It Began and How It Lives On

October 17, 2022 03:43 PM
The fine arts can be found in every corner of Brigham Young University. Hymns precede the weekly devotionals. Sporting events are filled with fans singing the Cougar Fight Song after every BYU touchdown. Art lines the halls of campus buildings. While the fine arts can be found everywhere on the BYU grounds, the Harris Fine Arts Center has served as the heart for fine arts for more than half a century. ...
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‘The Merry Widow’ Celebrates Over 120 Years of Opera at BYU

October 04, 2022 05:30 PM
BYU’s Fall Opera “The Merry Widow” Combines the Talents of the School of Music and the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, Bids Farewell to the de Jong
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Instrumental Showcase to Feature the University’s Top Bands and Orchestras

September 20, 2022 04:03 PM
The Instrumental Showcase Will Highlight the Talents of BYU’s Top Bands and Orchestras
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BYU Chamber Orchestra, Lea Salonga Beat Out Stiff Competition for BroadwayWorld Award

September 10, 2020 12:00 AM
A collaborative album between the BYU Chamber Orchestra and Broadway superstar Lea Salonga, “The Story of My Life: Lea Salonga Live from Manila,” recently received the 2020 BroadwayWorld Album Award for Best New EP/Solo Release. For a university orchestra to win an award like this is “unheard of,” said BYU professor Kory Katseanes, who conducted the performance. It was recorded with a live audience for the album at the end of the orchestra’s three-week tour of the Philippines in 2017. BroadwayWorld is the predominant social media organization of Broadway. Salonga and the BYU Chamber Orchestra beat out illustrious competition for the Best Solo Release award, with runners-up including Ben Platt of “Dear Evan Hansen,” Leslie Odom Jr. of “Hamilton” and star Kristin Chenoweth. “This isn’t a college award,” Katseanes noted. “It’s an award for professionally produced albums on Broadway. It’s unbelievable — but not undeserved — that BYU won.” Read the full article on the University Communications website.
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‘King Kong’ and the Music of Max Steiner: Why It Still Matters

October 28, 2019 12:00 AM
The School of Music will present BYU’s first ever movie in concert with “King Kong” (1933). The BYU Philharmonic — under the direction of Kory Katseanes — will perform Max Steiner’s landmark score as the film plays on the big screen in the de Jong Concert Hall Nov. 2. The concert also marks the first time the score has been performed live since its reconstruction from Steiner’s original sketches by film composer John Morgan. Music theory professor Brent Yorgason worked behind the scenes with BYU students, faculty and staff as well as industry professionals to transcribe and polish the reconstructed score, coordinate media elements and create click tracks to keep the live music in sync with the images on the screen. Yorgason discusses the importance of Steiner’s legacy — and BYU’s unique connection to it — in a Q&A on the School of Music website.
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BYU Chamber Orchestra Develops and Strengthens Friendships in the Philippines

September 22, 2017 12:00 AM
Through performance and service, the BYU Chamber Orchestra formed strong connections with the people of the Philippines.
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Chamber Orchestra takes Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Turkey by storm

September 22, 2017 12:00 AM
After a night of thunder and hail, orchestra members awoke to a beautiful, fresh morning with the sun shining, a perfect day for a tour of the alpine setting of Logatec, a city of 14,000. In preparation for the evening's benefit concert, the mayor met with orchestra members expressing gratitude for raising funds to help the city recover from January's devastating ice storm and the flood that followed. (The ice storm created a weight of more than 80 kilograms per meter of electrical wire. One could see the majority of trees in the area's forests with the tops of the trees severed off and other broken branches all around.) Members of the orchestra were surprised to see the flood lines on houses that were well up the hill. In the evening a large paying crowd filled a good portion of the city sports hall. After several local musical numbers--and remarks from the fire chief and mayor--the orchestra followed. Before the finale, director Kory Katseanes, said through a translator, 'Our final number is titled Appalachian Spring. After touring your beautiful city of Logatec on this spring day, I'm convinced that this music could have been called Logatec Spring. ' The audience gave an emotional applause of appreciation.
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New and Improved Streaming System for BYU Music

December 01, 2016 12:00 AM
Thousands applauded last month in the de Jong Concert Hall, while twelve thousand others cheered at the same time in more than fifty countries. Thanks to BYU School of Music’s new streaming system, anyone around the world with Internet can join the audience. 'We hope the experience will be similar to professional concert broadcasts on TV and videos,' said Kory Katseanes, director of orchestras. 'It's the first time we've been this sophisticated with our broadcast technology.' The new experience provides three high-definition cameras, each equipped with the ability to zoom in, pan out and switch angles. These effects are hand-operated to provide a personalized tour of each performance while highlighting individual performers. 'I'm most excited to think of parents and loved ones seeing the faces of their students while they're performing,' Katseanes said. 'People see how beautiful the students really are, and how beautiful it is to see them perform.' The stream has spread throughout the U.S. and Europe, attracting viewers from Argentina to Vietnam. This improved system not only showcases performers to their families, but also markets the school's level of excellence to a future generation of potential students. The entire streaming system demands the attention of only one operator, usually a graduate student. Not only does this provide a great opportunity for a resume, but it also replaces broadcast crews, trucks and support networks usually necessary to provide global coverage. 'Enter to learn, go forth by stream. It's our motto right?' Katseanes said. 'It certainly is our mission.' Streaming patrons have reported back on the success of that mission. “This streaming is wonderful beyond words. The production quality was excellent,” commented a patron. “I was a proud parent, tears in my eyes, thankful to be able to participate in such an intimate way.” Another patron looked towards what the future might bring. “The status of my children’s experience will rise exponentially,” he commented. “What a PR coup! Thank you for establishing a trend-setting positive example for higher education for the future. Lead on!” Faculty and staff at the School of Music are confident that this new system will drastically improve the way concerts are experienced outside of the home and raise the bar for other university's music programs. 'With its expansive capabilities, the new system is sure to be one of the most exciting things to come from the School of Music this year,' Katseanes said. 'We believe it will be the gold standard of university based concert streaming, and is another reason the BYU School of Music remains one of the country's premier music programs.' Live streaming of selected performances and their schedule is available at http://music.byu.edu/web-streaming-winter-2016/
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BYU School of Music to Perform Four Act Opera La Bohème Oct. 15, 18-22

October 11, 2016 12:00 AM
The BYU School of Music presents La Bohème, an opera in four acts, on Oct. 15 and Oct. 18-22 at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center. Dress rehearsal performances take place Oct. 15 and 18, and main performances Oct. 19-22. La Bohème, directed by Dr. Lawrence Vincent, tells the story of a poet, painter, musician and philosopher–a circle of Bohemian friends strong enough to survive anything. One of the most beloved operas of all time will transport the audience back to Paris in the early 1800s, where they will share in romance, friendship and death. 'The music is exquisite, the story entertaining and moving,' said Vincent. 'Musically and vocally it is challenging but not beyond the abilities for talented singers at Brigham Young University.' The opera lyrics are sung in Italian with English supertitles. Music for the opera, composed by Giacomo Puccini, is provided by BYU Philharmonic with Kory Katseanes as the conductor. “An opportunity to hear and watch Puccini's La Bohème is one of those ‘bucket list’ items,” Katseanes said. “It's the world's most popular opera for all the right reasons. Full of overwhelming beauty and emotion, this is simply something not to be missed.' La Bohème is Vincent's last opera production after a 20-year history of directing the opera program at BYU. Dates: Oct 15, Oct 18-22 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $10 Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com
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100,000 views in less than a week!!! BYU Men’s Chorus and Alex Boyé find a perfect fit with “Baba Yetu”

March 28, 2016 12:00 AM
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 >>>>>>>>>>
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BYU Philharmonic in concert Feb. 12

February 08, 2016 12:00 AM
The BYU School of Music presents the Philharmonic Orchestra in concert in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. The performance will include “Songs of a Wayfarer” by Gustav Mahler, with baritone soloist, Darrell Babidge, and Symphony no. 4 'Romantic' by Anton Bruckner. Comprising 95 of the university’s finest musicians, the Philharmonic Orchestra performs regularly on campus and collaborates with BYU’s choral, opera and ballet programs. The Philharmonic is conducted by Kory Katseanes. Its repertoire focuses on the Romantic period but also includes 20th and 21st century music. This performance will be streamed live from the BYU School of Music’s website at liveconcerts.byu.edu. Performance Date: Friday, February 12 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $10 (discounts for senior citizens, BYU students, groups and alumni) Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com
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BYU Philharmonic Orchestra concert featuring cellist Lynn Harrell

March 05, 2015 12:00 AM
The Brigham Young University School of Music presents renowned cellist Lynn Harrell in concert with the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra Tuesday, Mar. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall, and Wednesday, Mar. 18, at 8:00 p.m. in Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City. Tickets for the Mar. 17 performance are $15, with discounts available for seniors, alumni and students, and can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone 801.422.2981 or online at byuarts.com. Tickets for the Mar. 18 concert are free and will be available in the Abravanel Hall lobby the evening of the performance. Lynn Harrell is a Grammy Award-winning American classical cellist who has played as a special guest with orchestras in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Harrell received his training at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School before going on to play with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Royal Academy of Music in London and teaching at the USC Thorton School of Music. Harrell currently tours the globe as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor and teacher. Harrell and the Philharmonic Orchestra will perform “Overture to Benvenuto Cellini” from Hector Berlioz, “Don Juan” from Richard Strauss and “Cello Concerto in B Minor” from Antonin Dvorak. The Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Kory Katseanes, plays compositions from all musical periods, focusing on the romantic period but also including 20th- and 21st-century music. Nearly 100 of the university's finest musicians bring these great symphonic works to life. The performance is sponsored by BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts at BYU, the university’s concert series that plays host to many world-renowned guest artists from across the globe. For more information, contact Ken Crossley at 801.422.9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Tickets and Show Details Performance Dates: March 17, 2015 Times: 7:30 p.m. Location: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $15 (discounts available for students, alumni and seniors) Tickets: Available at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone 801.422.2981 or visit byuarts.com
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BYU Philharmonic Praised in National Publication

November 17, 2014 12:00 AM
The BYU Philharmonic Orchestra received overwhelmingly positive reviews in Fanfare magazine for their recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. Fanfare is a national, bimonthly publication that reviews contemporary recordings of classical music. The quality of music from the BYU Philharmonic was not only compared to the work of other collegiate level orchestras, but also to professional orchestras in the United States and in Europe. As the university’s flagship orchestra, the School of Music faculty and students are appreciative of and excited for these kinds of reviews. Robert Markow, a writer for Fanfare, praised the orchestra on several levels. “After learning it was the flagship orchestra at Brigham Young University’s School of Music in Provo, Utah, I was prepared to dismiss it as no more than a vanity exercise,” wrote Markow, who reviewed the BYU Philharmonic’s recording of Mahler Symphony No. 3. “That would have been a grave mistake... What a revelation!” Kory Katseanes, Director of the School of Music, conducts the BYU Philharmonic orchestra. He said he is grateful for the praise, but he feels that credit needs to be given to the members of the orchestra. “These gratifying reviews are a reflection of their hard work and their capacity,” Katseanes said. “When we get praise as glowing as this, I think of these students and how grateful I am that they rose to this level.” Reviewers also shined the spotlight on a few individual students. Spencer Park, one of the orchestra’s principal horn players, and Ali Atkinson, a trumpet player, were both singled out by reviewers. One reviewer said that Park has “a glorious sound, perfect intonation, clean articulation,” and that “he could easily step into a first-horn position in any major orchestra tomorrow.” “I’m really happy that the BYU School of Music is being recognized nationally as a top-notch music school,” Park said. “With the help of these reviews, hopefully we can get more national attention, which I think we deserve.” Atkinson said that this recording of the Mahler symphony is a testimony to the talent and hard work the members of the orchestra put into their musical efforts. “We all expect so much of each other,” Atkinson said. “We keep each other accountable to high expectations, because where we’re headed is incredible.” The orchestra’s next concert is November 19 in the de Jong Concert Hall in the Harris Fine Arts Center. Tickets are available at arts.byu.edu. To purchase the BYU Philharmonic’s recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, click here. See the BYU Philharmonic at the Salt Flats, produced by the Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration:
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