Jeffrey Price
Jeffrey Price is a professor of piano and opera at the
University of Utah, a position he has held for eleven years. In
addition to teaching piano and coaching singers, he serves as the
musical director for the University’s Lyric Opera Ensemble. During
a versatile and multifaceted career, he has been extremely active as a
pianist, coach, accompanist, soloist, chamber musician, conductor and
musical director, (for opera, musical theater, and dance), as well as
composing.
Complete BiographySergio Bernal
An outstanding Latin American conductor, Sergio Bernal has earned
international recognition as a "tasteful technician with a more than
technical gift for connecting with a score’s essence." His debut
appearance at New York’s Lincoln Center was considered
"admirable... Balances were exemplary; attacks and releases precise
and explicit; and the sultry atmosphere well conveyed".
Lawrence Dillon
Composer Lawrence Dillon has produced an extensive body of work, from
brief solo pieces to a full-length opera. Although he lost 50% of his
hearing in a childhood illness, he began composing as soon as he
started piano lessons at the age of seven. In 1985, he became the
youngest composer to earn a doctorate at The Juilliard School, and was
shortly thereafter appointed to the Juilliard faculty. Dillon is now
Composer in Residence at the University of North Carolina School of
the Arts, where he has served as Music Director of the Contemporary
Ensemble, Assistant Dean of Performance, and Interim Dean of the
School of Music. He was the Featured American Composer in the February
2006 issue of Chamber Music magazine.
Bryan Hernandez-Luch
As a native of Utah, and of Peruvian descent, Bryan began his violin
studies at the age of six. At the age of fifteen he made his solo
debut with the Utah Symphony Orchestra. Hailed by the press for his
compelling performance at the 2003 Sphinx Competition, Bryan
Hernandez-Luch won first place in the senior division while performing
with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. As a Sphinx Laureate, Bryan has
appeared with the Cleveland, Atlanta, New Jersey, Utah, Chautauqua,
New World, Colorado, Nashville, Grand Rapids, Prince George
Philharmonic and Battle Creek symphony orchestras as well as Canada's
National Arts Center Orchestra. As a soloist he has worked with such
conductors as Franz Welser-Möst, Robert Spano, Keith Lockhart, David
Cho, Arthur Fagan and Thomas Wilkins.
Melissa Heath
Hailed as a “soaring, sparkling soprano” with “vivacious stage
presence”, American soprano Melissa Heath received her Master’s degree
in vocal performance from the University of Utah in 2009. Melissa has
performed the roles of Amy in Mark Adamo’s Little Women,
Cunegonde in Bernstein’s Candide, La Ciesca in Gianni
Schicchi, Marianne in Tartuffe, Gretel in Hansel and
Gretel, and First Lady in The Magic Flute.
David Price
David Price, 19, son of Dan and Susanne Price, is the youngest of nine
musical children. His accomplishments include multiple performances
with the Utah Symphony, an appearance on national radio as soloist on
NPR’s “From the Top” with the Gifted Music School Orchestra, and a
tour of Italy with the Rocky Mountain Strings.
Ron Beitel
Ron Beitel is currently the Associate Principal Hornist of The Utah
Symphony. Prior to moving to Utah, he performed as Associate Principal
Horn of the San Antonio Symphony and Principal Horn of the Memphis
Symphony. His solo and chamber music appearances include performances
with The San Antonio Symphony, The Cactus Pear Music Festival (San
Antonio), The Olmos Ensemble (San Antonio), NOVA, and Intermezzo.
Mr. Beitel is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Barbara Scowcroft
Barbara Scowcroft is currently in her 24th season in
the Utah Symphony as a first violinist, where she also served as acting
Assistant Concertmaster in the 1998-1999 season.
In 1986, Ms. Scowcroft became Music Director and Conductor of the
Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra was invited to
participate in the Cultural Olympiad for the 2002 Winter Olympic games
in Salt lake City, for which she expanded the orchestra of 135 Utahns
into an International orchestra of 170 musicians representing twelve
countries and five continents.
Igor Iachimciuc
Originally from the Republic of Moldova, Igor Iachimciuc is currently
a PhD candidate in music composition at the University of Utah. The
first introduction to music began at the age of ten, when Igor went to
study cimbalom, an Eastern European instrument, at the music school in
his native city. He moved after to the Chisinau, the capital of
Moldova, to pursue his career as a performer.
John Eckstein
Cellist John Eckstein joined the Utah Symphony in June,
1990. Previously Associate Principal Cello of the New Orleans Symphony
and Principal Cello of the Omaha Symphony, he enjoys a varied musical
life of orchestral, chamber, and solo playing, in addition to his
teaching duties at the University of Utah.
David Cho
During his three seasons with the Utah Symphony, David has conducted many
education, Pops, outreach, and tour concerts.
In September of 2007 David was the recipient of the 1st Prize at the
Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition held in Mexico
City, Mexico. This led to numerous guest conducting engagements in
Erin Morley
Soprano Erin Morley, originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, joined the
Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program in September 2007,
and made her Met Opera debut in Manon Lescaut and Peter
Grimes in February 2008. She will return in the 2008-2009 season to sing
Masha in The Queen of Spades, and to cover Woglinde and
Waldvogel in the Ring Cycle. Ms. Morley studies voice with Edith
Bers.
Crawford Gates
Crawford Gates was born in 1921 in San Francisco. He grew up in Palo
Alto, California, attended San Jose State University (BA, with great
distinction), Brigham Young University (MA), and Eastman School of
Music of the University of Rochester (Ph.D.). His very influential
teacher of composition was the prizewinning, internationally
acclaimed, Dr. Leroy Robertson. He also studied composition with two
Pulitzer Prize winning composers: Dr. Howard Hanson (Director of
Eastman School of Music) and Dr. Ernst Toch (of Zurich and Los
Angeles). He studied conducting with Eleazar de Carvalho at
Tanglewood, and with Hans Swarowsky of the Vienna State Opera.
Mindy Chen
Born in 1996, Mindy Chen, a six grader from Fremont, California, is
currently a scholarship student at the Preparatory Division of San
Francisco Conservatory of Music. She started playing the violin at
the age of four, made her first concert appearance in the same year,
and won her first violin competition at the age of seven.
Stephen Beus
“Mesmerizing... explosive... intelligent... he belongs on the world
stage” (Salt Lake Tribune). American pianist Stephen Beus is
recognized as one of the most promising pianists of his generation.
In the space of four months, Mr. Beus won first prize in the 2006 Gina
Bachauer International Piano Competition, first place in the Vendome
Prize International Competition (Lisbon) and he was awarded the Max
I. Allen Fellowship of the American Pianists Association
(Indianapolis).
Kory Katseanes
Professor Katseanes is the Director of Orchestras and an Associate
Director of the School of Music at Brigham Young University. As
Director of Orchestras he oversees the orchestral program that
accommodates nearly 400 students enrolled in the five University
orchestras, and directs the graduate orchestral conducting program. He
conducts the BYU Philharmonic and the BYU Chamber Orchestra in their
campus concerts, throughout Utah, and on their regular tours
throughout the world.
Sergio Pallottelli
Sergio Pallottelli captivates and dazzles audiences world-wide. As a
soloist and avid chamber musician, his performances take him to halls
all over the world, from Europe to Australia, from the US to South
America.
Constantly in search of a new composition or a new piece to adapt for
the flute, he offers elegant and passionate programming, always
communicating with his audiences in the most charismatic way, be it in
major orchestra halls or chamber settings alike.
Susan Goodfellow
Susan Goodfellow is a professor of flute at the University of Utah.
She holds degrees from Julliard School of Music and the university of
Chicago, and studied with Julius Baker and William Kincaid. She has
soloed with the Carmel (California) Bach Festival and the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir and performed with the New York City Symphony and the
Chicago Chamber Orchestra. She worked as a music editor for
Encyclopedia Britannica and was assistant editor of The Britannica
Book of Music. She has given lectures, recitals, and master classes
across the United States, and served for two years as secretary of
program annotator for the Salt Lake Chamber Music Society and on the
editorial board of The Flutist Quarterly.
Susan Neimoyer
A specialist in 20th century and American music, Susan Neimoyer received her Ph.D. in Music History from the University of Washington, where she was a student of American music scholar Larry Starr. Her dissertation, "Rhapsody in Blue: A Culmination of George Gershwin's Early Musical Education" was a finalist for the Society for American Music's H. Wiley Hitchcock Dissertation Prize for 2003.
Gary Merrell
Gary Merrell began playing the clarinet at age 10 as part of a deal with his parents in which he was allowed to stop taking piano lessons. In elementary school, band class offered several advantages, such as an airtight excuse to miss half of geography class and the chance to go on bus trips with the band. These factors served as strong incentives to become a better clarinetist.
Bill Newton
Bill Newton graduated from the University of Utah in 1978 with a degree in Music. His most influential teachers were Utah Symphony members Jim Hough and Doug Craig. In 1984, Bill earned a degree in Computer Programming. Since then, programming has been his profession and playing the bassoon his avocation.
Jim Yehle
By the fifth grade, Jim knew he wanted to play French horn, but he had to put his plans on hold for a year. The school in Denver had only one horn, which was being used by a sixth-grader, so Jim started on cornet. Later that year, a horn recitalist told him that it never works to switch from trumpet to horn, which sealed his fate in an engineering career.
Hilary Coon
Hilary Coon has been playing with the Salt Lake Symphony since
arriving in town in 1991. She started playing the oboe ages ago (at
least 3,000 hand-made reeds, by the oboist's reckoning of time). All
these reeds met their demise first at various summer music camps and
the Aspen Music Festival, then at the University of Colorado, Boulder,
where she earned a Bachelor's degree in music, and also in math.
Karen Hakobyan
Distinguished for the musical color, brilliance and excitement of his
performances, the talented young Armenian pianist and composer Karen
Hakobyan (b. 1985) has been acclaimed for his individual style. He
graduated from the Tchaikowsky Special Music School in Yerevan,
Armenia in 2000 and briefly attended the Komitas State Conservatory
before moving to the United States. He attends the University of Utah
School of Music as a "Dorothy Rich" Presidential Scholarship
recipient, studying piano performance with Dr. Susan Duehlmeier and
composition with Dr. Morris Rosenzweig.
David Park
David Park started playing the violin at the age of five in
Seoul, Korea. Since coming to the United States in 1976 at the age of
seven, Park has studied with some of the most distinguished artists
and teachers, such as Jascha Heifetz, Josef Gingold, Dorothy Delay,
and Yuval Yaron. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the
University of Indiana and Master of Music degree at the Juilliard
School.
Elliott Cheney
Elliott Cheney holds Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees in cello
performance from the University of Texas, where he studied with
Phyllis Young. He has been the Principal Cellist of the National
Symphony of Costa Rica, and The Savannah Symphony, and has been on the
faculties of the University of Costa Rica, Southwestern University,
Armstrong College, and the University of Tennessee. He currently is a
faculty member in the Music School at University of Utah.
Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin is Music Director for the Salt Lake Symphony and
Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Utah. His
tenure with the Salt Lake Symphony has resulted in increased
audiences, repertoire expansion and community visibility. He is
also the conductor for "It's a Grand Night for Singing," in Lexington,
Kentucky, and has held conducting positions with the University of
Kentucky, Lexington Philharmonic, New American Symphony, Northern
Arizona University, and Flagstaff Symphony orchestras. Also an
accomplished violist, he has held several positions, including
professor of viola at Northern Arizona University and principal viola
with the Arkansas Symphony, Flagstaff Symphony, and Arizona Opera
Orchestras.
Jens Lindemann
Trumpeter Jens Lindemann is hailed as one of the most celebrated
soloists in his instrument’s history. Jens has played in every
major concert venue in the world; from the Philharmonics of New York,
Los Angeles, London, Manchester, Munich, Hamburg, Lucerne and Berlin
to Tokyo’s Suntory Hall and even the Great Wall of China. His
career has ranged from appearing internationally as an orchestral
soloist, recording with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, being heralded as
an official trumpeter for the N.H.L. Stanley Cup finals to playing
lead trumpet with the renowned Canadian Brass.
Todd Fiegel
Todd Fiegel lives in Draper and has been professor of conducting at
the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Montana, Idaho
State University and Muskingum College, and he is the founding
conductor of Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra. He is active as guest
conductor and clinician throughout the United States and Canada, in
which country he has conducted from westernmost Vancouver Island to
the eastern coast of Newfoundland.
Juan Carlos Lomónaco
Juan Carlos Lomónaco, Music Director of the Carlos Chavez Symphony
Orchestra, graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music, where he
studied conducting with Otto Werner Muller. He has also studied
conducting with Charles Bruck at The Pierre Monteux School, as well as
Enrique Diemecke and Marc David.
Elizabeth Palmer
Violinist Elizabeth Palmer is the concertmaster of the Salt Lake
Symphony and a charter member of the Orchestra at Temple Square. She
is a graduate of the University of Utah and has been featured as a
soloist with the University of Utah Symphony, Mormon Youth Symphony,
Delaware County Pennsylvania Symphony and the Salt Lake Symphony. She
has also performed with the Utah Symphony.
Rebecca Hample
Ms. Brandt Hample’s career began in Salt Lake and has since taken her
around the world, performing and teaching opera, musical theater,
theater, oratorio, concert, movement and dance. She has lived and
studied in SLC, NYC, Boston, and Italy.
Michael Huff
Dr. Michael Huff is the Artistic Director and Conductor of Utah’s newest choir, Utah Voices, Artistic Director of Heritage Festivals’ Festival of GoldTM Series, and has recently joined the faculty of Utah State University’s Caine College of the Arts where he is Director of Special Programs, and a Visiting Professor with the Department of Music.
Dickran Atamian
Dickran Atamian has enjoyed a career that has spanned a
quarter-century and covered four continents. He has established
himself as a pianist of dazzling style, meaningful and exquisite
musical insights, incomparable mercurial gifts, and an unmatched
visceral excitement. In the year 2000, he celebrated his 25th season
as First Prize winner of the 50th Anniversary Naumburg International
Piano Competition held at Carnegie Hall. Additional award distinctions
include First Prize in the International Recording Competition, a
Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music Prize and Prize-Winner in the
William Kapell International Piano Competition.
Marjorie Janove
Marjorie Janove is an active soloist, recitalist, and chamber
musician. She has soloed with the Utah Symphony as pianist and
harpsichordist. She appears frequently with the Opus Orchestra, Nova
Chamber Music series, Vivaldi Candlelight Series, Marice Abravanel
Distiguished Composer Series and Madeleine Festival of the Arts and
Humanities. Her performance of Bach's Art of the Fugue for the Bach
Tricentennial Celebration was broadcast on National Public Radio. She
has performed on the Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago and the
Shadyside Chamber Concert series in Pittsburgh.
Laurel Ann Maurer
Flutist Laurel Ann Maurer has been lauded by The New York Times
as "...a secure technician and an assured, communicative interpreter."
Fanfare Magazine stated that ". . . she is technically superb in
every way. Her tone is consistently attractive even in the most
treacherous passages, and she plays with great rhythmic drive and
impeccable phrasing." American Record Guide said that
"...Maurer has a strong, colorful, full sound and a sure technique..."
Geoff Stevens
Born in the far north-east of England, near Newcastle upon Tyne,
Geoff's first love of the Trumpet came as a child, playing old 78 rpm
recordings of Harry James (relentlessly - according to his parents) on
an old "wind-up" gramophone player.
Zina Schiff
Violinist Zina Schiff has been described by The New York Times
as an instrumentalist of "Luscious high voltage … vintage Heifetz."
The comparison to the legendary Jascha Heifetz is apt, as Ms. Schiff
is a Heifetz protégé. With a special blend of virtuosity, musical
integrity, and communicative power, she has dazzled audiences and
critics throughout the United States, Eastern and Western Europe,
Israel, Australia, and the former Soviet Union.
Erin Elizabeth Palmer
Erin Elizabeth Palmer received her first musical instruction at an
early age from her mother and father, learning piano, violin and
voice. For five years, Erin studied piano with Solveig Lunde Madsen
and won second place in the 1996 Utah State Fair Competition.
In the summer of 1997, Erin toured Europe with the Utah Ambassadors of
Music as their accompanist. That same year, Erin began her voice
training with Betty Jeanne Chipman, and sang as a "Salute to Youth"
soloist with the Utah Symphony in 1998. She has twice soloed with the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir for the "Music of the Spoken Word"
broadcast.
Jeff Manookian
A recent recipient of a commission from the Barlow Endowment for Music
Composition at Brigham Young University to compose a concerto for
flute and orchestra to be premiered by the Salt Lake Symphony, Jeff
Manookian has garnered numerous accolades for his original works. The
Frederick Delius Competition conferred its Grand Prize on Manookian's
Fantasy and Toccata for Violin and Piano and the chamber music first
prize for his Sonata for Flute and Piano. His compositions have
figured numerous times on the Frederick Delius Music Festival in
Jacksonville, Florida. Other top prizes have been awarded to
Manookian's works, including the Grand Prize and multiple first places
in the Composers Guild International Composition Competition.
Susan Duehlmeier and Bonnie Gritton
Susan Duehlmeier and Bonnie Gritton have performed throughout the United States, Europe, China and Israel. They have collaborated with numerous orchestras including the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Czech Radio Orchestra, the Utah Symphony, and the Armenian Philharmonic. They have performed at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall in Boston, Dvorak Hall of Rudolfinum in Prague, Warsaw Philharmonic Hall and Lutoslawski Hall in Warsaw, Royal Academy of Music in Glasgow, the Jerusalem Center and Bosendorfer Hall in Vienna.
Marie Barker-Nelson
Marie Barker Nelson has a Ph.D degree from the University of Utah and
has also graduated from the Yale School of Music where she studied
with Paul Hindemith. She currently works with Bruce Reich.
Her first symphony, "The Medead" was premiered bu the Utah Symphony
and has been recorded by the Slovak Radio Symphony. Her second
symphony, "Hodeeyaada" was premiered and recorded by the Manhattan
Sinfornia in New York City and has subsequently been performed in
Gainesville, Florida and also by the Utah Symphony.