Welcome to UCA's new events blog!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Video Games Live @ Utah Symphony (SLC: Dec 30)









Media Contact:
Hilarie Ashton | Public Relations Manager
hashton@usuo.org | (801)869-9027

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 21, 2011

UTAH SYMPHONY BRINGS “VIDEO GAMES LIVE: BONUS ROUND!” TO ABRAVANEL HALL

SALT LAKE CITY—The Utah Symphony is bringing Video Games Live! back to Salt Lake City audiences for a bonus round Friday, December 30 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall, featuring music from some of the most popular video games of all time in a cutting-edge performance.

With Assistant Conductor Vladimir Kulenovic, the Utah Symphony will perform these video game favorites ranging from the old retro arcade classics to the modern console hits and include exclusive video clips. The exciting music arrangements will be enhanced by synchronized lighting, solo performers, special effects and electronic percussionists. The performance also includes special interactive segments, inviting people from the audience to compete on stage while the Utah Symphony plays the music in perfect synchronization to the visuals on screen.

Video game enthusiasts attending the concert can also participate in a pre-show festival and post-show meet-n-greet. The pre-show will include game demonstrations and competitions, costume contests and prizes.  The post-show meet-n-greet, following the energetic performance of the Utah Symphony will feature industry designers/creators, composers/sound designers, voice actors, performers and other special guests.

Tickets for the evening performances range from $28 to $85 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office or by visiting www.usuo.org. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.

Press photos available by logging in at http://www.utahsymphony.org/about/press-and-reviews/itemlist/category/35-media-kit. (Username: usuoimages, Password: media).

About Video Games Live!

Video Games Live! was created and produced by actual video game composers and industry icons, Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall (creators and executive producers). Both Tallarico and Wall are personally involved in each performance to guarantee an entertaining show that will demonstrate the artistic and culturally significance of video games and their music. 

###




Hilarie Ashton
Public Relations Manager
801.869.9027 office
801.335.9387 cell

SELECTED FOR AMERICAN COLLEGE THEATRE FESTIVAL: WSU'S XANADU (OGDEN: FEB 3 - 4)


SELECTED FOR AMERICAN COLLEGE THEATRE FESTIVAL

Xanadu: You Have to Believe We are Magic
Who: Weber State University Department of Performing Arts
What: Xanadu directed by Jim Christian
When: February 3-4, 7:30 p.m. •  2:00 pm matinee: February 4
Where: Eccles Theater, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts

Weber State University Department of Performing Arts production of "Xanadu" has been selected for American College Theatre Festival Region VIII competition! 

Encore Performances (and fund raisers) of "Xanadu," directed by Jim Christian, run February 3-4 at 7:30 pm with a Saturday matinee February 4 at 2 p.m., in the Eccles Theater, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $15 for all shows and are available in advance at Dee Events Center Tickets, 1-800-WSU-TIKS, weberstatetickets.com or at the door beginning one hour before the performance. No comp tickets will be honored for these fund-raising performances.

Xanadu, with a book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, is based on the 1980 cult classic film of the same name. The 2007 musical ran for over 500 performances on Broadway, earning an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and a Drama Desk Award for Best Book. It was also nominated for Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book. 

Xanadu, a metaphor for opulence in Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan,” becomes a humorous joke when describing the dream of Sonny, a struggling artist in 1980. His greatest creation will be a roller disco. He is inspired and assisted by a Muse from Olympus, Clio, disguised as an Australian skater named Kira. Complications arise when Clio/Kira falls in love with her mortal, inspiring jealous trouble-making by a couple of her sister Muses and breaking the rule set by her father, Zeus, to NOT fall in love with a mortal.

A feature of the production is actual roller skating on stage. Our WSU actors have been on wheels at rehearsals since early in September but have been practicing individually since before auditions. Blocking this production in the Eccles (Black Box) Theatre has been a challenge for Director, Jim Christian, but he and the cast have risen to it, and fallen a few times, too. 

Because of limited seating in the Eccles Theatre (112 seats) and the anticipated popularity of this production, It is recommended that you purchase your tickets in advance. Parents are advised that the word “bitch” is used for comic effect and that there is some mild sexual innuendo. 

Van Tinkham, scenic designer, is busy with his crew turning the Eccles Theatre into a disco skating palace. The transformation will be ingenious. Tyler Banks, a WSU Theatre major, is the costume designer. Expect costumes to bring back 80s nostalgia with a touch of Classical Greece. 

For more information about this production, contact 
Director: Jim Christian, 801 626 6992 or jchristian@weber.edu
Sonny: Sean Bishop, seanedwardbhishop@gmail.com
Clio/Kira: Breanne Welch, brebeewelch@gmail.com

photos available on request

W.O.W. !!! Women On Women @ Babcock Performing Readers (SLC: JAN 19)


Babcock Performing Readers presents

January 19, 2012
W.O.W. !!! Women On Women
Directed by Brenda Bensch, MA

W.O.W. !!! Women On Women will bear Witness to the Wise and Witty Words of Women Writers, the likes of Erma Bombeck, Peg Bracken, Linda Ellerbee, Nora Ephron, Nancy Giles and Tina Fey. Do women really Feel Bad About (their) Necks? Hate to Cook? Hate to Housekeep? What do they think about being members of The Second Oldest Profession? Will they ever admit High Heels Are Evil? Are they accused at home and at work of being Mrs. Bossypants? And when they’re At Wit’s End, do they just think “And So It Goes…”? Find out what women really think about the Human—or rather, the Female—Condition.

Olpin Union Building Little Theatre

200 S Central Campus Drive



Free Parking with validation

Free Admission

Free Refreshments



Partially funded by

Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks

Salt Lake City Arts Council

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art presents: Art Fitness Training Get art fit, lose the art fat! (SLC: JAN 28, FEB 4, FEB 11)

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art presents: Art Fitness Training
Get art fit, lose the art fat!

Contact: Emily Brunt | emilyb@slartcenter.org  | 801.328.4201 x 115
www.utahmoca.org | 20 S West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Tue-Thu & Sat 11 AM – 6 PM, Fri 11 AM – 9 PM

For Immediate Release:  December 16, 2011

SALT LAKE CITY- The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art is pleased to announce the launch of Art Fitness Training, its new flagship program for everyone who has ever wanted to feel more confident in a museum setting.  The first round of Art Fitness Training will occur on three consecutive Saturdays: January 28, February 4, and February 11 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.  Registration is $75.00, or $60.00 for UMOCA members, and includes participation in all three classes. Register at www.utahmoca.org/art-fitness.  Space is limited.


With an emphasis on close observation and easy to grasp principles, this three-part, participatory workshop is designed to give all audiences the ability to appreciate even the most difficult contemporary art. 

“Museums have for too long encouraged visitors to rely on the institution for an explanation of the art, allowing the general public to get flabby when it comes to art interpretation,” says Felicia Baca, Curator of Education and Public Programs, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.  “Art Fitness Training empowers the viewer to interpret, understand, and enjoy the works using the tools they already possess.”


“There are parts of the program that will be hard work, but there’s no reason for us not to have fun while we are all getting back in shape,” says Adam Price, Executive Director, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.  “This is a great chance to impress your friends and family with your new art muscles when visiting museums, galleries, and private collections.”

The three sessions will be held at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and at a residence featuring one of Utah’s premier privately-held contemporary art collections.

Work out gear is optional, but encouraged.  Appropriate for college-age and up.

Art Fitness Training is presented in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and sponsored by the Utah Valley University’s Honors Program.  UMOCA extends a special thanks to Utah Museum of Fine Arts for supporting the session held at UMFA.

Felicia Baca and Laura Hurtado stand in front of Kim Schoenstadt’s Diving Board Helix (Wall Drawing). Adam Price stands in front of Wendy Red Star’s Thunder Up Above, 3. Stirs up the Dust. These promotional images and others will be available for download at utahmoca.org/press. Both art works currently on display at UMOCA.

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (formerly Salt Lake Art Center) was recognized as Best Museum in the State of Utah for 2011.  Founded in 1931 and now located in the heart of Salt Lake City, UMOCA exhibits groundbreaking work by leading local and international artists. Recent exhibitions include Fallen Fruit of Utah, a state-wide collaboration with museums and individuals about the role of fruit in Utah’s history, led by artist collective Fallen Fruit; and Kim Schoenstadt, winner of the 2011 Catherine Doctorow Prize for Contemporary Painting.  Upcoming exhibitions include the annual installment of Sundance Film Festival New Frontier, and also Play Me I’m Yours, inviting the people of Salt Lake to show off their piano skills on street corners all over Salt Lake.  UMOCA rounds out its offerings with a lively mix of award-winning educational programs, film screenings, panel discussions, and events celebrating Salt Lake’s vibrant local art scene. UMOCA is located at 20 S. West Temple, just off the intersection with South Temple. Admission is free year-round. Business hours are Tuesday-Thursday: 11 am-6 pm; Friday: 11 am-9 pm; Saturday: 11 am-6 pm; closed Sunday and Monday. For more information call (801) 328-4201 or visit www.slartcenter.org.

###


Emily Brunt
Director of Communications, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
801.328.4201 x115 | m: 801.232.7362 | emily.brunt@utahmoca.org  | www.utahmoca.org


January 2012 Events and Exhibitions @ UMFA



Media contact:
Shelbey Lang, 801-585-1306
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
January 2012 Events and Exhibitions


SPECIAL EVENTS

Highlights of the Collection Tour
First Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm and all Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 pmFREE with general museum admission
Experience the UMFA galleries through a thirty-minute tour with a docent. No pre-registration necessary.

Third Saturday for Families: Papyrus Painting
Saturday, January 21 • 1-4 pm • FREE
Investigate the new Egyptian installation on the UMFA’s upper level with your family and then go to the classroom to decorate sheets of papyrus to take home. Third Saturdays are funded in part by the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks fund.

Chamber Music Series
Wednesday, January 25 • 7 pm • FREE with general admission
Experience the harmonious convergence of music and art at the UMFA! On this Wednesday evening, students from the University of Utah School of Music will gather in the galleries to perform musical pieces inspired by art.

Visiting Artist Talk: Andrea Bowers
Wednesday, January 25 • 7 pm • FREE
Join us for a free lecture by internationally acclaimed Los Angeles artist Andrea Bowers, the selected 2012 artist for the Marva and John Warnock Endowed Visiting Artist Residency Program at the University of Utah. Bowers’s drawings, videos, and installations explore the intersections between art and democratic processes, and between aesthetics and political action. This program is presented by the Department of Art and Art History in the University of Utah College of Fine Arts.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

Color
On view through January 8, 2012 
Containing a diverse range of artworks from around the world, Color explores the relationship of color to artists and audiences. This exhibition utilizes over twenty pieces from the UMFA's permanent collection, using color as a connector across cultures and time. While visiting the exhibition, be sure to use the hands-on collage wall to create your own color compositions. This exhibition is funded as part of the UMFA's Art in a Box program and is presented in conjunction with the debut of the new statewide box, Art in a Box: Color.
LeConte Stewart: Depression-Era Art
On view through January 15, 2012
In a groundbreaking collaboration, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Church History Museum have partnered to present joint exhibitions of over 200 paintings and works on paper by famed Utah artist LeConte Stewart (1891-1990). The UMFA’s exhibition, LeConte Stewart: Depression Era Art, explores themes of isolation and loss during the Great Depression. The Church History Museum’s exhibition, LeConte Stewart: The Soul of Rural Utah, reveals the beauty of Utah’s early rural landscapes. For more information about the exhibitions and related programs, please visit www.umfa.utah.edu. The UMFA’s exhibition is generously sponsored by the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation and the Ray, Quinney & Nebeker Foundation.

David Burnett – Too Close
On view through January 29, 2012
Recently named one of the “100 Most Important People in Photography” by American Photo magazine, renowned photojournalist David Burnett has spent over four decades covering pivotal historic events–including the Vietnam War, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games–and capturing intimate images of public figures from Bob Marley to Barack Obama. Experience more than 60 of his iconic photographs in David Burnett – Too Close, an exhibition presented by The Joseph and Evelyn Rosenblatt Charitable Fund.

salt 4: Xaviera Simmons
On view through February 26, 2012
salt 4:  Xaviera Simmons is the fourth in the Museum's series of exhibitions featuring innovative art from around the world. Through photography, installation, and performance, New York-based artist Xaviera Simmons constructs multivalent narratives of collective and personal histories.  Her work often references traditions of American landscape painting, exploring depictions of the individual in nature.  salt 4: Xaviera Simmons features a series of photographs, as well as a sculptural installation made of hand-lettered, locally found wooden scraps affixed directly to the gallery wall.  This tangled matrix of text gleaned from notes, news articles, folklore, and literature forms its own kind of lyrical landscape, one imbued with historical and personal memory.

Res Mortis: Matters of Death
Now on View
Experience the UMFA’s ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman collection in its new home on the second floor. The Egyptian gallery features the 26th dynasty anthropoid coffin of Padiusir (a visitor favorite), along with other intriguing objects that explore the economic sacrifices of preparing for the afterlife. The revitalized Greek and Roman gallery highlights the UMFA's recently conserved Apulian funerary amphora and the marble sarcophagus of a young Roman nobleman.
**Exhibition dates are subject to change.

####


Utah Museum of Fine Arts
University of Utah 
Marcia & John Price Museum Building
410 Campus Center Dr
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
(801) 581-7332

Museum Hours
Tuesday–Friday: 10 am–5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am–8 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11 am–5 pm
Closed Mondays and holidays
Visit our website: umfa.utah.edu 
**The UMFA will be closed on the following days for the holidays:
Sunday and Monday, December 25 and 26
Sunday and Monday, January 1 and 2

General Admission
UMFA Members FREE 
Adults $7
Youth (ages 6-18) $5
Seniors & Students $5
Children under 6 FREE
U students, staff & faculty FREE
Active duty military personnel FREE
Thanks to the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks fund, the UMFA opens its doors for FREE on the first Wednesday and third Saturday of the month.

BOUNTIFUL/DAVIS ART CENTER’S ANNUAL STATEWIDE COMPETITION ENTRIES SOUGHT (Bountiful: Deadline Jan 17 - Jan 21, Show Jan 27 - March 9)


NEWS RELEASE                                                                                     
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information Contact
Emma J. Dugal, 801 292-0367 – emmadugal@bdac.org
Bountiful/Davis Art Center
745 S. Main Street, Bountiful, UT  84010

BOUNTIFUL/DAVIS ART CENTER’S

ANNUAL STATEWIDE COMPETITION ENTRIES SOUGHT


BOUNTIFUL, Utah, December 19, 2011 – Bountiful/Davis Art Center’s Annual Statewide Competition will be exhibited from January 27 through March 9, 2012. 

This is one of the longest-running juried visual arts exhibitions in Utah highlighting the works of Utah’s most creative visual artists.

The competition is open to all professional artists living in Utah.  Original works of art in the following media will be accepted: watercolor, oil, acrylic, mixed media, drawings, graphics, photographs, weavings/textiles and sculpture.  Artists may enter up to three original works, completed within the last two years and not previously exhibited at BDAC. There is a non-refundable entry fee of $10.00 per work.  BDAC members’ entry fee is $5.00 per work.  The entry dates for this year’s competition are Tuesday, January 17 - Saturday, January 21, from 10:00 until 5 pm.  No entries will be accepted after 5 pm on January 21.  Bring entries to Bountiful/Davis Art Center, 745 So. Main Street in Bountiful. Entries forms will be available online: www.bdac.org.

Adrian VanSuchtelen is the juror for this year’s competition.  Born in the Dutch East Indies, Adrian Van Suchtelen attended El Camino College and then the Otis Art Institute of Los Angeles County after immigrating to the United States. Awarded consecutive semester scholarships, he graduated in 1966 with BFA and MFA Degrees. Currently Professor Emeritus, he joined the faculty at Utah State University in 1967, where he had a long and rewarding career until his retirement 37 years later. In charge of Drawing, he has also taught painting, printmaking, design and sculpture as well as serving as graduate director for a period of time. He was listed in “Who’s Who in American Art”, he has held membership in the Boston Printmakers society and he has also served on the Utah Arts Council Advisory Panel. His artwork is included in many private and public collections of Museums, Art Centers, and Universities across the United States. He is a valued and well-known artist who has exhibited at Bountiful/Davis Art Center where he has won awards for his exceptional intaglio prints and drawings.  Most notable was an exhibit he had at BDAC featuring “100 Views of Cache Valley” intaglio prints.

Results of the jury action will be posted on the website: www.bdac.org by Tuesday, January 24. Awards include $500 First Place, $300 Second Place, $150 Third Place and Honorable Mentions.

There will be an Opening Reception honoring this year’s artists selected for the Annual Competition on Friday, January 27, beginning at 7:00 pm.  The Awards Ceremony will begin at 8:00 pm.

This will be one of the last exhibits before Bountiful/Davis Art Center is closed for an extended period time for a complete renovation, likely to begin in late Spring of 2012.  Stay tuned for information about temporary venues for BDAC exhibits during the renovation.

For more information and to obtain an entry form, please contact the Bountiful/Davis Art Center, 801 292-0367 or visit us online at www.bdac.org  http://www.bdac.org/     


###end###


Emma J. Dugal
Executive Director
Bountiful/Davis Art Center
745 So. Main Street
Bountiful, UT  84010
801 292-0367
801 292-7298 (fax)

Utah Humanities Council Announces 2012 Grant Deadlines (Feb 1)


Utah Humanities Council Announces 2012 Grant Deadlines

Salt Lake City, Utah, December 15, 2011 –  Each year, the Utah Humanities Council offers Competitive Grants and Fellowships for humanities-related initiatives in Utah. This gives local organizations (and individuals, in the case of fellowships) the opportunity to receive funding for projects and research conducted through a humanities lens.

Next Grant Deadlines for Competitive Grants and Research Fellowships and Student Fellowships are February 1, 2012

Competitive Grants, awarded at amounts up to $5,000, support projects designed to increase public understanding and appreciation of the humanities. Projects must be centered in the humanities and involve humanities scholars.

Research Fellowships for Scholars: two annual fellowships, awarded at amounts up to $3,500, are offered to humanities scholars; supports one research project on a topic of national or international significance and one supports a research project in Utah studies.

Research Fellowships for Students: Five fellowships, awarded at amounts up to $3,500, are available and will be divided between undergraduate and graduate students.  Fellowships support student research in the humanities. Fellowship funds may be used to pay the costs of equipment, supplies, software, technical support, or travel to do research, time to conduct research, or to report on the results of research at a professional conference.

For more information, call Maria Torres at 810-359-9670 x 105, email her at torres@utahhumanities.org, or visithttp://www.utahhumanities.org/Grants.htm

UTAH SYMPHONY TO PERFORM WITH WORLD RENOWNED GUEST CONDUCTOR, TEENAGE PIANO PRODIGY (SLC: Jan 5 - 7)



Media Contact:
Hilarie Ashton | Public Relations Manager
hashton@usuo.org | (801)869-9027
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 19, 2011

UTAH SYMPHONY TO PERFORM WITH WORLD RENOWNED GUEST CONDUCTOR, TEENAGE PIANO PRODIGY
Concert will feature a program of popular works by Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich

SALT LAKE CITY— World renowned guest conductor Andrey Boreyko and teenage piano prodigy Conrad Tao will join the Utah Symphony for a program featuring two of music history’s most famous and explosive Russian masterpieces.

17-year-old pianist Conrad Tao, hailed by Musical America as "the most exciting prodigy to ever come [our] way," will perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Boreyko and the orchestra Thursday, January 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Brigham Young University’s deJong Concert Hall as well as Friday, January 6 and Saturday, January 7 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall. The program will also include Shostakovich’s bold and heroic Symphony No. 5, one of the composer’s most popular and influential orchestral works, serving today as a telling snapshot of its place in Russia’s turbulent history.

Tickets for the evening performances range from $17 to $51 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office or by visiting www.usuo.org. Students can purchase discounted tickets with a student ID. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.

Press photos available by logging in at http://www.utahsymphony.org/about/press-and-reviews/itemlist/category/35-media-kit. (Username: usuoimages, Password: media).

About Andrey Boreyko Conductor
Andrey Boreyko regularly conducts the leading European and American orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Russian National, Zürich Tonhalle, London Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras. 

Boreyko serves as Music Director of the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, and also holds the positions of Principal Guest Conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR) and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi San Sebastian in Spain. Maestro Boreyko signed a five-year contract with the Orchestre National de Belgique as Chief Conductor beginning in September, 2012. He was chief conductor of the Berner Symphonieorchester, the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jenaer Philharmonie, the Hamburger Symphoniker and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as well as Principal Guest Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony. Andrey Boreyko is honorary conductor of the Jenaer Philharmonie and in the course of his five-year-work as chief conductor in Jena, the board of directors of the Deutscher Musikverleger-Verband/Germany awarded him and his orchestra the distinction for the best concert programmes for three seasons in succession.
Boreyko was born in St. Petersburg and graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory with a degree in conducting and composition.  His principal teachers were Elisaveta Kudriavzeva and Alexander Dmitriev.

About Conrad Tao, Piano
Hailed as "the most exciting prodigy to ever come my way" by Musical America, 17-year-old Chinese-American pianist Conrad Tao was found playing children’s songs on the piano at 18 months of age and has never looked back. The Utah Symphony is pleased to invite Conrad Tao back “by popular demand” after his dazzling Utah Symphony debut last October, 2010.

Born in Urbana, Illinois, he gave his first piano recital at age 4, and at age 8, made his concerto debut performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A major, K. 414. Conrad is currently a Gilmore Young Artist, an honor awarded every two years to single out the most promising of the new generation of U.S. pianists.

Conrad has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Dallas and Baltimore Symphonies, among others. He has given solo recitals at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Ravinia Festival, the Verbier Festival, UC Berkeley’s Cal Performance Series, the Gilmore Series, and has toured Italy, Mexico, Chile, Russia, China and Singapore.

Equally regarded as a composer, Conrad is an eight-time consecutive winner of the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer award, since 2004.   He is also an accomplished violinist, winning the 2003 Walgreens National Concerto Competition on that instrument.

In June, Conrad received a medal from President Obama at the White House, after being named a 2011 Presidential Scholar for the Arts in music.  His first recording for EMI, featuring solo piano works including three of his own compositions, will be released in early 2012.

Conrad resides in New York City with his parents and sister, where he just started the joint Columbia University/Juilliard college program.

Program

Anatoli Liadov
The Enchanted Lake, Opus 62
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 23
I.  Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso
II.  Andantino semplice
III.  Allegro con fuoco
Conrad Tao, Piano

INTERMISSION


Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Opus 47
I. Moderato
II. Allegretto
III. Largo
IV. Allegro non troppo

###


Hilarie Ashton
Public Relations Manager
801.869.9027 office
801.335.9387 cell

UTAH SYMPHONY PRESENTS A TRIBUTE TO ASTAIRE & ROGERS’ HOLLYWOOD HITS (SLC: Jan 13 - 14)



Media Contact:
Hilarie Ashton | Public Relations Manager
hashton@usuo.org | (801)869-9027
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 20, 2011

UTAH SYMPHONY PRESENTS A TRIBUTE TO ASTAIRE & ROGERS’ HOLLYWOOD HITS

SALT LAKE CITY—Principal Pops Conductor Jerry Steichen and the Utah Symphony will present an evening of Broadway song and dance, featuring the iconic music of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and George Gershwin.

“Bravo Broadway: Dancing and Romancing,” a program inspired by the legendary Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, will be exciting Utah audiences Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14 at 8 p.m. in Abravanel Hall, as well-known Broadway performers Joan Hess and Kirby Ward sing and dance to hits from “Shall We Dance,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “West Side Story”, “Crazy for You” and “Chicago.”

Tickets for the evening performances range from $27 to $58 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel Hall ticket office or by visiting www.usuo.org. Students can purchase discounted tickets with a student ID. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (6683). Ticket prices will increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.

Press photos available by logging in at http://www.utahsymphony.org/about/press-and-reviews/itemlist/category/35-media-kit. (Username: usuoimages, Password: media).

Guest Artist Bios

Joan Hess most recently completed her fifth Broadway show, playing the role of the wealthy and hilarious Tanya in Broadway’s Mamma Mia.  She was also seen as Jessica (the “Leggy Blonde”) in HBO’s new Grammy-award-winning comedy series, Flight of the Conchords.  Prior to that, she had the great fortune to play the plum role of Billie Dawn in Garson Kanin's classic play Born Yesterday. She appeared at Lincoln Center in the lead role in the powerful new Lynn Ahrens/ Stephen Flaherty piece, Dessa Rose, directed by the 10 time Tony Award nominee, Graciela Daniele. She appeared as Betty in the First National Tour of Sunset Boulevard, Polly in the First National Tour of Crazy for You, and toured with 42nd Street and Beehive, as well.

Regional theater audiences have enjoyed her in the title role in Gypsy at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, as Picasso’s first love, Fernande Olivier, in the World Premier of La Vie en Bleu, at Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theater, as Ann in The 1940's Radio Hour for which she received a Best Actress Nomination, in the lead role of Maddy in the Australian import Hot Shoe Shuffle, Lilly McBain in Swingtime Canteen, Irene Molloy in Hello Dolly with Avery Schreiber, Peggy in The Taffetas, Irene in Crazy for You, Grand Hotel, Closer than Ever, Sweet Charity, and the lead role in the World Premiere of Noel Coward and Jeffry Hatcher's Bon Voyage at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, among others.
Joan served as script supervisor on the independent short film entitled Down in the Mouth. She also hosted and produced live television for three seasons, acted in over thirty commercials, modeled for years and is a Colorado native. She is blissfully married to actor and powerhouse tenor, David Hess, with whom she recently toured South Africa, England and Italy for the Travel Channel’s Fantasy Rails for Millionair

Kirby Ward has worked in the arts on five continents and in film, television and stage for almost thirty years. He’s been a resident of Los Angeles and London and now makes his home in Connecticut, but he continues to work in theatre and film all over the world.

When cast as Bobby Child in the London production of Crazy For You, Kirby took his whole family along. His portrayal of the lead character in this West End premier netted him an Olivier award nomination as well as the honor of meeting and performing for the royal family on the Queen Mum’s birthday. You can hear him on the London cast album for First Night Records.

As an actor he’s run the gamut of song and dance roles, playing every “Billy” or “Bobby” from My One and Only to 42nd Street, and a couple of Don’s and Tom’s thrown in to mix things up (That would be Singin’ in the Rain and No No Nanette for those keeping score). Departing from the song and dance motif has lead him into such roles as King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar, Arnolph in School For Wives, Vernon in They’re Playin’ Our Song, and even a stint as Che in Evita

In Los Angeles Kirby choreographed portions of Debbie Reynolds’ and Donald O’Connor’s Las Vegas acts, appearing in both for a number of years as a singer and dancer. He also trained Bette Midler and James Caan in song and dance technique for their film For The Boys for 20th Century Fox. Also, while in Los Angeles, he worked as a writer for television at Hanna Barbera Studios. Most recently his original short film Down in the Mouth was awarded best short film at the Kent Film Festival in Kent, CT (www.downinthemouthmovie.com).

Kirby is living in the woods of Connecticut with his wife and three kids, where he's putting the finishing touches on the book of a brand new musical called Romancing the Throne.

Program

George Gershwin
Overture to “Girl Crazy”
Irving Berlin
Top Hat, White Tie and Tails / Steppin' Out With My Baby
Jerome Kern
The Song Is You from “Music in the Air”
Rodgers & Hart
Johnny One-Note from  “Babes In Arms”
George Gershwin
They Can't Take That Away From Me from “Shall We Dance”
Jerome Kern
I Won't Dance from “Roberta”
Leonard Bernstein
Mambo from “West Side Story”
Irving Berlin
Cheek to Cheek

INTERMISSION


John & Ebb, Fred Kander
Intro to All That Jazz from “Chicago”
Nacio Herb Brown
Singin' In The Rain
George Gershwin
Someone To Watch Over Me / The Man I Love
Irving Berlin
You're Just in Love from “Call Me Madam”
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Suite from The Sleeping Beauty, Opus 66a
V.  Valse
George Gershwin
Slap That Bass
Enrique Garcia
Conga
George Gershwin
Shall We Dance from "Crazy For You"

I Got Rhythm

###


Hilarie Ashton
Public Relations Manager
801.869.9027 office
801.335.9387 cell

SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY PRESENTS “HOW I BECAME AN ARRTIST,” AN EXHIBITION OF WORK BY STUDENTS AT THE VISUAL ART INSTITUTE INSPIRED BY SLAC’S “HOW I BECAME A PIRATE” (SLC: THrough Dec 30)


Salt Lake Acting Company                       News Release
PRESS CONTACT: Cynthia Fleming. 801 363 7522 cynthia@saltlakeactingcompany.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY PRESENTS “HOW I BECAME AN ARRTIST,” AN EXHIBITION OF WORK BY STUDENTS AT THE VISUAL ART INSTITUTE INSPIRED BY SLAC’S  “HOW I BECAME A PIRATE”

Salt Lake Acting Company and the Visual Art Institute are proud to present How I Became an ARRtist — an exhibition of pirate-themed art by VAI students in conjunction with SLAC’s production of HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, based on the book by Melinda Long and illustrated by David Shannon.  The work will hang in the Green Room Gallery until December 30th in a space dedicated to showing work by local artists in rotating exhibits inspired by productions onstage.

Using charcoal, paint, and paper sculpture, the work in the exhibition reflects a few of the varied techniques students learn at the Visual Art Institute. The magic of merging visual and performing arts is depicted in the exhibition as it illuminates the imaginations of students ages 5 to 18.

This is the second year running that SLAC and the VAI, both of whom endeavor to plant the seeds of creative curiosity early in life, have conspired together to present work in tandem with SLAC’s annual professional children’s production. 
The Visual Art Institute is a 33-year-old non-profit art education program focused on preserving and facilitating the creativity of youth. VAI provides high-quality instruction and classes in a wide range of media focusing on essential applied skills, working largely from life, as well as conceptual thinking.  Many VAI students go on to earn local, state, and national awards as well as entrance and scholarships to universities and art schools throughout the country
FACT SHEET:

EVENT                                                           HOW I BECAME AN ARRTIST, EXHIBITION OF ARTWORK BY STUDENTS AT THE VISUAL ART INSTITUTE
WHERE:                                                         SLAC’S Green Room Gallery

WHEN:                                                           NOW through December 30, 2011


SLAC NOTES:

Participants do not need a ticket to attend this event. It is free and open to the public. Our Green Room Gallery is located on the ground floor of the Salt Lake Acting Company. For more information call SLAC 801.363.7522.

NOW PLAYING:

HOW I BECAME A PIRATE based on the book by Melinda Long by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman with Austin Archer, Alexis Baigue, J. Michael Bailey, Randall Eames, Shannon Musgrave, Michael Tao & Fynn White.

DATES                       Opened:          December 9, 2011
                                    Closes:             December 30, 2011

TIMES                        December 20-22, 12:00 & 3:00
                                    December 23, 10:00, 12:00 & 3:00
                                    December 27-29, 12:00 & 3:00
                                    December 30, 10:00, 12:00 & 3:00

Season subscribers are the heart of Salt Lake Acting Company. See the rest of the season as a subscriber and always pay the lowest price while having the privilege to exchange your tickets as many times as you want for free. Becoming a subscriber is the best way to support this unique theatre.

Season ticket packages that include 5 plays range from $61-$186.
Tickets available at 801-363-SLAC (7522), at www.saltlakeactingcompany.org, or in person at 168 West 500 North, Salt Lake City, Utah 84103

SLAC is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 professional theatre found in 1970 and is dedicated to producing, commissioning and developing new works and to supporting a community of professional artists.  SLAC has been nationally recognized by the Shubert Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Edgerton Foundation, among others. SLAC operates under a STP Actors Equity Association contract. SLAC is a Constituent Member of Theatre Communications Group, a national organization for non-profit professional regional theatres, and the National New Play Network.





________________________________________________
Cynthia Fleming
Executive Producer
Salt Lake Acting Company
801.363.7522


From: Shannon Musgrave [mailto:shannon@saltlakeactingcompany.org]
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 9:33 AM
To: 'Cynthia Fleming'
Subject: Green Room Gallery photos



___________________________________________________
Shannon Musgrave
Executive Assistant
Salt Lake Acting Company
801.363.7522

Utah Students Invited to Enter Library of Congress and Center for the Book Contest: “Letters About Literature” (Deadline: January 6)


Contact:
Deena Pyle 801.201.4300 pyle@utahhumanities.org

For Immediate Release

Utah Students Invited to Enter Library of Congress and Center for the Book Contest: “Letters About Literature”

Salt Lake City, Utah, December 21, 2011 – The Utah Center for the Book, in partnership with Target Stores and in cooperation with the National Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, invites readers in grades 4 through 12 to submit entries for Letters About Literature, a national reading-writing contest. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author explaining how that author's work changed their way of thinking about the world or themselves.

The contest will include award recipients at both a national and state level. Last year’s Utah winners include:
·       Sierra Eyre, Murray, grade 6, wrote to Blaine Yorgasen, author of Charlie’s Monument
·       Christi Kim, Sandy, grade 8, wrote to An Na, author of The Fold
·       Erik Daniel Silsby, Ogden, grade 11, wrote to Jeff Scott Savage, author of Far World: Water Keep

Submission deadline: January 6, 2012
Announcement of national winners: April 27


For more information, please visit www.utahhumanities.org , or see:
·       Library of Congress: http://www.read.gov/cfb/
·       Participation Guidelines: http://bit.ly/tVd0zE

About The Utah Center for the Book: The Utah Center for the Book promotes public interest in books, reading, authorship and libraries throughout the state. Housed at the Utah Humanities Council, the Center is a state affiliate of the National Center for the Book at the Library of Congress and is in partnership with the Salt Lake City Public Library and Utah State Library.

About The Utah Humanities Council: The Utah Humanities Council enriches our cultural, intellectual, and civic life by providing opportunities for all Utahns to explore life's most engaging questions and the wonders of the human experience. The new home of the Utah Center for the Book, UHC is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks Fund, the State of Utah, and gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Each year, the Council underwrites hundreds of educational and cultural programs throughout Utah. For more information, visit www.utahhumanities.org or www.facebook.com/utahhumanitiescouncil.
###





__ 
JULIANNE HANCOCK 
Communications Manager | Salt Lake City Public Library 
p: 801.524.8219 | m: 801.455.3432 | jhancock@slcpl.org 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Administrative Program Coordinator University of Utah


Administrative Program Coordinator
University of Utah


Salary: $25,000 - $30,000/yr
Job Description: Act as the chief programmer for the Lifelong Learning unit within Continuing Education. Assist in coordinating day-to-day activities associated with successfully running the Lifelong Learning program.

This is a .75 FTE (30 hours per week) benefited position.

University of Utah Job# PRN00649B, Academic Outreach and Continuing Education (AOCE) Department

DUTIES include, but are not limited to, the following:
Program between 100 – 200 classes per term; contract with instructors to teach classes; create and maintain working catalog per term; communicate and collaborate with the Lifelong team and others regarding potential course offerings, ideas for program growth, assessment of current courses, requests from prospective students and instructors, etc.

QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus one year directly related experience or equivalency required. Demonstrated ability to work independently, analyze and make decisions related to program content. Strong coordination and organizational skills required to prioritize conflicting deadlines. Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills are also required.

PREFERENCES
Administrative and/or program coordination in a teaching environment and a strong knowledge of community education. Previous program coordinating work experience and tech savvy preferred.

Successful candidate will have ability to create and develop new classes, have strong connections in community, and have diversity of interests and passions. Ability to work with minimal direct supervision, problem solve and make decisions related to program content.

Ability to work independently and as an effective member of a team.
How to Apply: For further information and to apply online, visit:
http://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/10611
Closing Date: 11-29-11
Your Website: Visit organizational website.
Job Post Link: Visit additional job posting information.
Contact:Contact Name: Greg Hughes
Email: gregory.hughes@utah.edu

JOB: Development & Marketing Coordinator Utah Museum of Fine Arts


Development & Marketing Coordinator
Utah Museum of Fine Arts

See all ads from jessie.strike
Location: Utah Museum of Fine Arts/Salt Lake City
Status: 
Salary:
Job Description: Provide essential support for the Utah Museum of Fine Art’s annual giving and marketing/public relations programs, with a goal to increase giving, visitation, and community awareness of the Museum.

1. Organize and execute monthly member/donor renewal mailings and acknowledgement processes.
2. Manage data entry and gift processing. Interface regularly with University of Utah Central Development Office and ensure members/donors are properly receipted for all gifts.
3. Maintain member/donor giving records in Raiser’s Edge database. Maintain and update monthly reconciliation and giving reports.
4. Provide excellent customer service to Museum supporters in person, online, and by telephone.
5. Assist with the creation and implementation of membership acquisition, retention, and stewardship campaigns.
6. Assist with planning and execution of department events and programs, including, but not limited to, member/donor events, media events, and large-scale gala events.
7. Assist with the production and project management of the UMFA quarterly newsletter; this may include, but is not limited to, writing, editing, and proofing copy, securing images and image rights, and creating work schedules and meeting deadlines.
8. Coordinate the creation and dissemination of press kits, e-newsletters, event e-vites; manage e-mail Listserve.
9. Assist with maintenance of multiple web calendars.
10. Assist with distribution of promotional materials on and off campus.
11. Participate in staff and volunteer committee meetings.
12. Other duties as assigned.

Skills
1. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
2. A minimum of two years in an administrative position, preferably in a not-for-profit development and marketing office, or related experience.
3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills; writing/editing/proofing experience required.
4. Familiarity with donor database management, Raiser’s Edge preferred.
5. Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
6. Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop or similar photo editing software.
7. Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
8. Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
How to Apply: Must apply through the University of Utah website: www.utah.edu. Navigate to the 'Employment' section of the website, then ‘Staff Jobs’. The position is listed as 'Development/Marketing Assistant' and the reference number is PRN01047B. No phone calls or emails please.
Closing Date: until filled
Your Website: Visit organizational website.
Job Post Link: Visit additional job posting information.
Contact:Contact Name: Jessie Strike
Email: jessie.strike@umfa.utah.edu

U.S. Department of State’s American Music Abroad Initiative Now Accepting Applications


U.S. Department of State’s American Music Abroad Initiative Now Accepting Applications

Using music as a means to engage audiences worldwide, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today that the American Music Abroad program is now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 season.  Musicians interested in applying for this international exchange program, which consists of month-long, multi-country tours for approximately 10 ensembles from a variety of American musical genres, may apply at www.americanvoices.org/ama

American Music Abroad ensembles will be selected on the basis of artistic quality and commitment to educational and cultural engagement.    To represent the full spectrum of the American musical landscape, musical ensembles from across the United States that specialize in Hip Hop, Rock & Roll, Jazz, Country, and other American roots music including but not limited to Native American, Latin, Afro-Caribbean, Blues, Bluegrass, Cajun, Gospel and Zydeco are invited to apply for this international exchange program.

The deadline for applicants is January 16, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. PST. 

American Music Abroad builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power” diplomacy, which embraces the full range of diplomatic tools – in this case, music – to bring people together and foster greater understanding. 

The Department of State, in partnership with the Association of American Voices, will craft an international exchange that will engage selected American ensembles with international audiences, especially underserved youth.  Through public concerts, interactive performances with local musicians, lecture demonstrations, workshops, and jam sessions, the American Music Abroad initiative reaches audiences in nearly 40 countries with little or no access to live American musical performances.

For more information about American Music Abroad and other international cultural exchanges, please visitwww.exchanges.state.gov.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs promotes international mutual understanding through a wide range of academic, cultural, private-sector, professional, and sports exchange programs. These international exchanges engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and emerging leaders in many fields in the United States and in more than 160 countries. Alumni of ECA exchanges comprise over one million people around the world, including more than 50 Nobel Laureates and more than 320 current or former heads of state and government.
The Association of American Voices has presented concerts, workshops and master classes, and summer youth performing arts academies to over 200,000 audience members in 110 countries during the past 16 years. With a focus on nations emerging from conflict or isolation, American Voices has taken its unique brand of cultural engagement programs, Jazz Bridges, YES Academy and Hiplomacy, to nations such as Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan. In recognition of its work, American Voices was selected as a Best Practice Organization by the International Cultural Engagement Task Force and the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) in 2010.

JOB: SLC Arts Council Director (Open until filled)


Job Bid: 110174
Job Code: 001604
Position: ARTS COUNCIL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Department: ARTS COUNCIL
Salary: (030)   $ 4697 - $ 6220  ( Monthly)
Closing Date: Open until filled

Note:
This position is being re-announced with changes.

Please be advised that this position will be open until filled, although the 1st round of applications will be reviewed onJanuary10, 2012.

Applicants for this position are required to submit a cover sheet that will contain the response to the below questions. As you will be copying and pasting your resume into the application system, please copy and paste the cover letter in the same field as the resume so that the cover sheet and resume are together.

Resume portion should be no longer than the equivalency of two (2) pages.

You will need to respond to the following questions in the cover sheet:

1- What challenges would you look forward to meeting if offered this position?

2- How would you describe the current state of the arts in Salt Lake City?

A ten year personal, criminal and employment background check will be required

Description:
As a division director in the Department of Community and Economic Development, this position is responsible for the development and implementation of programs and policy for the Salt Lake City Arts Council.

Works with two boards to develop policies, long-range and strategic plans, and goals for the Arts Council. Researches needs of artists and the community to design programs and services to successfully promote the arts in Salt Lake City.Supervises staff in planning and implementation of City-wide arts programs and services. Prepares annual budget, quarterly budget reports, and oversees capital outlay and other expenditures, presents financial reports to the Board and to the City.Monitors grant programs to ensure compliance with policies and procedures. Acts as liaison with Community Development, Mayor’s office, City Council, other city agencies, local artists and arts organizations, and represents Salt Lake City Arts Council at official functions with media contacts and civic groups. Researches funding opportunities and prepares funding requests. Responsible for overall administration of Arts Council including staffing and supervising of Arts Council personnel.Writes reports, articles, correspondence; edits all written materials issued by Arts Council.Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration or a closely related field plus six (6) years of related professional and leadership experience, including at least 4 years of supervision. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted on a year for year basis.

Public relations and publications experience.

General knowledge of all arts disciplines and arts management principles.

Ability to prepare, analyze and administer budgets.

Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Ability to research funding opportunities and prepare funding requests.

Ability to manage employees and operations.


Apply here: https://dotnet.slcgov.com/ManagementServices/JobApplication/JobDescription.aspx

Holiday Art Sale and Christmas Celebration @ Summit County Arts Council (Park CIty: Dec 9)






 Holiday Art Sale and
Christmas Celebration
Friday, December 9
5-9pm
Oakley, Utah
Cattlemen's Hall
and Town Hall

Shop local! Affordable art by Summit County Artists. Bring the whole family and enjoy
    1. Sleigh Rides
    2. Holiday Music including the Park City Singers
    3. Ornament making
    4. Book signings
    5. Cookies and Hot Chocolate
    6. Drawing for a gift basket of local art 
And much much more! Check out the Park City Summit County Arts Council website for more information. 







If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe

Park City Summit County Arts Council
P.O. Box 4455
Park City, Utah 84060
US
Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

U.S. Department of State Announces New International Music Exchange


U.S. Department of State Announces
New International Music Exchange

onebeat

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces a new international music exchange-- OneBeat.  This innovative project brings musicians (ages 19-35) from selected countries to the United States to collaborate with each other and Americans in the creation and performance of new music, share and develop ways to use music to positively affect their communities, and foster ways that diverse people can creatively and collaboratively address universal issues. This program will serve as an incubator for new ideas in music and illustrate ways that music can be used for positive social engagement.  OneBeat builds on Secretary Clinton’s concept of “smart power,” by opening new avenues of conversation between individuals and nations. 

In January 2012, OneBeat will accept applications for more than 50 young professional musicians and accomplished students to come to the U.S. to work with their American counterparts in the composition, performance of new cross-genre works, the creation of innovative recordings and videos, and the development of practices of music as social engagement.

To find out more about the application process, register at www.onebeatmusic.org.

OneBeat is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and will be administered by Bang on a Can’s Found Sound Nation (FSN) program.  FSN is an eclectic group of artists who love to make music from the sounds of the places and communities that surround them. Working with people across the globe, from schools to prisons, from young to old, and partnering with local youth, social organizations, music festivals, and artists across all disciplines, FSN strives to create musical spaces that transcend geographic, linguistic, and political borders. The work of FSN uses the expressive power of music and audio production to give voice to underrepresented communities, unlock the creative potential of youth, and build bridges between communities separated by cultures, economic disparities, and geography.

The Salty Cricket Composers Collective Announces “Plethora of Pierrot” Concert (SLC: Dec 14)


Contact: Crystal Young-Otterstrom, marketing director
crystal@saltycricket.org | 801.652.0737

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 12, 2011

The Salty Cricket Composers Collective 
Announces “Plethora of Pierrot” Concert
SALT LAKE CITY –The Salty Cricket Composers Collective (SC3), a new music ensemble that solely performs the works of composers currently living in Utah, announced its “Plethora of Pierrot” Concert which will be Wednesday, December 14th at 7:30pm in Dumke Recital Hall at the University of Utah.

The concert is programed for Pierrot Ensemble, which is an eclectic grouping of instruments pioneered by Arnold Schoeberg in his landmark work, Pierrot Lunaire. The ensemble -- consisting of  violin, flute, clarinet, cello, and piano is now standard in the music composition world. Salty Cricket offered Utah composers the option to add voice and percussion to their instrument options.

“In a first for Salty Cricket, we received far more scores for submission than we could program into one concert,” said board president M. Ryan Taylor: “A wonderful problem to have! This concert represents the best that Utah has to offer. We are thrilled by the number of new compositional voices being represented by Salty Cricket as well.”

Performers include Alex Martin on violin (of Utah Symphony), Lisa Byrnes on flute (of Utah Symphony), Nick Morandi on clarinet, Walter Haman on cello (of Utah Symphony), Kristofer Michaels on piano, and Bailey Steward on percussion. The evening will be conducted by Stephen Voorhees and Crystal Young-Otterstrom will appear as soprano on two works. 

The concert will feature (in performance order):

            • John Newman: Caprice Atomique
            • Randin Graves: Big Brother
            • Joey Calkins: Three Emily Dickinson Pieces, Op. 3
            • George Marie: Recursions (Movement I: Upward Spirals)
            • Scott Wasilewski: we had no choice but to destroy
            • Christian Asplund: Extracts from The Fall of the House of Usher
            • Joseph Sowa: Clarinet Sonata
            • Michael Hicks: The Empress of Japan
            • Nicki Singleton: le sinistre manoir
            • Igor Iachimciuc: It Should Be

Rebeca Dawn, board treasurer and herself a composer, adds, “the pieces we’ve selected for the program are very diverse. There are two minimalistic works by John Newman and Scott Wasilewski. Scott’s work also involves electronics. There are a number of intense works that explore the psyche such as Christian Asplund’s The Fall of the House of Usher (based on the Poe short story), Michael Hick’s Empress of Japan (in which the piano and violin are thought of as one persona), and Calkins’s Three Emily Dickinson pieces. There are several tonal works that the audience will find accessible, as well as very experimental works. It is an exciting program!”

Tickets are $15. Student tickets are $10. Tickets can be purchased in person at the concert in advance by calling (801) 652-0737 or at www.saltycricket.org

_____________________________________________________________

Composer statements:

Christian Asplund | Extracts from Fall of the House of Usher
When asked to compose a piece based on Poe’s great short story, the precursor both of horror, and the French Symbolist movement, for the 2011 Love Feast in Norman Oklahoma, I was struck by lavish descriptions of things, descriptions so vivid as to suggest “the sentience of all vegetable things. But, in his disordered fancy, the idea had assumed a more daring character, and trespassed, under certain conditions, upon the kingdom of inorganization.”  In setting this text I eliminated action, dialogue, and description of human characters and left mostly description of the house itself, which is widely regarded as the central character.  Each number uses a different type of relationship between text and music, including speech, singing, chanting, recitation, and recitative, and rap.  Instrumental parts are organized in various modes of indeterminacy from the most fixed to the most open.

Joseph Calkins | Three Emily Dickinson Songs
Three Emily Dickinson Songs are about sound; manipulating it to shape the listener's imagination.  Hear the sound of the chariot, the bleak devastation of the narrator, and the all around discomfort.

Randin Graves | Big Brother
Big Brother was written in 1995 after someone close to me had a paranoid schizophrenic episode. The repetitive figures represent nagging thoughts and cyclical thinking that can drive all of us a little mad when we let them. These figures go through a few permutations throughout the piece, going through some ups and downs, becoming more and less regular. At the end things become more sedate (sedated?) though a few agitated ticks remain.

Michael Hicks | The Empress of Japan
The Empress of Japan arose from a dream in which I saw a Japanese woman whose self was divided into two parts, represented by a piano and a violin.  The first of these was a blank, neutral outer self, the second a passionate, colorful inner self.  As she plays out both selves, she hears constantly from a distance the voice of her inner self's invisible counterpart--the offstage cello--a male whose thoughts intertwine with her own. 

Igor Iachimciuc | It Should Be
 It Should Be is inspired by the poem of Romanian poetess Ana Blandiana. 

We should be born aged
Emerged prudent,
To be able to solve our fate in this world,
To know from the beginning the end of each way
And the only thing that is beyond our mind would be the urge to journey.
Then we would become younger and younger, growing
Mature and strong, we would reach the gates of creation,
Then going through them, and falling in love like youths,
We would be children at our children's birth.
They would be then older than we
And would teach as to speak, would lull us to sleep,
We would dissapear more and more, becoming smaller and smaller,
As a grape's berry, as a pea, as a wheat seed...

George Marie | Recursions
"The first movement of Recursions, "Upward Spirals," was written during the Spring 2011 semester at the University of Utah. It is an exercise in atonal counterpoint, as well as a means of influencing popular, jazz, and folk musical elements into the music. In the opening flute and clarinet lines, the influence of Andrew Imbrie's notion of the "long line" is evident. The material in the piano is generated from the transposition and alteration of chordal structures. The strings emulate a shadowing role, but the cello part where provides a reference to tonal stability."

BIO: George Marie (b. 1983) holds a master's degree from the University of Iowa and a bachelor's degree from Drake University. He has studied with Miguel Chuaqui, Steve Roens, Lawrence Fritts, and William P. Dougherty. His music and papers have been presented at SEAMUS (2010), , Prospectives '09 (2009), Midwest Composers' Symposium (2008), and Space Place (2008).

John Newman | Caprice Atomique
What would music be like if evil robot overlords invaded 17th century Europe? Hmmm...

Nicolet Singleton | le sinistre manoire
I tend to write my pieces along with a story line, making the piece come to life. This particular piece “le sinistre manoire” is written with the listener in mind.  I invite you to let your imagination create a story to this piece. Enjoy!

BIO: Nicolet Singleton studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston. She teaches fiddle lessons in her Sugarhouse Studio. www.nickisingletonmusic.com 

Joseph Sowa | Clarinet Sonata
I wrote my Clarinet Sonata from 2008 to 2009, and it was premiered piecemeal over that time until finally in October 2011, it received its premiere as a whole by Jaren Hinckley and Jed Moss. Tonight, we'll get to hear one of the movements. While the piece as a whole is entitled Clarinet Sonata, each of the movements has a programatic title. The final movement, “Trees of Life,” reflects the energy and excitement of racing cross-country through the woods. Between the sensation of my physical exertion and the tangible presence I felt from the forest, such  events for me seemed filled with life.

Scott Wasilewski | we had no choice but to destroy
This piece began as an attempt to use technology not only as a source of ornamentation in electro-acoustic music but as an instrument itself.  The technological aspects are not only supposed to colour the sound, they are supposed to harmonize with the instruments, drive the rhythm and add complexity to the melody without using generated sounds.  The impact of employing the computer in this way drastically changed the sound of the piece, influenced the economy of instrumentation and directed the piece's form over many iterations of editing.


####

--

Crystal Young-Otterstrom
Vice-president & Marketing Director

M: 801.652.0737

The Salty Cricket Composers Collective
450 E 100 S #29
SLC, UT 84111