Chorus Auditions@Utah Symphony (SLC, April 23- 24)

UTAH SYMPHONY HOLDS CHORUS AUDITIONS FOR 2013-2014 SEASON

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Symphony Chorus announces upcoming auditions for the 2013-2014 Utah Symphony season April 23 and 24, 2013.

The acclaimed Utah Symphony Chorus, directed by Susanne Sheston, is a volunteer chorus that performs the masterworks of the symphonic choral repertoire with the Utah Symphony, led by Music Director Thierry Fischer and other outstanding guest conductors.

Upcoming repertoire for 2013-2014 includes Berlioz’s spectacular Damnation of Faust September 28 and 29, and Mozart’s Mass in C February 7 and 8, both under the direction of Symphony Music Director Thierry Fischer.

Interested singers should be excellent musicians with significant choral and vocal performance experience. Applicants should contact Shaun Ricks (801.869.9050 or sricks@usuo.org) to request an audition appointment. Each audition consists of vocal exercises, sight-reading, and singing a simple, well-known tune.

A limited number of paid section leader positions are also available for all sections. Section leaders receive an honorarium for participation in each concert. Applicants for section leader should prepare an aria or art song for the audition.

Chorus Auditions@ Utah Opera (SLC, April 16-18)

UTAH OPERA HOLDS CHORUS AUDITIONS FOR 2013-2014 SEASON

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Opera Chorus announces upcoming auditions for the 2013-2014 Utah Opera season April 16 and 18, 2013.

Members of the Utah Opera Chorus, directed by Dr. Susanne Sheston, are have the opportunity to work with nationally and internationally-acclaimed conductors, stage directors and principal artists. The acclaimed chorus is an ensemble of local singers who provide the energetic choral voice of Utah Opera’s productions. Core singers participate in all productions involving chorus, and additional singers may participate in as few as one production per year. Chorus members are paid an honorarium for participation in each production.

The repertoire involving chorus for the 2013-2014 Utah Opera season includes Verdi’s La Traviata, Puccini’s Turandot and Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio. In addition, the men of the chorus will perform Berlioz’s Damnation of Faust in concert with the Utah Symphony.

Auditions will be held at the Utah Opera Production Studios by appointment only. Applicants should be trained singers living in Utah with significant stage experience. They must have one aria or art song prepared from memory and will be asked to sight-sing. Applicants should contact Shaun Ricks, sricks@usuo.org to request an audition. More information can be found online atutahopera.org/about/UtahOperaChorus.

Earth Day 2013@Ogden Nature Center (Ogden, April 20)

Ogden Nature Center’s
EARTH DAY CELEBRATION 2013
Looking for information about bee keeping?  Would you like to buy some water-wise plants to grow at home? Or, would you like to get out of the house for a fun spring day with the kiddos?  There will be something for all ages at the Ogden Nature Center’s annual Earth Day Celebration.  Come learn something new!
 
When:  Saturday, April 20 from 12 noon - 4 pm
Where: Ogden Nature Center, 966 W. 12th Street, Ogden
Admission:  $2 per person
Earth day will be held rain or shine
Alternative transportation and carpooling is encouraged
ACTIVITIES – running throughout the day from 12 noon – 4 pm
• Make your own head wreath
• Llama cart rides with Weber Pathways
• Face painting by The Painted Otter
• Building birdhouses with the Home Depot
• Composting workshops
• Climbing wall
• Live animal presentations by Ogden Nature Center
• Children’s Hour
• Solar array and green building tours
• Nature Scavenger Hunt
• Story hikes
• Nature crafts
 
EXHIBITORS – set up all day from 12 noon – 4 pm
• Native bees with Mason Bee Habitat for Pollination
• The Nature Conservancy 
• Slow Food Utah
• Youth Impact
• Ott Planetarium
• Utah Population Environment Coalition
• Utah Transit Authority
• Bike Valet by Ogden Bike Collective
• Ogden City Public Works – with info about solid waste, storm water and forestry
• Watershed Trailer & Wetlands with Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the US Forest Service
• Utah Environmental Congress
• Pollution Awareness with Breathe Utah
• Recycling with Utah Recycling Alliance
• Wild Aware Utah
• Weber Basin Water District
• Bloom Recycling
• Hogle Zoo Biofacts
• Live birds of prey with Hawkwatch International
• Local First Utah
• Utah Department of Environmental Quality
• Weber Pathways
 
FOOD VENDORS• Crepes by Crepes Etc.
• Lemonade & Coffee by Grounds for Coffee
• Snowcones by Brainfreeze Snowies
• Polynesian food by Pauni Island Catering
• Pizza by The Lucky Slice
 
GREEN PRODUCT VENDORS• Native Plant Sale by Willard Bay Gardens
• Recycled & upcycled goods by Our Children’s Earth
• Henna by An Array of Artistry
• Native plant sale by Willard Bay Gardens
• Green products by Green the World
• Handmade bird feeders by KC Wood Arts
• Handmade wares by Kathrin Duffy
• Upcycled goods by Brooke Anne Fuller
• Terrariums by Lessie Swenson
 
EARTH DAY PRESENTORS SCHEDULE
Live Entertainment On the Earthen Stage Behind the Visitor Center
• 1:30 – 2:45 – Irish Dancing with Celtic Beat Irish Dancers
• 3:15 – 3:45 – Indie music by the band AJ
 
Wild Bird Presentations at the Ogden Nature Center Amphitheater
Wild Bird Presentations will start at 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00 and 3:30 pm. Ogden Nature Center educators and volunteers will present several of the birds and animals that call the Nature Center home.  Learn about bird species native to Utah, including owls, hawks and eagles.
 
Workshops & Lectures in the LS Peery Education Building, West Classroom
• 1:00 pm – Composting workshop
• 2:30 pm – Native bees workshop
• 3:00 pm – Composting workshop
Ongoing – Solar Array and Green Building Tours
 
20th Annual Birdhouse ExhibitAdditionally, the Ogden Nature Center’s 20th Annual Exhibit of Birdhouses will be on display along birdhouse trail!  Some of the birdhouses are for sale, with all proceeds going to the artists. Birdhouses will be on exhibit until August 31, 2013.
 
Earth Day Art Poster ExhibitWinners of the annual Earth Day Art Poster Contest will be announced at a ceremony at 11 a.m. Contestants and their families are invited.  This year’s theme is “I Enjoy Nature By__________.”  Entries for the contest should be two-dimensional on 9” x 12” paper. Entries are due on April 6. All children in grades K-6 are invited to enter.  Entry forms are available at the Ogden Nature Center.
 
To make Earth Day affordable for families, the following sponsors have generously sponsored this event: ATK, Elliott-Hall Company, Ogden City Arts, The Standard-Examiner, Westinghouse, Bloom Recyclers, Grounds for Coffee, Lucky Slice Pizza and Kohl’s.
 
Information, directions to the Ogden Nature Center and events details can be found online at www.ogdennaturecenter.org <http://www.ogdennaturecenter.org> or by calling 801-621-7595.

Woodwind & Brass Ensemble@ SUU Department of Music (Cedar City, April 2)

SUU’S DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC PRESENTS 

WOODWIND & BRASS ENSEMBLES IN RECITAL

APRIL 2, 2013

Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: Bask in the talents of members of SUU Music Ensembles the Department of Music as they presents their end-of-year concerts. The Woodwind and Brass Ensembles will perform in a joint concert on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 7:30pm. The performance will take place in the intimate Thorley Recital Hall within SUU’s Music Building. Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.

SUU’s Woodwind Ensemble will perform exciting renditions of classic and popular musical selections. Under the direction of Dr. Virginia Stitt, the Woodwind Ensemble will perform classical favorites including the ever-popular Rage Over a Lost Penny by Ludwig van Beethoven, Fugue in C Minor by J.S. Bach, Sonata by Gherardeschi, and Rumba by Chris Allen.

With Dr. Adam Lambert as director, the Brass Ensemble will perform lively selections including Ben Buxton’s Two-Step, George Washington’s Birthday Party, and Broadway One-Step (by Karl King), all arranged by Andy Clark. They will also perform Quintet 3, Vivo by Victor Ewald, Largo by Oscar Bohme, and Frost Fire by Eric Ewazen. The Brass Ensemble is comprised of Dr. Lambert, Laura Bird, and Trevor Walker on trumpet, Chris Reynolds on French horn, Branden Decker and Michelle Lambert on trombone, and Sam Ahlstrom on tuba.  

Enjoy a variety of music from some of the most talented musicians Southern Utah University has to offer. This concert is presented by the Southern Utah University Music Department. For more information on the SUU College of Performing and Visual Arts events, please call the Arts Hotline at (435) 865-8800, or visit www.suu.edu/arts.

Job: Arts & Museums Director@Department of Heritage and Arts

 Arts & Museums Director posting

The Department of Heritage and Arts, Division of Arts and Museums is recruiting for a Division Director (req#29153.)  This recruitment is open to the public. To apply for this position please visit https://statejobs.utah.gov.  This requisition will close on Monday, April 8, 2013 at 11:45pm.   

If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Watts, HR Analyst at mwatts@utah.gov or 801-538-1018.  

White House Honors Jason Mathi@DowntownAlliance (June 26)

WHITE HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JASON MATHIS AS "CHAMPION OF CHANGE"

Mathis honored for Immigration Reform for his role in drafting “Utah Compact”

WHO: Jason Mathis, Downtown Alliance Executive Director

WHAT:  White House “Champions of Change” Award for role in drafting “Utah Compact”.

WHERE: White House, Washington DC & www.whitehouse.gov/live

WHEN: Tuesday June 26, 10 AM ET (8 AM MTN)

Official Press Release from the White House: 

WASHINGTON, DC - On Tuesday, March 26th, the White House will honor Jason Mathis as one of eleven "Champions of Change." This Champions event, "A Legacy of Service: Organizing for Immigration Reform," will honor those who commit themselves to working in their communities to advocate and organize around immigration-related issues. Though the honorees come from vastly different backgrounds, they all share a commitment to core values and the dream of a more just tomorrow.  

  

"These eleven individuals exemplify the core decency and generosity of Americans, by welcoming and giving voice to those that come to our shore. Whether through advocacy and civil rights, helping with housing and education, engagement in churches and communities, or simply by being a friend," said senior advisor to the President, Valerie Jarrett.  

  

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White house to feature groups of Americans - individuals, businesses and organizations - who are doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.  

  

To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 10:00 am ET on March 26th.  To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program and nominate a Champion, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions <http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions> .

Mika @ Q Salt Lake (SLC March 30)

Get tickets for an intimate evening with Mika in Salt Lake City at In The Venue on March 30!

The winner of our contest for two Mika tickets has been chosen.  If you didn't win, don't worry.  There are still plenty of tickets available!  Don't miss your chance to see Mika up close and personal and hear new arrangements of his catalogue including his recent album The Origin of Love (out on Republic).  Buy tickets here!

Concerto Night @ Weber State University (April 14)

Concerto Night Features Weber’s Best Musicians

Who: Weber State University Department of Performing Arts

What: Weber State Symphony Orchestra Concerto Night

When: Sunday, 14 April 2013, 7:30 pm

Where: Austad Auditorium, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts.

Tickets: 1-800-WSU-TIKS  $4 students, seniors & those w/Military I.D./$5 all others

Weber State University Department of Performing Arts presents the Weber State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Michael Palumbo, in the annual Concerto Night concert Sunday, April 14, at  7:30 pm, Austad Auditorium, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts. This is the fourth and final concert of the 2012-13 season and will mark the finale of Music Director Michael Palumbo’s tenure at WSU.  He will be retiring after thirty-one years as the Director of Orchestral Studies, Professor of Viola, and head of the String Area at WSU. Children 8 and over are welcome to attend. 

This year’s concert features six students who were chosen by audition in February.  

• Violinist Marianne Asmus will perform Tzigane by Maurice Ravel

• Rachel Bigelow will play the first movement of the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto in a

• Maxwell Cox will perform the first movement of Domenico Dragonetti’s Concerto in A for String Bass

• and soprano Catherine Omer will sing Je dis, que Rien ne m’épouvante, from “Carmen,” by Bizet.  

In addition, on this concert the first movements of both piano concertos of Chopin will be played.  

• Ling-Yu Lee will play the first movement of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in e

• previous Concerto Night winner Fan-Ya Lin will play the first movement from the Piano Concerto No. 2 in f.

Tickets are $6 for students, seniors, WSU employees and those with military I.D. All others are $7. They can be purchased at the Dee Events Center Ticket Office, 1-800-WSU-TIKS,  or at the Browning Center Box Office beginning one hour before the performance. This concert is partially funded by student fees.

For more information about this concert, contact Dr. Michael Palumbo, 801 626 6991 or mpalumbo@weber.edu.

Cowboy Mouth @Good Company Theater (Ogden, April 5- 20)

GOOD COMPANY THEATRE PRESENTS SAM SHEPARD AND PATTI SMITH’S FIERY

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PLAY “COWBOY MOUTH”

April 5-20 | Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 4pm

Ogden, Utah—Good Company Theatre is excited to announce its production of Sam Shepard and Patti

Smith’s Cowboy Mouth . An unapologetic tale of lust and rock ‘n’ roll written in response to dissolution

of Smith and Shepard’s own torrid affair in 1971, the one act play peers into the lives of would-be

rock god Slim (Austin Archer) and his biggest fan Cavale (Emilie Starr).

The two spend their days trapped together in a claustrophobic tangle of stunted ambition, rock music,

and psychotic infatuation. Their rundown hotel room is a powder keg of torment and inspiration where

the two sing and argue and wrestle with their fantasies of themselves, longing to escape but incapable

of doing so. After ordering a lobster dinner one evening their volatile relationship comes to an

inevitable head.

Cowboy Mouth  marks the directorial debut of Nicole Finney, who staged a small production of the

show as a student at Weber State University in 2011. “I was so impressed by what Nicole was able to

draw out of the script and actors in that environment,” artistic director Alicia Washington remarks. “The

decision to restage it in a grittier context was one of my first decisions when organizing Good

Company Theatre’s inaugural season.” Local actors Austin Archer (Assassins , Love: A Mixed-Media

Cabaret ) and Emilie Starr (Next to Normal , Saturday’s Voyeur ) reprise their roles as the leads in the

raucous and passionate play.

“I am thrilled to present Cowboy Mouth  to a larger public,” adds Finney.

 “The raw atmosphere of

Good Company Theatre is the perfect backdrop for this intense piece.”

Advance tickets for Cowboy Mouth  are $10, and are available at goodcotheatre.com. Tickets will also

be available for $12 at the door before each performance.

Good Company Theatre, Ogden’s newest theatre company, develops and promotes high-quality,

eclectic theatrical productions and events, forging new relationships between audiences, performers

and spaces in the process.

more information and photos on request to: Alicia Washington

Lend Me A Tenor The Musical @ Southern Utah University (June 2013)

PETER SHAM & BRAD CARROLL’S

LEND ME A TENOR THE MUSICAL,

OPENS AT GERMANY’S OPER LEIPZIG

Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah: Following its critically acclaimed run on London’s West End, Lend Me A Tenor The Musical, the uproarious musical comedy by Southern Utah University’s director of theatre, Peter Sham (book and lyrics) and SUU Artist-in-Residence  Brad Carroll (music), continues to conquer Europe. The hilarious musical recently made its German debut at Oper Leipzig in early March and continues in repertory into early June 2013.

Lend Me A Tenor The Musical, which received its world premiere at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in summer 2007, is a riotous, unpredictable explosion of mistaken identities and unexpected romance, based on the award-winning West End and Broadway hit comedy, Lend Me a Tenor, by Ken Ludwig. The musical opened in Europe originally at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in 2010 before arriving at the Gielgud Theatre in June 2011.  

With the announcement of this production, Peter Sham is overjoyed that their musical is continuing to entertain European audiences. “It’s the first time anything I have written has been translated. I hope it’s as funny in German as it is in English. We’ve recently been able to see photos of the production and, design-wise, it looks hilarious! Brad and I wish them the very best.”

Set in 1934, the hilarious musical comedy revolves around the world’s greatest tenor Tito Merelli who has come to Cleveland, Ohio, to save its Grand Opera Company by singing Verdi’s Otello. When he is unexpectedly incapacitated, Max, the opera director’s meek assistant, is given the daunting task of finding a last-minute replacement. Chaos ensues - including a scheming soprano, a tenor-struck ingénue, a jealous wife, shrimp gone bad and the Cleveland Police department.

This new German production features the subtitle of Otello Must Not Burst (the German title of Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor) and is part of Oper Zeipzig’s Musical Comedy division. The production is directed by Volker Vogel and features musical direction by Roland Seiffarth and choreography by Giorgio Madia.

Peter Sham is associate chair/director of theatre for Southern Utah University’s Department of Theatre Arts & Dance. In addition to Lend me a Tenor the Musical, Peter is the author of the musicals, Toyland, It’s a Dog’s Life: Man’s Best Musical; and the plays, Shakespeare’s Moby Dick, a classical adaptation of Herman Melville's American masterpiece, and A Christmas Carol On the Air among others. A veteran regional actor for over 30 years, he has performed at such places as The Asolo Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and has been a principal member of the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival for over 11 seasons. Peter is a graduate of the University of Delaware’s nationally acclaimed Professional Theatre Training Program. He is the 2012 winner of the Southern Utah University’s Board of Trustees Award for Excellence and the recipient of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s Excellence in Education Award for 2013.

Brad Carroll is a recognized regional director, music director and composer whose work has taken him all over the US as well as to Europe, Japan and the UK. He is co-creating a musical stage adaptation of the animated feature Christmas is Here Again, commissioned by Renegade Animation in Los Angeles. He recently made his first foray into film, scoring the independent short, X-Treme Weekend. As a Writer, Director and Musical Arranger for Walt Disney Entertainment, Brad was involved in the creation of three new shows for the multi-billion dollar TokyoDisneySea theme park that opened in Japan in 2001. His musical arrangements/orchestrations have been performed by such prestigious organizations as the San Francisco Symphony and the Boston Pops. His long association with the Utah Shakespeare Festival includes directing the Festival’s immensely popular production of Les Misérables and continues in summer 2013 with his direction of Anything Goes. For Southern Utah University’s Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, he directed Into the Woods, Little Women the Broadway Musical and the recent highly successful production of CHICAGO the Musical. 

Browning String Quartet @ Weber State University (Apr 3)

The Weber State University Department of Performing Arts presents WSU faculty members in “An Evening of Grieg and Beethoven,” featuring the Browning String Quartet, Tuesday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Garrison Choral Room (BC136),Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts. This is a free performance, and the public is invited. Children 8 years and older are welcome to attend.

Browning String Quartet

Who: Weber State University Department of Performing Arts

What: An Evening of Chamber Music with the Browning String Quartet

When: Wednesday, 3 April 2013 •  7:30 pm

Where: Allred Theater • Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts

Cost: Free

Romeo and Juliet @ Utah Shakespeare Festival

Pharos, Greeks, Freud, Oedipus and other Complexes @ WSU Perfoming Arts Ogden: (March 25)

Pharaohs, Greeks, Freud, Oedipus and other Complexes


Who: Weber State University Department of Performing Arts
What: a slide presentation by Angelika Pagel - The Iconography of the Sphinx:  
From the Pharaohs and the Greeks to Freud and the Oedipus Complex
When: March 25 o 1:30 p.m. o  
Where: Room 143, Kimball Visual Arts Center, WSU Ogden Campus

Weber State University Department of Performing Arts presents a slide lecture by Angelika Pagel - "The Iconography of the Sphinx:  From the Pharaohs and the Greeks to Freud and the Oedipus Complex," Monday, March 25, 1:30 p.m. in Room 143, Kimball Visual Arts Center, WSU Ogden Campus. This lecture is presented in conjunction with the WSU theatre production, "The Comedy of Oedipus," by Ali Salim, running March 22-30. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Pagel, WSU Professor of Art History, will explore cultural symbols and art objects reflected in the play, giving the potential audience member more visual references to understand the humor and commentary intended by playwright Ali Salim and the play´s director, Jennifer Kokai. Those images include The Sphinx, architecture in ancient Thebes and charactures of these and similar images through history.

Pagel received her M.A. at UCLA and a Ph.D. from UC, Berkeley.  She has been educating and entertaining students of history, in general, and art history, in particular, since she came to WSU at 1986.  Her teaching philosophy is indicative of what one might expect by attending her presentation:

"Is there a `pure art´ that exists in a vacuum, detached from allegory, extraneous meanings, social circumstances and contextual realities? Can any art truthfully claim to be informed by nothing other than its own materials, colors and forms? I do not believe so. . .  The `style´ of art is inseparable from content and context. The `history´ of art encompasses social, political, economic, intellectual and other cultural conditions and must be discussed in those contexts. I try to practice a global, multicultural approach to art history in my classes and encourage my students to embrace every possible form of artistic expression while developing an inquisitive and critical approach to art history, art criticism, art and cultural theories. As an art historian, teaching is my first passion, research my second (and sometimes in reverse order)."

For more information about the lecture, contact Angelika Pagel, apagel@weber.edu

Rachel Rigley: Works on Paper @ WSU Visual Arts Ogden: (March 29 - April 4)

Works on Paper
WHO: Weber State University and Universe City
WHAT: Rachel Rigley: Works on Paper
I´m Not as Afraid as I Thought I Would Be.
WHEN: 29 March - 4 April 2013
WHERE: Shepherd Union Gallery o Shepherd Union Building, Weber State University,
Weber State University Department of Visual Arts student Rachel Rigley will be the featured artist during a week-long exhibit in the Shepherd Union Gallery, Shepherd Union Building, WSU Ogden campus. The exhibit will open at 5pm on March 29. A reception for the artists will be held that night, 6:00-8:00 pm. The artist invites interested people to join in a discussion forum at 7pm: Creating a Stronger Art Community. This event is free and open to the public. Regular gallery hours are Mon-Sat 8:00 AM- 9:00 PM.
The exhibit will feature small mixed-media drawings on paper in two separate suites/series, as well as additional pieces. The work is intensely simple and revealing.  The viewer will be invited to contemplate simple phrases and images as individual pieces that combined for a powerful effect.
Rachel M. Rigley currently lives in Ogden, UT. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at WSU, with an emphasis in painting, but also explores sculpture and other mediums. On her work she states:
At each and every moment, I am internalizing what seems to be an intense and overwhelming algorithm in the vibrating world around me. I find my artwork to be both a moral and an emotional response to this, a waking-REM reaction. Every image is like a snapshot that surfaces consciously after I´ve unconsciously processed an idea.
    In all my art, I always conclude that I, in the holistic sense of the word, am incongruous and absurd. I find that artists are in a constant and ridiculous state of self-constructed validation labeled as "truth." This frees me from the need for ambiguity and ego, allows me to continue in banal introspection without justification. It is my hope that I will never be far from an awareness of my own paradox as I internalize the outside world.
    As I progress in art I am creating projects more deeply personal and richly introspective. I have been fascinated to discover that the more blatant and plain I become in my artistic communication, the more complex are the basic truths that I present. This is because art is a living thing; just as at any point the memories/experiences we have are changing because of changing context, art matures ideas. The effect is a mesmerizing fractillation.
    Having a background in both visual arts and creative writing has caused me to turn to the one or the other when trying to express a new idea. I have seen a growing strength in the relationship between my art and my writing-it leaks into a less restrictive idea of what kind of medium I am allowed to use to create art, which I feel will continue to lead to interesting artwork, as I loosen my perspective of my art.
    This show is a series of drawings that are meant purely to help me process my own emotional trauma in a humorous way, to bombard people with the ambiguity of emotion. If I were to sum the whole idea simply it would be by shouting out loud "I am in pain I am in pain I am in PAIN" --unfortunately there is no catharsis in summing up ideas, so I had to slowly and methodically process every thought and emotion connected to this. The first series, "Vulnerability," is used with my own hair shaved from my head to connect myself to the same resignment, the same powerlessness of an animal skin. Animals are very child-like things, so I literally transcribed my own naiive and innocent exposure to the world around me. The series that evolved from that, "Ambigious Loss," is an intentional cartoon characterization of different captured "moments" of different people, ranging the many internal conflicts of loss. The ideas are presented metaphorically, as a symbol from my own experiences, mostly to show how interrelated and unoriginal (not in a bad way) our strongest emotions are. Lastly, the piece "I Am Free." is meant to conclude in a very humble and honest way the evolution of the two series. 
This is the fourth and final exhibit presented by Universe City (U C) in the Shepherd Union Gallery this semester.. U C (you see) was a family owned and operated art center at 2556 Washington Boulevard in Ogden. The gallery participated in the First Friday Art Stroll for almost 80 First Fridays, featuring local artists, most of whom were Weber State University alumni, faculty or students.
In addition to visual arts, U C presented many music, theatre and poetry events as well as other A&H (arts and humanities) and environmental issues meetings. Many off-campus WSU events were also held at U C. The gallery closed in  July 2011. This January, the gallery went "on the road," offering the first of three exhibits in the Shepherd Union Gallery. The January exhibit followed the theme of the WSU 2012-13 discussion: Water Works. February featured the work of WSU Theatre costume designers.  "Things that Continue to Happen: WSU Sculpture Student Work" is the March exhibit. Caril Jennings, Marketing Director for Universe City, as well as the WSU Department of Performing Arts, will be retiring from WSU at the end of spring semester and is enjoying these opportunities to share her passion for the visual AND performing arts as she wraps up her time at Weber State.
For  more information about this exhibit contact Caril Jennings, crjennings@weber.edu.

Emily Lives! @ WSU Performing Arts Ogden: (March 26)

Emily Lives!
Who: Weber State University Department of Performing Arts
What: Emily Lives! A Readers Theatre Performance
When: Tuesday, March 26 o 12:30 p.m. 
Where: Hetzel-Hoellein Room, Stewart Library, WSU Ogden Campus

Weber State University Department of Performing Arts presents "Emily Lives," a readers theatre performance, Tuesday, March 26-30 at 12:30 p.m. in the Hetzel-Hoekkein Room/Special Collections, Stewart Library WSU Ogden Campus. It is presented as a part of the Weber Reads! 2013 program. This year, the book/reading is poetry by Emily Dickinson.

The play, "Toward Eternity," is written by WSU students Andrew Balls, Kyle Poppitz, and Lauren Paskett. It concerns a competition for Heaven´s Poet Laureate. Shakespeare is no longer eligible, having served his allowed number of terms. The current finalists for his replacement are Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. A poetry read-off ensures.

The event is free and open to the public. It is suitable for all ages.  For more information about the program, contact Caril Jennings, crjennings@weber.edu

NEWS: WSU Student Choreography Selected fo Gala Performance

WSU Student Choreography Selected fo Gala Performance

Who: Rodolfo Rafael, WSU student choreographer
Weber State University Department of Performing Arts

What: New Work selected for ACDFA Northwest Region Gala Performance

When: 15 March 2013

Where: Salt Lake City

WSU Dance student Rodolfo Rafael´s choreography, "Beware of Dogs," was chosen to be performed at the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA) Northwest Region´s Gala Performance, Friday, 15 March, presented at the Randall Jones Theater on the campus of Southern Utah University. Festival Adjudicators chose his piece, along with 7 other works out of a pool of 25 dances choreographed by students, faculty and guest artists. 

Schools convened at Southern Utah University for the American College Dance Festival Association´s 2013 Northwest Regional Conference, March 12-15, including internationally known University of Utah Ballet and Modern Dance Departments, and Brigham Young University Ballet Department.  25 dances were adjudicated.  Three professional adjudicators were given only the name of the dance and the music credits, not knowing if the work was choreographed by a student, faculty or guest artist.

During the feedback session adjudicator Helanius Wilkins, director of EDGEWORKS Dance Theatre in Washington, D.C., called Rodolfo´s choreography "exquisite."  Danced by WSU students Michael Morrison, Cannon Mulitalo, Lance Tripp and Rod, the work´s "combination of strength and vulnerability," as Wilkins described, created quite a stir.

For more information about Rodolfo or the conference contact Amanda Sowerby, asowerby@weber.edu or Erik Stern, estern@weber.edu.

Lollipops Concert - Music of the Americas @ Utah Symphony SLC: (March 30)

Media Contact:

Hilarie Ashton | Public Relations Manager

hashton@usuo.org | (801)869-9027

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MUSIC OF THE AMERICAS TO HEADLINE UTAH SYMPHONY LOLLIPOPS CONCERTS

SALT LAKE CITY—       The Utah Symphony, led by Associate Conductor Vladimir Kulenovic, will perform an exposition of exotic works inspired by the Americas including a visual display from the animated short film “El Salón México,” set to Aaron Copland’s symphonic work of the same name.  

The orchestra will perform these Latin influenced works also including Silvestre Revuelta’s “La Noche de Los Mayas,” March 30 at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Abravanel Hall.  Other featured selections are Pablo De Sarasate’s Fantasy on Bizet’s “Carmen” with Utah Symphony Associate Principal Violin Kathryn Eberle soloing, Arturo Marquez’s Danzón No. 2, Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide and Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez’s “Batuque” from “Reisado Cuatros Estaciones Porteños.” 

Prior to each performance, Summerhays Music and the Utah Symphony Youth Guild will offer an Instrument Petting Zoo, which will provide children the opportunity to play different instruments in the lobby of Abravanel Hall.

Single tickets for the performances range from $6 to $20 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS (2787), in person at the Abravanel hall ticket office *123 W. South temple) or by visiting www.utahsymphony.org. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call (801) 533- NOTE (6683).  All ticket prices are subject to change and availability.  Ticket prices will increase when purchased on the day of the performance.   

About the Music

The exoticism and culture of The Americas have been a source of inspiration to composers as they work to create and develop music with rich textures, vibrant melodies and exciting rhythms. 

While travelling and spending time in Mexico City, Aaron Copland worked to create such a piece that exuded the culture and exoticism many composers search for. On his trip he was soon impressed by the beautiful display of a dance hall.  With its vivid colors and spirited nature he wanted to create a musical display of the vibrancy and authenticity he found there.  His piece “El Salón México” is fused with intricate rhythms and melodies that are representative of classic Mexican folk songs with familiar Mexican melodies which are intertwined throughout the piece. 

Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas had a knack for combining popular Latin American music with the techniques of twentieth-century composers of his time.  His versatility enabled him to enjoy writing film scores as well as chamber works.  His “La Noche de los Mayas” was originally written for film and after his death his compatriot edited a few portions to create the concert suite. 

George Bizet’s famous opera “Carmen” has won audiences over through the years with its passionate and tragic story.  It contains some of the most recognizable music which has inspired other composers to base their own compositions on the presented themes.  Pablo De Sarasate’s Fantasy on Bizet’s “Carmen” for violin and orchestra includes all of the “Carmen” hits with a unique twist and timbre as the soloist is the smooth sound of violin strings. 

About Kathryn Eberle

Violinist Kathryn Eberle is the Associate Concertmaster of the Utah Symphony.    Her solo performances include appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Louisville Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, National Academy Orchestra of Canada, and the Bahia Symphony in Brazil.  She was previously a violinist with the St. Louis Symphony and served as Guest Concertmaster with the Richmond and Omaha Symphonies.  An avid chamber musician, Ms. Eberle has collaborated with such artists as Edgar Meyer, Jaime Laredo, Arnold Steinhardt, Ricardo Morales and members of the New York Philharmonic and has participated in the Aspen, Banff, Yellow Barn, Innsbrook, Festival Mozaic, and Laguna Beach Festivals.  She garnered top prizes in the Klein, Stulberg and Corpus Christi International Competitions.   Ms. Eberle studied with Robert Lipsett both at the University of Southern California and The Colburn School and received a Masters Degree at the Juilliard School studying with Sylvia Rosenberg.

Program

Leonard Bernstein	Overture to Candide
Silvestre Revueltas	La Noche de los Mayas 1. Noche de los Mayas - Molto sostenuto
Pablo De Sarasate	Fantasy on Bizet's Carmen for Violin and Orchestra, op. 25
Arturo Márquez	Danzón No. 2
Georges Bizet	"Les Toréadors" from Carmen Suite No. 1
Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez	"Batuque, Negro Dance" from Reisado do Pastoreio
Astor Piazzolla	Cuatros estaciones porteños Primavera porteño
Aaron Copland	El Salón México