Great Beginnings BYU Philharmonic
7:30 PM | OCT. 11, 2025 | CONCERT HALL | MUSIC BUILDING
Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
I . Allegro (fast, lively)
II .Turnabout, Scherzo (playful, joking)
III . Andantino (moderately slow)
IV . March
What makes it Great? - Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C Major
Brief lecture & demonstration by Dr. Nathan Haines
Symphony No. 9 in C Major, “The Great” FRANZ SCHUBERT 1797–1828 45 mins
I . Andante—Allegro ma non troppo (walking pace; fast but not too much)
II . Andante con moto (walking pace with motion)
III . Scherzo & Trio (playful dance with contrasting middle section)
IV . Allegro vivace (fast and lively)
Violin I
PERSONNEL ROSTER FALL 2025
Dr. Nathan Haines, director Vanese McPherson and Johannes Bowman, assistant conductors
Lindsay Rust*
Clara Gunnerson+
Amur Bashirov
Eva Rhodes
Asia Glenn
Maren Dewey
Rylie Pence
Isabelle Duersch
Thomas Berry
Camryn Olsten
Lexi Romerill
Brynn Heaton
Emma Hafen
Michelle Petersen
Megan Reimann
Isabelle Pugsley
Mayce Cornaby
Georgia Fenton
Sydney Stuart
Violin II
Madi Bowen*
April Gedris+
Taya Tippets
James Thiriot
Lydia Peterson
Olivia Brown
Olivia Washburn
Vivien Stewart
Ginny Hansen
Savanna Cannon
Katy Usevitch
Jane Marriot
Makenzy Lopez
Bella Gillete
STRINGS
Audrey Baldwin
Katie Olsen
Sage Oto
Lizzie McMullin
Viola
Emily Lambert*
Cade Singleton+
Mason Bean Lauryn Lee
Caleb Cliften
Katie Lee
Ben Herrera
Caleb Sherman
Ennika Acevedo
Eli Wilson
Josh Weber
Zoe Merkley
Eva Zemp
Peter Rasmussen
Cello
JD Alexander*
Matthew Bailey+
Ellie Wirthlin
Grace Snow
Claire Mortensen
Sequoya Lee
Emily Bruno
Samuel Aston
Shae CLiften
Jessica Elmer
Ethan Grundvig
Isabella Cahoon
Grant Hill
Amanda Maxwell
Bass
Joseph Rasmussen*
Jacob Gunnell+
Neal Baird
Josue Marin
Ross Pope
Chance Smithson
Henry Findlay
* indicates principal/concertmaster + indicates coprincipal
WOODWIND / BRASS PERCUSSION / AUX.
Flute
Rhianna Brunson*
Lillie Gardner
Rebekah Payne (+piccolo)
Oboe
Sydney Schaff*
Rachel Johnson
Miles Moore (+English horn)
Clarinet
Reuben Allan*
Seth Rugg
Melissa Coulter (+bass clarinet)
Bassoon
Zach Smith*
Brayden Holdaway
Madeline Wickard (+contra bassoon)
Horn
Aleah Holmes*
Kyle Bishop
Julianna Hollenbach
Ian Patterson
Trumpet
Luke Gunnerson*
Tommy Eskelsen
Caden Randolph
Kylee Bergstresser
Trombone
Carter Babcock*
Rees Riska
Daniel White (bass trombone)
Tuba Emma Hogge*
Timpani & Percussion
Raiden Sasaki*
Trevor Kroff
Ben Smith
Clay Battles
Luke Banks
Harp
Emily McLain+
Monet Wilson+
Piano/Keyboard
Jill Smith
* principal + coprincipal
Notes from the Conductor
BYU’s beginnings had music from the start .
When the Brigham Young Academy opened in 1875, music was one of its very first course offerings, taught by Karl G . Maeser himself . Gradually, the music program expanded into a formal Department of Music by 1883, and a School of Music by 1901 .
For our orchestral heritage at BYU, we owe much to the efforts of Albert Miller - who helped build up the first Academy Orchestra and band at the fledgling school . It was a long journey from humble beginnings, yet there were landmark achievements along the way . In 1916, the orchestra had grown to 51 members and performed Beethoven’s 5th Symphony for the first time . Later in 1969, orchestra director Ralph Laycock renamed the orchestra the Philharmonic, taking it on a tour of the Western states . Today, BYU Philharmonic now boasts a roster of nearly 100 players – and has a legacy of performing the most pivotal masterworks of the orchestral cannon .
When looking back at our history I feel a deep connection to the scripture “by small and simple things, great things come to pass” (Alma 37:6) . Tonight, we celebrate beginnings by seeing the “Great” within each of us . Welcome to the 150th anniversary year of Brigham Young University .
– Dr . Nathan Haines, conductor
Program Notes
Paul Hindemith — Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
Hindemith wrote Symphonic Metamorphosis in 1943 after moving to the United States . He borrowed themes from Carl Maria von Weber’s piano duets and incidental music, then “metamorphosed” them into something bold, colorful, and unmistakably his own . The result is one of his most popular and energetic orchestral works . Of the four movements, the last “march” is often performed as a stand alone piece .
The Philharmonic last performed this piece in April 2021, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic . At that time the orchestra had to be split in half to follow safety restrictions . Tonight, we return to Hindemith’s masterpiece at full strength— an especially fitting work to showcase the energy and vitality of live music .
Franz Schubert — Symphony No . 9 in C Major, “The Great”
Schubert’s Ninth Symphony, nicknamed “The Great,” is one of the towering works of the early Romantic symphonic tradition . Written in the late 1820s, the symphony was considered too long and too demanding for its time . After a few unsuccessful readings, the manuscript was set aside and essentially forgotten . More than a decade after Schubert’s death, Robert Schumann stumbled across the score in Vienna and sent it to Felix Mendelssohn, who led its first full performance in Leipzig in 1839 . Only then did the world begin to appreciate the scope, energy, and beauty of the work .
The nickname “The Great” was originally used to distinguish this symphony from Schubert’s shorter Sixth in the same key, but it has since taken on larger meaning, reflecting the symphony’s grandeur and its “heavenly length,” as Schumann described it .
There is no record of the BYU Philharmonic performing this monumental symphony, which gives us another “Great Beginning” to celebrate the opening of our season .
Coming up…
BYU Philharmonic: Great Forces
Experience the BYU Philharmonic in an evening of bold musical expression, featuring the world premiere of At Full Strength by BYU composer Dan Bradshaw . The program concludes with the sweeping lyricism and emotional power of Kalinnikov’s Symphony No . 1
Come early to the Concert Hall to hear a pre-concert talk with composer Dan Bradshaw and conductor Nathan Haines . November 15 Saturday, 7:30 pm
Pre-concert talk, 6:30 pm
Concert Hall (MB) $10-16
About the Conductor
Nathan Haines is an accomplished conductor, educator, and the new director of orchestras at Brigham Young University’s School of Music in Provo, Utah . He holds a PhD in orchestral conducting and music education from Florida State University, where he served as the associate conductor of orchestras, taught courses in conducting, and pursued research in the art of conducting and music education under the mentorship of Dr . Alexander Jiménez .
After earning a bachelor of arts in percussion from Brigham Young University, Nathan Haines went on to complete a master of music in orchestral conducting under Kory Katseanes . His career has taken him to prestigious venues across the globe, with performances in Asia and Europe . He has studied and performed with top professionals from around the country, including the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC . Most recently, he was invited to guest conduct for the world-class Ballet West in their production of Jekyll and Hyde, choreographed by Val Caniparoli .
Dr . Haines is a strong advocate for the orchestral arts, particularly in new and innovative projects . In 2021, he cofounded the Studio Orchestra at FSU to create and perform music in film, video game, and other commercial media . As a firm believer in the importance of music education, Dr . Haines has presented and published his research at the state and national levels . His dissertation at Florida State, titled “Conducting with Multimedia in Live Performance,” provides a framework of techniques and technologies that conductors can use on the modern concert stage .
When not conducting orchestras, Nathan enjoys writing, alpine skiing, disc golf, and hiking . He is supported by his wife, Elise Haines, who specializes in audience interaction and performance studies and holds a master’s in theater and media arts from BYU . They have two beautiful and energetic children: Estil (6) and Rowe (4), with one more boy coming in November .
