BYU School of Music December Newsletter

December 2020

BYU SCHOOL OF MUSIC newsletter

Contents 3

5 7

Board Approves Plans to Construct a New School of Music Building

Quarantine Video Highlights

School of Music Hosts Virtual Recitals

9 11 15

School of Music Advent Calendar

Student and Alumni Accomplishments

Fostering Unity During Covid-19

Email musicalumni@byu.edu for more information about this newsletter

A letter from the Director

In my Fall Forum for the School of Music, I shared the idea of “going forth.” Our BYU motto is “Enter to learn, go forth to serve.” Forth is an adverb meaning to go out from a starting point and forward or into view. The scriptures are full of examples of going forth into the unknown, or going forth to serve, or even going forth into peril. “Going forth” is not always a preferred course of action, but it is a necessary one in order to go “forward or into view.”

There is power in the very act of going forth. We in the School of Music, like many of you, have chosen to go forth with faith, though much is unknown, in order to move forward. We hope that by moving “into view” we can share our passion for music, as well as the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dear School of Music Students, In his start of the year speech, BYU Alumni and Friends, President Kevin Worthen said, “If we from the pandemic unscathed, It is a pleasure in this time of emerge but unchanged, we will have missed separation, to reach out and connect out on the full benefit of this unique with you. experience.” The School of Music is also as we look to the future. We Fall 2020 has certainly been a strange changing see new opportunities before us with and challenging semester. We have streaming and other technology.

We had to exercise numerous cautions anxiously await a new Music Building while still seeking ways to do what we which is currently under construction. love most – make music! While this task And through so many restrictions we seemed nearly impossible in August, I have a renewed passion for creating have observed with tender pride the and making music together! great lengths to which our students and faculty have gone to create and We recognize and are grateful for share excellent music. those who have gone before us, who laid foundations and paved roads I hope you have tuned in to our have that we trod. We appreciate your live stream for one or more of our support now and wish concerts and recitals. All performances holiday season! you the very best this through the Winter 2021 semester will be livestreamed for FREE! We are grateful and thrilled to have the Best wishes, technology to share our music all over the world during the COVID pandemic.

Diane T. Reich We have seen audiences tune in from Director, BYU School of Music Mexico, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, just to name a few. You can find the live stream link via music. byu.edu. We hope you can join us several times next semester.

1

Board Approves Plans to Construct a New Building

T “

he Brigham Young University Board of for practice and recitals, including practice rooms Trustees has approved plans to construct located on the upper floor. The cornerstone of the a new Music Building for the College new building will be a 1000-seat concert hall built of Fine Arts and Communications. The in the vineyard style. Vineyard style performance building, which will be located at the spaces are intended to keep musicians centralized, south end with audience seating of the rising above them in tiers parking lot east of — reminiscent of a terraced the BYU Law School, vineyard.

We are humbled and thrilled will house the BYU “While this spatial with the Board’s support of School of Music’s approach was primarily the College of Fine Arts and performance and developed with optimal academic space. acoustics and line of sight Communications “We are humbled in mind, BYU’s concert hall Ed Adams, Dean of the College of and thrilled with the will also serve a distinct Fine Arts and Communications.

Board’s support of the pedagogical purpose, as College of Fine Arts it will allow students and and Communications,” patrons alike to have a said Ed Adams, Dean clear view of performer of the College of Fine Arts and Communications. technique,” Adams said. “The venue will be the “The Church has a long history of supporting music first of its kind in the Intermountain West, marking and the arts, and this new building will expand upon a significant achievement in musical innovation and the university’s commitment to producing inspiring excellence in the region.” and uplifting art.”

Construction is scheduled to begin by late The 170,000-square-foot Music Building will spring 2020 and is expected to be completed by Fall have four levels and feature more mid-sized spaces Semester 2022. Big D Construction has been selected

“

1 View of the building from the Northeast 2 Stair View Rendering 3 Rendering of a vineyard style, 1000-seat concert hall

3

1

2 as the general contractor for the project, with HKS Architects as the architecture firm.

The College of Fine Arts and Communications has long been an integral part of BYU. The School of Music was one of the original four departments when the university opened doors, and the Harris Fine Arts Center is the most-used academic building on

By the numbers A Vineyard Style Concert Hall that seats

1000

campus, presenting more than 500 performances a year.

The Harris Fine Arts Center was dedicated in 1965 and currently houses four of the college’s six academic units (Art, Design, Music, Theatre & Media Arts), as well as offices for college administration and Arts Production.

Expected Completion in Fall

2022

170,000 Square-Foot Music Building

3

4

e n i t n a Quar

e d i V

s t h g i l h g i H o

1

c i s u M f chool o

The S

From

4 3 2

or . ool rofess ade a h c to s usic p stian m ng to th i 3 M en Ba ecord e 200 r h r Dar imba rate t oseph usic Ricks, m ar e mo on fJ YU e B s (Stev and R - m omme sary o ision. d a e r U V c or er 1 Th essor eman ne BY niv s First rs rec ance n f d r a o o ’ pr e Lin )and fesso ge orm ith d v Sm U Sin l perf aine Ste marsh ic pro necte l Y a s t 4 B chor ’ by E Sal o mu es)con ject, e a w i h ne llelu g whil ublic Ida e Fair a pro e A r ‘ e v v n of enb g all p s while (Da ork o e Cur h Hag ntainin deline . sic to w tten t u i i ma lth gu ancing of M l “Fla s” l a o s i o e c he ial di t Blu e Sch Coun y of h soc 2 T cutive parod u” to k o Exe ted a ock Y ts bac a R cre Will tuden s e “W ome c l we

5

School of Music Hosts Virtual Concerts and Recitals

T

here has been so much to adjust to this year, I don’t even know where to begin!

The biggest change has definitely been our practicing schedule. The practice rooms have been very restricted this school year.

Each student is only allowed 3 time slots of 4 hour blocks a week. In order to perform at the level that I am required in the School of Music, I am required to practice 24 hours a week. Being restricted to half of that time, sometimes even less when you take breaks and class conflicts into consideration, was so hard for me.

As a piano major, I rely on my school for my instrument. I can’t practice at home whenever I want. People don’t understand that even if I were to own a digital keyboard, it is completely different than practicing on a grand piano. So, in order to keep up my repertoire for my recital, I’ve been practicing in rooms all over campus.

“

I’ve been lucky enough to prepare two collaborative pieces for my recital. One is with another pianist and the other is with a drummer and bassist... The fact that I can still perform with them in November is definitely a blessing!

Sadie Holdaway, Piano Performance Major

“

I have actually spent way less time in the HFAC than I have any other semester I’ve been at BYU. The pianos I practice on aren’t always in tune or in good shape but they’re better than nothing. My recital is in November and thankfully I feel prepared enough, but practice restrictions really took a toll on me emotionally.

Another difference this semester is the amount that I get to see my friends. It gets really lonely, being a music major. Some days, the only times you see your friends are when you’re switching practice rooms or walking down the halls. Now, everyone is so spread out that I hardly see anyone. And of course, the ensembles this year are different. I’m not

Gabe Montesino (Drums), Dan Ekberg (Bass) and Sadie Holdaway (Piano) perform on November 19th.

Photo provided by Sadie Holdaway

in any School of Music ensembles this year but I really do miss going to concerts and recitals. They would inspire me to practice more.

I’ve been lucky enough to prepare two collaborative pieces for my recital. One is with another pianist and the other is with a drummer and bassist. Rehearsing with them has been awesome and I’ve loved hearing my pieces come together with them. The fact that I can still perform with

them in November is definitely a blessing! Another highlight from this semester has been my private lessons. We’ve been allowed to have in person lessons. Having that interaction with my teacher each week has really helped me get through the semester. If I had zoom lessons I don’t know if I would be where I am at now.

- Sadie Holdaway, Piano Performance

7

“Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him:

talk ye of all his wondrous works.”

Psalm 105:2

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday 1

6

13

20

Psalm 43:3

2 Nephi 31:20

Luke 2:8-20

Revelation 19:1–6

14

21

2

2 Nephi 33:11

8

7

Matthew 2:11

John 3:16

Join us as we sing His praise!

We invite you to join us by…

Wednesday

15

22

Luke 1:35

Moroni 10:32

2 Nephi 4:28

Sending your favorite musical number to a friend

Isaiah 1:18

9

Matthew 19:14

16

23

Esther 8:8

Zechariah 9:9

Learning or performing someone’s favorite song for them

During this Christmas season, we are excited to share our music with you! Click on each ornament for “a gift” from us. We hope that as you listen, you can feel the light of Christ in your home. From our family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas!

Thursday 3

Friday 4

10

Luke 2:8-20

11

Revelation 22:20

17

24

18

Matthew 2:11

5

Luke 12:33

Luke 11:2

Luke 2:7

25

3 Nephi 12:48

Going Christmas caroling

Saturday

12

19

Isaiah 9:6

Romans 15:13

Matthew 1:18–25

Click here to Download some of the music on this calendar

D&C 95:1

Creating an inspirational playlist to share

Creating a short song to celebrate someone you love

Celebration of Christmas: Angels Sing

9

Undergraduate Student Accomplishments October 2019

Savannah Porter, undergrad (vocal perf) Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan J. Alexander Bennett, undergrad (composition) Opera National Council Auditions, Rocky - One of four recipients of a commission through Mountain Region the American Guild of Organists’ Student Commissioning Project (to collaborate with BYU Brandon Chamberlain, undergrad (trumpet student Amber Dahlberg on a new work for solo perf) - 2nd Prize in the Undergraduate Solo organ).

Competition at the BYU Trumpet Festival

November 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, UT District WINNERS: (all vocal perf) Mary Hoskins, grad Jonah Hoskins, undergrad Savannah Porter, undergrad Tatiana Carlos, grad ENCOURAGEMENT: Josie Larsen, undergrad Courtney Lawson, undergrad Abigail Fuller, undergrad Michelle Dean, grad

January 2020 Ariel Wong, undergrad (piano perf) - Won 3rd prize in the Emory Young Artists National Competition Shayna Johnson, undergrad (vocal perf) 2nd place, National Association of Teachers of Singing Cal-Western Regional Conference Auditions in the Advanced College (Treble) Division Jonah Hoskins, undergrad (vocal perf) - 1st place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Rocky Mountain Region (continuing on to National Semi-finals)

Benjamin Roberts, undergrad (trumpet perf) - 3rd Prize in the Undergraduate Solo Competition at the BYU Trumpet Festival

February 2020 Jonah Hoskins, undergrad (vocal perf) - Winner, National Finals of Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Clelland Ukiah Reynolds, undergrad (commercial music) - First Place in the MTNA National Young Artist Composition Competition with his piece ‘Current Mood(s).’

May 2020

Erika Rosen, undergrad (harp perf) - One of nine finalists who will compete remotely May 20-21 in The Grandjany Awards National Harp Benjamin Roberts, undergrad (trumpet perf) Competition.

Won an International Trumpet Guild Conference Scholarship

March 2020

Amber Dahlberg, undergrad (organ perf) - One of nine Young Organist Competition winners of the American Guild of Organists to record a Alexa Coon, undergrad (harp perf) - One of Rising Stars performance for the Jul 2020 online five finalists who will compete remotely May 20-21 in the Anne Adams Awards National OrganFest of the AGO. Harp Competition Jonah Hoskins, undergrad (vocal perf) - Chosen as a finalist in the 2020 Lotte Lenya Competition, Brandon Chamberlain, undergrad (trumpet Jonah was featured in a film about the competition perf) - National quarter-finalist in the titled Down To Twelve: The 2020 Lotte Lenya Undergraduate Solo Division of the National Competition Finalists, which premiered online on Trumpet Competition Saturday, May 2nd at 11am - exactly when the finals were originally scheduled to take place at Donni Evans, undergrad (violin perf) - Accepted the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. to MM violin program at Indiana University (as (Unfortunately, the finals had to be cancelled well as McGill University, Cincinnati Collegedue to the coronavirus pandemic.)

Conservatory of Music, and Northwestern University) well as McGill University, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and Northwestern University) Spencer Day, undergrad (violin perf) Accepted to MM violin program at Indiana University (and other prestigious programs) Dan Ankemann, undergrad (commercial music) - Admitted to Brigham Young University Law School Alastair Scheuermann, Brigitta Teuscher, & Mallory Wynne, undergrads (commercial music) - Accepted into Master’s programs at Berklee College of Music, Valencia, Spain Nathan Hurst, undergrad (percussion perf) Accepted into MM in percussion performance at Indiana University on a scholarship.

Jacob Hasler, undergrad (BA) - Jacob’s arrangement for BYU Singers of “We’ll” Sing All Hail To Jesus’ Name” was published by Hinshaw Music and selected as “Editor’s Choice” by J.W. Pepper.

Jonah Hoskins receives feedback during the semifinals. (Photo by Mike Girard)

July 2020 Christian Walker, undergrad (commercial music) - Scored the music for the Student Academy Awarding-winning film, “Grendel,” produced by BYU Animation

11

Graduate Student Accomplishments January 2020

Artist with Santa Fe Opera. Artist in residence with L’Opera de Montreal (2020-21).

Michelle Dean, grad (vocal perf) - 1st place, National Association of Teachers of Singing CalWestern Regional Conference Auditions in the Advanced College (Treble) Division

Bradley Korth, grad (music composition) - Received a Harold B. Lee Library Student Research Grant to produce a new bibliography of the works of American composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes.

Rebekah Nelson, grad (vocal perf) - 3rd place, National Association of Teachers of Singing CalWestern Regional Conference Auditions in the Advanced College (Treble) Division Mary Hoskins, grad (vocal perf) - 3rd place, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Rocky Mountain Region

February 2020 Heather Christiansen, grad (choral conducting) - Hired as the inaugural choral director at Valley View Middle School in Salem, Utah to start in Fall 2020

March 2020 Dolan Guthrie, grad (choral conducting) Accepted to choral conducting DMA program at Michigan State University in Fall 2020. (was also accepted to the same program at UNT.)

April 2020 Hyrum Arnesen, grad (piano perf) - 3rd place, Music Teachers National Association National Competition (originally scheduled for Chicago but changed to video submission due to COVID-19.) Hyrum also won 1st place in the Utah state MINA competition, and was a winner in the Southwestern States Division.

Kylie Decker, grad (oboe perf) & Allyssa Pehrson, grad (music ed) - Assisted in conducting a national research study on Music Teacher Certification Practices for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). The study has been published to the NAfME website and circulated among the more than 130,000 NAfME members via Facebook and email.

May 2020

Arjang Abrarpour, grad (trumpet perf) - Won DaIlin Baldwin, grad (choral conducting) - an International Trumpet Guild Conference Accepted to choral conducting doctoral program Scholarship in the Dept of Sacred Music at University of Notre Dame in Fall 2020 Mary Hoskins, grad (vocal perf) - 2nd place in the Classical Emerging Professional category of the Arjang Abrarpour, grad (trumpet perf) - National CS (Classical Singer) Music Online Competition. semi-finalist in the Graduate Solo Division of the National Trumpet Competition. (First ever Scott Nelson, grad (music composition) BYU trumpet grad student to advance in this Accepted into the Experimental Music and Digital competition.)

Media Ph.D. program at Louisiana State University Sydney Frodsham, grad (vocal perf) - Young

with a full tuition scholarship and assistantship.

Group Accomplishments February 2020

final round of the Small Ensemble Division of the National Trumpet Competition.

BYU Singers - Performed by invitation at the 2020 state conference of Utah Music Educators Association in St. George

BYU Singers, Concert Choir, Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorus, and Philharmonic Orchestra - Performed at the opening concert for the Western Region Conference of the American Choral Directors Association

March 2020

August 2020

BYU Trumpet Ensemble (Members: Arjang Abrarpour, Brandon Chamberlain, Seth Housley, Lea Salonga & the BYU Chamber Orchestra - Best Benjamin Roberts, Clifton Little, & James Solo Release, The Broadway World 2020 Awards Mohlman) - Advanced to the national quarter-

Alumni Accomplishments August 2019

February 2020

Choral Area - For the Western Region Conference of ACDA (held in Mar 2020), 33% of all the choirs invited to perform were conducted by graduates of the BYU Choral program.

Tatiana Nogueira Carlos (MM, Vocal Perf, 2019) - Finalist in the Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum competition; she also received a named award from the judges

September 2019

May 2020

Dylan Glenn (BM, Vocal Perf, 2018) - Chosen as Lauren Avondet (MM, Violin Perf, 2018; BM, a finalist in the 2020 Lotte Lenya Competition, Violin Perf, 2016) - Won a salaried position in the Dylan was featured in a film about the competition violin section with the Boise Philharmonic titled Down To Twelve: The 2020 Lotte Lenya Competition Finalists, which premiered online on Saturday, May 2nd at 11 am - exactly when the finals were originally scheduled to take place at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NW. Tatiana Nogueira Carlos (MM, Vocal Perf, 2019) (Unfortunately, the finals had to be cancelled - Encouragement Award, Metropolitan Opera due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

National Council Auditions, Rocky Mountain Region Michele Gardiner (BM, Violin Perf, Aug 2018) Accepted to MM in Viola Performance program at Juilliard for Fall 2020.

January 2020

13

Madison Ecker and Elizabeth Hickman Photo provided by Madison Ecker

Fostering Unity During COVID-19 “It has been hard adjusting to COVID measures. There are the obvious new things, like learning to be comfortable and singing in a mask (which has a host of challenges in itself), but there are also things I have had to adjust to that I never expected.

I went to choir rehearsal, and didn’t know what anyone’s face looked like. I couldn’t recognize the girls I sang with almost every day of the week if I saw them on the street. It’s hard to feel united when you can’t stand next to your fellow singers, and really hear their voice join with yours.

Trying to create unity while being socially distanced has created a unique obstacle, but I believe we have been able to overcome it. I have enjoyed increased friendship and a sense of belonging at BYU this semester, which considering the circumstances is a true blessing. I have made stronger friendships and I am finally starting to feel truly at home at BYU and in the School of Music.”

- Madison Ecker

Program Introduction Videos

BYU Vocal Performance

BYU String Division

Watch for More Program Introductions Coming in 2021!

BYU Commercial Music

SCHOLAR PROFILE BRYANT JORDAN

Q A

What are some of your favorite moments from the semester?

“Some of my favorite moments from this semester included performing with Synthesis and the Wind Symphony in the DeJong. I also loved each and every practice we had together. There were some special musical and spiritual moments we experienced while rehearsing for our performances that I will cherish for a long time. “

Q A

How has the pandemic impacted your experience this semester in the School of Music?

“I’ve been used to playing and performing together much more than we’ve been able to this semester, and while accepting the fact that our playing is now more seldom and cautious, it’s brought me to appreciate every moment of making music with others.

“Once I accepted the ‘new’ normal and embraced the changes, I began to find even more joy in the music I (and we) make.”

15

17

Thank you for considering a gift to the School of Music We recognize that donated funds are precious and sacred. We strive to use these funds appropriately by carefully determining the strategic priorities for the college, which are approved by BYU’s President’s Council and the Board of Trustees.

CLICK HERE to give with ease and convenience on our secure online gift form.

Select the fund - “School of Music - BYU” You can also call (801) 422-8611 if you have questions, would like more giving options or would like to give your information over the phone.