Press Release for OSU Talent Showcase 2007

PRESS RELEASE

From the Orchestra of Southern Utah

To Be Release= d: September 7, 2007

Contact: = Laurel Kay Dodgion, (435) 865-1492

Photo Cutline:=

The Stars Will Shine Bright at the Heritage Center

      The “Stars” will be shining bright as the Orchestra of Southern Utah presents a Talent Showcase at the Heritage Center September 13^th= at 7:30 pm in Cedar City, Utah.= This special musical event is sure to illuminate your heart as local= and international artists demonstrate their star quality. Cedar City RAP funds provide major concert sponsorship in support of Recreation, Arts,= and Parks.

      Pete Akins, a French horn player and pastor from Cedar City, will perform Horn Concerto, Op. 11 Allegro by Richard Strauss. Akins graduated from University of California Santa Cruz with an eye at becoming a high school band director. As time progressed, Akins became a pastor and temporarily set music aside.&nb= sp; After moving to Ce= dar City, Akins took up= the French horn again and now plays with the Orchestra of Southern Utah. He also serves as Executive Direct= or of OSU. The Talent Showcase is literally a dream come true for Akins.&nbs= p; He stated that he dreamed for 25 years of playing a French horn solo with an orchestra, something that does not happe= n very often. He set that dream asid= e when he became a pastor. Akins com= mented that even when he began performing with OSU, he never thought his dream wou= ld come to fruition. On Septembe= r 13^th, Akins will prove that dreams really can come true.

      Fifteen-year-old David Prince will contribute to the performance by playing Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 by Camille Saint-Saens. A sophomore at <= st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Alta High School in Sandy, Utah, and the youngest of nine musically-gifted children, Prince already has an impressive performance history. When he was 11 years old, he toured = Italy with the Rocky Mountain Strings and later played with this group at the National Suzuki Strings of the Americas Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At age 12, he soloed with the= Utah Symphony in “Salute to Youth”; he returned to the Symphony at a= ge 15 to perform in “Mozart Alive!” Prince was a 2006 and 2007 You= th Guild winner and has placed multiple times in the Utah State Fair, Stillman Kelly, and MTNA state and regional level competitions. This year Prince pla= ced first in the Utah State Fair Intermediate String Competition and received Honorab= le Mention in the Youth Division of the International Stradivarius Competition= .

      Originally hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, Jensina Oliver Byington earned her Master’s Degree at the University of Utah and now resides in the Seattle area, where= she is working toward a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Washi= ngton. Returning to Utah for the OSU Talent Showcase, Byin= gton will perform Piano Concerto, First = Movement by Maurice Ravel. Critics have praised Byington for her “steely-fingered” technique, as well as having a flair for “panache and drama.” Byington has appeared as a soloist= and chamber musician in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel.= She performs regularly in concerts= and recitals in the Seattle area and was featured as a soloist on the Classic KING FM 98.1 show “= Live by George”. Byington is currently in her ninth year of teaching at Shore= line Community College near Seattle.

      Vocalist Cris Talley moved to Ceda= r City in 1991. He has been involved in music sinc= e he was five years old, first singing solos in his father’s church. From that humble begin, Talley has= gone on to perform with the San Diego Opera and the San Diego Symphony, in addit= ion to making several television and special concert appearances as the lead si= nger of the Gospel group “The Inspirations”. This inspirational gospel singer w= ill perform It’s Impossible b= y A Nick Perito, arranged for Perry Como and Holy Ground by Geron Davis, arranged by Hal Campbell. The written music for Tally’s selections was no longer available; Dr. Hal Campbell recreated the orchestr= al score by listening to a previously recorded performance. Campbell’s triumphant efforts will serve to enhance Talley’s uplifting performan= ce.

      Cellists Brooke MacNaughton and Heather Leavitt will play Concerto in G minor for Two Celli: Allegro, <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Largo, Allego by Antonio Vivaldi. These gifted sisters from Cedar City are the daught= ers of Dane and Ruth Leavitt. MacNau= ghton has played cello since she was eight years old. In high school, MacNaughton earned= top marks at State Solo and Ensemble, participated in All State Orchestra, and = earned several National Federation of Music Gold Cups.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> During her senior year she was nam= ed the Regional Music Sterling Scholar. MacNaughton is a graduate of Southern Utah University with a degree in English Literature. While attending SUU, MacNaughton served as principal cellist for the SUU Orchestra. She is currently in her 12th season with the Orchestra of Southern Utah. Leavitt has played the cello for eight years. Heather was selected to play with the All State Orchestra and has earned Gold Cups for cello and piano performance, as well= as top marks at State Solo and Ensemble. Leavitt is currently the principal cellist in the Cedar High School Orchestra. This past year Heather pla= yed in the orchestra pit for SUU's production of Into the Woods and played with the SUU Orchestra during&nb= sp;a recent Collin Raye concert. Leavitt was invited to and participated in the = 2007 BYU Music Festival Camp. Heather is a current member of the ensemble Cellomania as well as the Orchestra of Southern Utah.

      OSU will welcome international guest artists Chinese Singers of Hunan Best-Mome= nt Folk Music Ensemble for the Talent Showcase. This concert will be the second OSU= performance for the Ensemble in less than a week, having first performed at= the OSU Recital “Shall We Dance” on September 11^th. Vocalist Ke Ma specializes in South Chinese Folk Songs and will perform a Chinese Folk Song solo, accompanied by OSU. The Ensemble will also p= erform a Chinese Folk Song as a group. The Chinese Singers of Hunan Best-Moment Folk Music Ensemble is comprised of fi= ve members: Yue-Jin Huang, Executive Director; Di-Sen Xie, Artistic Director a= nd Male Vocalist; Dian Xiong, Male Vocalist; Qin Li, Female Vocalist; and Ke M= a, Founder and Female Vocalist. = OSU Music Director and Conductor Xun Sun met with the Ensemble this summer while guest conducting in Hunan, China.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Sun stated that it is his dream to return to China to tour with OSU. He believes= music brings harmony and understanding between cultures.

      Tickets for this showcase of stars are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students. OSU season tickets are $35.00. Tickets are available at Cedar Mus= ic Store (602 South Main) and the Heritage = Center Box Office (105 North 100 East). Low income seniors may receive free tickets at the Cedar City = Senior Citizen Center and Parowan Senior Citizen Center during the w= eek before the concert. This opportunity for seniors is made possible by a grant courtesy of United Way = of Iron County.

      The OSU Talent Showcase will take place at the Heritage Center on September 13^th at 7:30 pm.&n= bsp; The Heritage Center is located at 105 North 100 East in Ceda= r City, Utah.= OSU requests that babies and child= ren under the age of six not attend as the performance will be recorded and broadcast worldwide.

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