Press Release
From the Orchestra of Southern Utah
Release: =
March 3
– March 9, =
2008
Contact: =
Laurel
Kay Dodgion, (435) 865-1492
Photo Cutline:=
A
Benefit Concert will be held in honor of SUU Director of Orchestral Activit=
ies
and OSU Conductor Xun Sun.
Benefit Con=
cert to be
Held
&nbs=
p; The
Orchestra of Southern Utah is pleased to announce a special benefit concert=
to
be held on Saturday, March 8th at 7:30 pm. The
concert, entitled “Xun Sun and Friends”, will take place at St.
Jude’s Episcopal Church, located at 70 North 200 West in Cedar City.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Funds generated from this special =
event
will be used to assist Sun and his family with the substantial costs of his=
current
doctoral studies at Colum=
bia
University. Donations are payable to OSU and m=
ay be
made at the concert. All
contributions made through OSU are tax deductible.
&nbs=
p; Pianist
Jensina Byington will return to Cedar City from her teaching position at Shoreline Community =
College
in Washington
state for the March 8th concert. Byington previously performed with=
OSU
during their annual Talent Showcase in September 2007. She has appeared as a soloist and
chamber musician in the United States,
Canada, Europe, and Israel. Other guest performers include duo
Jackie Jackson and Lara Neves, vocalist Steve Downs, th=
e Cedar
City String Quartet, the Southern Utah String Quartet with pianist Teri Ken=
ney,
and Cellomania under the direction of Nina Hansen. A special performance will also be=
given
by Sun’s daughters, Anna and Sarah.
Sun was appointed as Direct=
or of
Orchestral Activities at Southern Utah University in 2001. He conducts the SUU Symphony Orche=
stra
and String Ensemble, as well as serving as Assistant Professor of Conducting and Violin. In 2003, Sun became the Music Dire=
ctor
and Conductor for OSU, and recently conducted OSU in the World Premier
performance of Marshall McDonald and Steven Sharp Nelson’s Africa.=
He is also currently the principal=
guest
conductor of the Hunan Symphony Orchestra, =
China. Sun is also the founde=
r and
the first violinist of the SUU Halversen String Quartet. =
As a violinist Mr. Sun has given numerous solo recitals in Washington,
D.C., New York Cit=
y,
South Carolina, W=
est
Virginia, Kansas City Missouri and Utah in the
United States, and Changsha City
and Guangzhu City
in China=
.
He has also played in the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia
Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and Brevard Summer Music
Festival Orchestra.
“I am overwhelmed by the wonderful support there is in Cedar City
for music,” Sun commented, “and I sincerely appreciate your
friendship and help with this concert.”
&nb=
sp; The
Xun Sun and Friends Concert will be held Saturday March 8th. Donations will be accepted at the
event. The
Orchestra requests that children less than six years old and babies not att=
end
because the concert will be recorded and podcast worldwide at www.orchestraofsouthernuta=
h.org.
###<=
/p>