Author: Emily

This Sunday Dr. Claudine Bigelow will be performing the First Madrigal for Violin and Viola by Bohuslav Martinu, with her BYU colleague Associate Professor Monte Belknap. Dr. Bigelow says that she loves working with Monte Belknap because she always learns from his strengths, particularly his bow arm! “The rhythmic play in the Martinu is challenging, jazzy, and fun.  It’s a piece that requires technical brilliance, is bright and energetic.” ~Claudine Bigelow

 

Claudine is a beautiful knitter and quilter, and writes a blog called Musical Stitch. She’s so crazy for her King Cavalier Spaniel, Jack, that she knit him a cable sweater!

Claudine says that she can’t pick a favorite violist (too many good ones to choose from!) but that two of our very own UVS members always inspire her: Brant Bayless, who has played as good a recital as she’s heard anywhere, and Carl Johansen who has played so many memorable performances on our Utah Viola Society recitals. (Both Brant and Carl will be performing Sunday! You can hear the inspired and the inspirers!)

Come be inspired with us on Sunday, March 6, 3pm, Dumke Recital Hall, University of Utah.

 

Everyone in Utah is probably quite familiar with Brad in his role as Fry Street Quartet violist, and from his Utah Viola Society Presidential duties, but maybe there’s something you didn’t know about Brad…

Meet Rose!

Rose is a Desert Tortoise, adopted by Brad and his wife Denise, both of whom are animal lovers and have adopted several cats and a dog named Wolfie. Brad says that Rose “is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act due to habitat loss. During the warm season she lives in our yard, but right now she is hibernating and should be waking up any time!  I love my tortoise, and I’m sure there is a viola joke here somewhere.”

When Brad and Denise aren’t rescuing beautiful Tortoises they enjoy going for long hikes, and road trips in the west.

This Sunday, come hear Brad perform Bach’s Gamba Sonata #1 with pianist Jessica Roderer. “I love the counterpoint of the Gamba Sonatas.  The writing consists of 3 distinct and equal voices – the right and left hands of the keyboard and the viola, and it is a challenge to hold all 3 voices in your ear at once.  The piece seems to change each time according to shifting sands of your attention, and this keeps it feeling free, almost like improvisation.” ~Brad Ottesen

Sunday, March 6, 3pm, Dumke Recital Hall, University Of Utah.

 

The newest member of the Utah Symphony’s viola section is Elizabeth Beilman. Elizabeth joined the Utah Symphony in September, having previously served as Principal Viola in Sarasota Orchestra. She is a newlywed, married to clarinetist Joe Morris, and they enjoy playing chamber music together.

Elizabeth says that she is currently obsessed with Baroque music and is learning to play the Baroque recorder, much to the delight of her neighbors. When she’s not practicing viola or Baroque recorder, Elizabeth enjoys cooking, and hiking Utah’s many beautiful trails.

On Sunday’s recital, Elizabeth will be performing Wild Purple by Joan Tower, which was written for Paul Neubauer and premiered in 1998.

“I always thought of the viola sound as being the color purple. Its deep resonant and luscious timbre seems to embody all kinds of hues of purple. I never thought of the viola as being particularly wild. So I decided to try and see if I could create a piece that had wild energy in it and meet the challenge of creating a virtuosic piece for solo viola.” ~ Joan Tower

Elizabeth says, “I love “Wild Purple” because it gives me the chance to go completely crazy in my playing, which is something violists rarely have the opportunity to do!”

Come hear Elizabeth go completely crazy on Sunday, March 6, as she makes her Utah Viola Society debut!

Sunday, March 6, 3pm, Dumke Recital Hall, University of Utah.

 

Meet Megan Mason, Violist, AND Composer!

On Sunday, March 6, as part of the Utah Viola Society’s Spring Viola Recital, Megan will be performing her original Sonata for Solo Viola entitled “Delayed.”

In Megan’s words:

The solo viola sonata is called “Delayed,” and I’ll be playing the 3rd movement (Fog) and 4th movement (Following Carlow).

The suite is about some of the craziest airport delays/cancellations/layovers I’ve had in my touring career (something I think everyone can relate  to!) I first wrote the fourth movement while lying across Dublin airport chairs, trying to rearrange travel in three languages and get the Irish folk tune “Follow Me Down to Carlow” out of my head. I gave up trying to sleep and instead wrote a character piece, which I’ve recently been expanding into a full suite.

The two movements are quite contrasting. “Fog” has some Hindemith-like elements and describes the very haunting experience of being fogged in at the Baltimore Airport for 24 hours, the day after the horrific Newtown shootings. “Following Carlow” is, by contrast, upbeat and tonal, with a hint of obsession and some ridiculous airport noises thrown in for good measure.

While I have performed “Following Carlow” a few times, “Fog” is brand new, and this will be its premier.

Come hear Megan’s new piece at the Utah Viola Society Recital on Sunday, March 6, 3pm at Dumke Recital Hall, University of Utah!

 

Featuring works by Martinu, Bach, Mason, Tower, Pintscher, Schumann, Wreede.

Performed by Bigelow, Ottesen, Mason, Beilman, Bayless, Johansen, Zalkind and Edwards.

Roberto Diaz is coming to Utah for a week-long residency with the Gifted Music School!  There will be a masterclass and recital open to the public. Roberto Diaz will present a viola masterclass as well as a chamber music masterclass. The recital will feature Roberto Diaz performing the Telemann Viola Concerto and Schubert’s Trout Quintet with students from the Gifted School. Learn more at the Gifted Music School website!

Masterclass: Thursday, February 11, 2016, at the Gifted Music School facility (150 S. 1000 E., Salt Lake City, UT)

• Viola Masterclass 1:30-3:30; Performers include Madison Marshall, Andrew Oliverson, Mackie Moore, and Bianca Quigley.
• Chamber Music Masterclass 4:00-5:30

Recital: Saturday, February 13, 2016, 5:30 pm, at All Saints Episcopal Church (1710 S. Foothill Dr., Salt Lake City, UT

It’s time again for the Primrose Memorial Concert! This year’s concert honoring the memory of William Primrose will feature violist Sheila Browne in a masterclass and recital. The masterclass will be Thursday, January 21, in room E-400, Harris Fine Arts Center at BYU from 5-7 pm. The recital is on Friday, January 22, 7:30pm at the Madsen Recital Hall, Fine Arts Center, BYU. Both of these events are free and open to the public!

Sheila Browne will be presenting works by de Falla, Rochberg, Prokofiev, and Jongen. Her collaborative artist is BYU Professor Dr. Jeffrey Shumway.

Shelia Browne is currently on the faculty of North Carolina School of the Arts, and enjoys a varied international career of solo engagements, chamber music, and teaching.

Master Class, Thursday, January 21, E-400, Harris Fine Arts Center., BYU, 5-7 pm, free admission

Primrose Memorial Concert, Friday, January 22, Madsen Recital Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU, 7:30 pm, free admission