22nd Recital Series Begins Tuesday with Musical Memories

New performing space at 21eleven

Join the musical adventures at our 22nd Annual Recital Series, starting Tuesday, Sept. 4 at a new location:  2111 North Main.  Suzanne Tegland directs the first recital with a romp through the past designed for your entertainment.  Suggested donation is $8 adults and $5 students.

Head north on Main Street

Turn left at Lighthouse, True Life, 21eleven signs

Go to north of restaurant

Hooray you found the new recital location.

Sept. 4 program
Musical Memories
Don’t Stop Believin’ … Steve Perry, Neal Schon, and Jonathan Cain
Hit Me with Your Best Shot … Eddie Schwartz

The 8eez

Tamara Reber, vocals • Stan Szczesny, guitar • Lance Bassett, bass

Lindsay Szczesny, keyboard • Carylee Zwang, drums

Not My Father's Son, from Kinky Boots...Cynthia Lauper, arr. Stephen Oreumus

Matthew Prince, vocal

Suzanne Tegland, piano

Make You Feel My Love … Bob Dylan

Heather Allen

Desperado … Don Henley & Glenn Frey

Benjamin Dowse

With You, from Ghost The Musical …Glen Ballard, David Allan Stewart, and Bruce Joel Rubin

Corlissa Jensen, vocal
Brandon Scott Grayson, piano 

Return to Pooh Corner ……Kenny Loggins

Vanessa Hunt and Jeff Hunt

It’s Quiet Uptown, from THE HAMILTON MIXTAPE …Lin-Manuel Miranda

Tamara Reber

Medley … compiled by Mikelle Dowse

Mikelle Dowse

Love, Me …Skip Ewing and Max T. Barnes

Matthew Prince

New Words, from In the Beginning

Cassie Walker

Beat It … Michael Jackson

Alone …Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly

Livin’ on a Prayer … Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child

The 8eez

Tamara Reber, vocals • Stan Szczesny, guitar • Lance Bassett, bass

Lindsay Szczesny, keyboard • Carylee Zwang, drums

Performer Information:

New band featuring music from the 80s.

Heather Allen

Heather Allen

Heather is a happy mother to three exuberant kids ages 10, 8, and 6. In her spare time she runs

the local BBQ shop, dances, sings, travels, and participates in triathlons as much as possible.

Her favorite role, other than mom, has been Ado Annie in “Oklahoma”.

Performance Photo

Benjamin Dowse

Benjamin Dowse is a local pediatrician, who loves to perform and play. Last year he played Bill

Sykes in the Cedar Valley Community Theater production of "Oliver!", in which he learned that

he doesn't love being an evil murderer but does still love the stage and performing. Most

recently he played Adolphus in CVCT’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone.

Benjamin Dowse

Mikelle Dowse

Mikelle Dowse

Mikelle is a singer/songwripassion for music

and enjoys sharing her passion with others. She plays piano and ukulele, and loves to sing. She

enjoys the songwriting process and recently released her first EP entitled My Disguise. She has

been involved with both the Cedar Valley Community Theater and the Parowan Community

Theater. She and her husband, Ben, have four sweet children, one loving dog, and several

chickens. They enjoy their life here in Southern Utah.

Vanessa Hunt

Vanessa Hunt

Vanessa Hunt has been performing in one form or another most of her life. She grew up in Price, Utah where she found a love for performing at a very young age, singing in community

talent shows and Christmas events and dancing with the Nonstop Dance Company. However, it wasn’t until she moved to Cedar City that she discovered her love for live theatre. She has been

a part of four productions with Cedar Valley Community Theatre, most recently playing Trix the Aviatrix in The Drowsy Chaperone. She previously performed with them in The King and I, The

Wedding Singer, and Oliver! In addition, she performed in Parowan Community Theater’s production of Something’s Afoot. Vanessa graduated from Southern Utah University in 2012 and now works as the Lead Editor for a local magazine. She also currently serves as Secretary for The Guild of the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Jeff Hunt

Jeff Hunt

Jeff Hunt is a guest to the musical community in Cedar City, bringing his talents to the stage to sing with his daughter, Vanessa. When she was growing up in Price, Utah, they had many opportunities to perform together in local talent shows and events. Jeff has performed in his

local community productions of Hello, Dolly! and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. In the past, he has sung with the Layton Interfaith Choir and also had the chance to sing the National Anthem at the State Republican Convention and the Castle Valley Pageant. Jeff loves to sing and perform whenever he has the chance, and he is excited for this opportunity to once again perform with his daughter.

Corlissa Jensen

Corlissa Jensen

Hailing from Pleasant Grove, Utah, Miss Jensen was trained to sing and teach Speech Level Styles (pop, R&B, etc.) prior to attending college. She also attended Southern Utah University for her bachelor’s degree and added on a year to receive her master’s degree as well. Her degrees are in Vocal Performance and Music Technology respectively. Miss Jensen has competed and placed in multiple collegiate competitions but has since chosen to focus less on competitions and more on performance, audio engineering, and education of others. Miss Jensen, and her business partner Rebecca Parkinson, recently started Spark Music Studios to bring music education into the community and are truly enjoying teaching what they love.

Tamara Reber 

Tamara Reber

Tamara is a singer/performer, except when she’s busy running her own business as a personal trainer, teaching voice lessons, or working with her husband to raise their TEN children. Tamara studied performance at both Utah State University and Southern Utah University. After raising her family, Tamara returned to the stage in 2015 as Adelaide in Cedar Valley Community Theatre’s Guys+Dolls, showcased her versatility as Linda in The Wedding Singer, as The

Queen in Once Upon a Mattress, as Lillian in Cheaper by the Dozen, and in her most recent role as the title character in The Drowsy Chaperone. Tamara also recently made her debut as musical director in Parowan Community Theater’s production of Something’s Afoot.

Season Tickets Available for Dynamic Drama Season

Season tickets now available at Cedar Music Store and Studio at 602 South Main or the Heritage Theater.  You may also call OSU Manager Rebekah Hughes at (435) 592-6051 

For preview music visit: Listening links for preview listening

Notice that recitals are at a new location:  21eleven, 2111 North Main near Lighthouse Restaurant and in the True Life building.

Mail orders to OSU, PO Box 312, Cedar City, UT  84721-0312

We are excited to share a season of dramatic and dynamic music with you.  Please join us for recitals at 21eleven and evening concerts and Jubilee at Heritage Theater.

(Season brochure designed by Rollan Fell of the Print Shoppe)

Chicago National Conference 2018

Jackie Riddle-Jackson preparing for the Roundtable presentation at League of American Orchestra Conference in Chicago

Meeting with orchestra representatives from throughout the country

Jackie Riddle-Jackson with conference presenter Vijay Grupta

Roundtable presentation

Arriving in Chicago with luggage sent to Florida

"Hooray" The luggage with all the presentation materials arrives in time.

Report of the League of American Orchestra Conference 2018

By Jackie Jackson

The Key Note address was given by Vijay Gupta, it was transformative and absolutely soul stirring. Vijay began by playing a piece for us (unaccompanied solo Violin) that he had arranged himself, a medley of both classical and modern pieces he loved that intertwined and created a message to those listening.

Vijay's personal story also gave us pause, while being a child prodigy his parents wanted him to be a doctor, so he actually studied science and graduated from college when he was 17 years old.  As a violinist in the LA Philharmonic he was the youngest to be accepted when he auditioned and still is. Vijay talked about being lucky enough to have privilege and he loves music, he was very pushed to achieve and he started the Street Symphony to find restoration in his life.

Currently he is most well known for his accomplishments in establishing a community program called the "Street Symphony". His motivation for this project was not from the LA Phil (though they are supporters of this venture) , his motivation stems from what he saw as a need for others to find restoration in their lives, using music to provide that he says there is always a divide between musicians and the management.

He posed a question to those in attendance “How do we shift our concert hall to be a place of convening rather than just a place of performance?”  He suggests being intentional with where we place resources and where dollars are best used,  emphasize building a social capital because a concert performance is not just a “gig”.  A part of the power of music is that it is sanctuary both for those performing and listening and he recommends taking out in the community where needed.

Questions to consider for OSU: 

*What is our core mission?

*How do we create not just arts engagement, but also civic engagement?

*We are obligated to be a voice to show up and have radical intimacy.  Are we doing enough and    being collaborative to involve other groups with the OSU.   

*Is it better to go deep than it is to go wide?  Are we doing and being enough?

Other conference presentations:

One of the best presentations in the volunteers section was for the Chicago Symphony where they found a need for older, disabled persons and under-privileged persons to come to a symphony rehearsal in the afternoon.  One man said to a person that played in the orchestra, “Who would want to come and sit by me?” He felt that he wanted to support the symphony but could not afford it.  The person in charge of the guild devised a plan to create a set of volunteers and hosts that would help those in need to come to the final dress rehearsal of the orchestra on the day of their performances free of charge thus eliminating the cost concerns.  This is organized several times during the season and the cost is zero dollars….. The guild arranges volunteers to bring people to the dress rehearsal and help them with walkers, canes, and wheel chairs. They have about fifteen hundred people attend each time that they do this, so you can imagine the commitment of the volunteers. That people would volunteer their time to organize this was impressive as it is a huge act of service.

The issue that was pounded into all those attending the conference was the need to embrace diversity and  to be helpful to those around us.  It is no longer good enough to just meet and play good music, although that is what we should be doing as well, but musicians and orchestras also need to have a social mission.  Many groups from across the nation spoke and created dialogues about it.

Chicago Symphony Concert

Watching the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was truly a dream,  Ricardo Muti a truly gifted and inspired conductor was spellbinding, as together the Chicago Symphony and Yo Yo Ma performed a night of Russian Artists.  The music was extremely difficulty and not for the faint of heart.  Yo-Yo Ma was exceptional and as he closed the conference by speaking, he also mentioned the importance of having a social agenda, and a connection with the community - a theme that was very evident with many of the musicians, that orchestras and musicians need to have purposeful movement in that direction.

Link to League videos from Conference: https://americanorchestras.org/conferences-meetings/conference-2018-1.html

Favorite art from the Chicago Institute of Art with musical themes curated by Rebekah Hughes, OSU Manager

"Perfect evening and lots of lovely new art"

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 4th Annual Soirée Silent Auction and Raffle for Patrons and OSU Musicians

"Perfect evening and lots of lovely new art to bring back to Chapel Hill!", wrote Mary Ussery-White

We are so appreciative of the support you the community and patrons have for your orchestra. The musical entertainment brought a delightful ambience, the new venue gave comfortable room to see items and visit with people, and the lovely refreshments were thanks to Lisa Cox and her team.  This essential OSU fundraiser is directed by Suzanne Tegland and Ariel Wolter Rhoades, both OSU musicians.

Overview of The Barn and Soirée 

Suzanne Tegland, R. Hughes, and Ariel Wolter Rhoades organized the event.

Wilhelm, gypsy jazz opened the evening.

Michelle Lambert and Patty Walser helped check in guests.

Carylee Zwang, helps at Soirée 

Pam Minkler helped greet guests, here Scott Phillips and Fred Adams

Sara Patterson of Red Acre Farms donated a wonderful food basket. She sings in the Chorale.

Carol Ann and Lee Modesitt.

Chorale Director Jackie Riddle-Jackson arrives with two of her children.

LeRoy and Barbara Kuehl, dedicated OSU patrons.

Refreshments from Lisa Cox and her team.

Lisa loading platters in the kitchen.

Carol Bolsover and other guests check out the Silent Auction items.

OSU musicians Callie and Kylaas Flanagan helped with the Soirée and won the Grand Prize Raffle basket

Cedar City Dectet provided live music.

Pam Minkler with serving tier donated by Picky Pickers.