Orchestra of Southern Utah to Celebrate Young Composers
Written by Mary Furse
Be among the first to witness live performances of original symphonic compositions by winners of the very first Hal Campbell Young Composers competition. OSU is proud to honor the efforts and vision of these young artists, as well as Dr. Campbell, who served as conductor, librarian, founding board member, and composer for OSU. A gifted pianist and teacher, he held the post of professor of music composition at SUU. OSU is proud to pay tribute to his great contributions to our musical community.
With innovation and a challenge for each section of the orchestra, Zane Lowry’s Adventum is a dramatic hero’s journey. Listen for the call to adventure, the crossing into another world, the road of trials, despair, revelation, and finally, triumph. Lowry has been composing since the age of twelve, and with a passion for orchestral composition, he has honed his craft through workshops, collaborations, and competitions. He was a finalist in the 2021 Berlin International Film Scoring Competition, and continues to pursue a career in film scoring and music technology.
BekaLara Willey Larrucea, an accomplished violinist and vocalist, will solo in her original Fantasy On A Violin.Larrucea began studying violin at the age of twelve months with her mother, and has gone on to solo with the Debut Orchestra in Beverly Hills, Utah Valley Symphony, Timpanogos Symphony, five times with the Utah Symphony, and the UVU Symphony, where she has served as concertmaster and principal violist. Her awards include the Utah Prize in the first Stradivarius International Violin Competition and first prize in the Utah Baroque Competition. Larrucea maintains a studio of young violinists and violists, and serves as associate director of Vivace Chamber Ensemble and as string coach for the Vivace Orchestra Camp and Mountains and Strings Retreat.
The orchestra will also favor us with the works of past masters: Joseph Haydn and Jean Sibelius. If you find yourself nodding off to the lulling strains of Haydn’s Symphony No. 94, you may be in for a surprise. Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 finale is unified by a soaring melody, a flight of joy. Intimate moments, sometimes serene, sometimes foreshadowing, highlight the woodwinds. Triumphant brass and strings widen the scope, depicting a wholesome landscape and a suggestion of coming adventure. Tension and excitement build, then burst into triumph.
The Southern Utah String Quartet will provide lobby music before the performance.
Experience music of the past and present with OSU on Thursday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Heritage Theater. Concert ticket prices are as follows: $12 for adults, $6 for students over six years. $40 for a group of six individuals. Children over six years are welcome. No babies, please, as concerts are recorded. Tickets are now available online at www.myosu.org.
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For Your Calendars:
Dates: April 7, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Heritage Theater: 105N 100 E Cedar City, UT 84720
Tickets: $12 Adults, $6 Students over 6 years. $40 group of six.
OSU Conductor and Music Director Xun Sun shared his experiences conducting in Ukraine at the Thursday rehearsal. He reminded the musicians how fortunate we are to be able to meet together to make music. He remembers three conducting experiences in Ukraine. The first time was in 2007 and the musicians told him about food scarcity and other difficulties. The musicians told him that making music was an important part of their lives.
In 2018 basic living seemed a little easier and 2019 showed more improvement. The musicians still had challenges, but there was more optimism. Now, March 2022, Ukraine is under attack. Water, heat, and electricity are unavailable to some. We are hoping for a favorable resolution for the Ukrainians during these tragic times.
"I don't know about the politics, but I do know about the people. We use music to build world peace. As a musician I am sensitive about human beings and emotion. That is my mission as a musician to make a bridge of hope between people," said Dr. Sun. "We share the emotion of people through music. I love and respect my musician colleagues in Ukraine so much and I am deeply feel sorrowful for the Ukraine people because of the war."
Music organizations across the world are performing the Ukrainian hymn which is below the photos.
OSU violinist Derek Wood played at Carnegie Hall as part of an international high school honors orchestra. There were 47 states represented plus Australia, Guam, China, Bermuda, and South Korea.He also plays in the Cedar High Orchestra and was part of the recent orchestra for Marie Osmond's concert at Southern Utah University.
Photo by Derek's mother JaNell Wood from trip to New York for Carnegie Hall performance.
Derek Wood at Carnegie Hall in international Honors Orchestra, Feb. 2022.
Derek at rehearsal with orchestra director Jason Seber.
Derek recognized during the OSU concert on Feb. 10, 2022
Derek as concertmaster for SUU Honors Orchestra under the direction of Xun Sun, Feb. 12.
Article in Cedar City News
15-year-old violinist from Cedar City to play at Carnegie Hall
CEDAR CITY —A 15-year-old violinist from Cedar City is one of an elite group of students selected for the 2022 High School Honors Performance Series and will perform at the world-famous Carnegie Hall.
Undated promotional photo of Derek Wood, 15, of Cedar City, Utah, autumn 2021 | Photo courtesy of Oh Snap Photography, St. George News / Cedar City News
Derek Wood, who is a student at both Cedar High School and Southern Utah University, will perform as a member of the honors string orchestra, one of the five honors ensembles selected to perform at the prestigious venue in New York City the first week of February.
Cedar City News recently caught up with Wood during a short break in his busy schedule.
“I get to go play with other teenagers and some younger adults, and we’ll play as an orchestra,” Wood said. “We’ll play some really cool music. There’s one called ‘Perseus,’ and we have to learn some new pieces for it.”
Wood said he was one of 10,000 young music students who submitted audition recordings earlier in 2021 as part of the application process. Of those, just 500 musicians from around the United States and a few other countries were selected, including Australia, Bermuda, China, Guam and South Korea.
The string orchestra group in which Wood will play comprises approximately 100 members.
Derek Wood, 15, warms up before Orchestra of Southern Utah’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 12, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Wood said as far as he knows, he is the only performer from Utah who was chosen this year.
Wood, who started playing violin at the age of 4, has studied music for the past 11 years under the direction of instructors Sara Penny, who is a member of the Orchestra of Southern Utah and vice president of the Cedar City Arts Council, and Dr. Xun Sun, director of orchestral activities at SUU.
Wood previously performed with the Missouri Youth Conservatory and also had the opportunity to perform with The Piano Guys when he was 10 years old.
More recently, Wood performed with Marie Osmond during her Dec. 1 concert at SUU. The following week, he performed in Orchestra of Southern Utah’s two-night production of Handel’s “Messiah.”
When he’s not busy with music or schoolwork, Wood said he enjoys spending time outdoors. This past fall, he competed as a member of the Iron Giants high school mountain biking team.
“I like to ride,” he said. “I get to go out into nature, and that helps me in my music a little bit because I can express some of that in my playing.”
“It’s really good for me to be able to do that, because if you focus on just one thing, like the violin, you get so focused on that subject that you don’t learn about other aspects that can add cool, new ideas to what you are learning.”
Wood said he also enjoys playing board games and making 3D art designs on the computer.
Derek Wood, 15, practices his violin at home, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 31, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Wood says he’s on track to get his associate’s degree from SUU next year before he even finishes his junior year at Cedar High. He plans to continue studying at SUU and get his bachelor’s degree in music.
Wood said he’s excited about his upcoming trip to New York and has already started practicing the music he and his fellow orchestra members will be performing.
Wood said it typically takes him about one month to master a new piece.
“If I really work hard at it, though, it takes two weeks, and then I can keep working on it,” he said. “It just keeps getting better and better the longer I work at it.”
In a recent news release about the upcoming Honors Performance Series, program director Marion Gomez noted that working with the performance series conductors and performing at Carnegie Hall is a “once-in-a-lifetime experience that these musicians will never forget.”
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Celebration concert.
Here are a few photos. We appreciate everyone involved in keeping live symphony orchestra music a part of Cedar City's culture. Thank you to Rebekah Hughes, OSU Manager, for the photos.
Tuning as seen from the balcony.
Dr. Xun Sun directing as seen from backstage.
Sara Penny provided the concert introductions
A few musician closeups:
Violinist Derek Wood was recognized for his participation in an international honors orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City the Saturday before the concert.
Soloists for the Vaughn Williams piece:
Heather Wilhelm, OSU concertmaster
Nina Hansen, cello section leader
Concert program:
OSU Donors who help make it possible for Cedar City to have a symphony orchestra:
