Current and former members of the Brigham Young University Chamber Orchestra will perform together in a memorial concert honoring Clyn D. Barrus on Saturday, March 8.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Admission is free and tickets are not required.
As director of orchestras at Brigham Young University, Barrus conducted the Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestras, taking students on many tours throughout the world. In 1993, he was made chairman of the Department of Music and was instrumental in changing that department into a School of Music, serving as its first director.
He held that position while continuing to conduct the Chamber Orchestra, teach viola and conduct the Utah Valley Symphony until he became ill in August 1997. He underwent surgery and treatment for a malignant brain tumor, eventually passing away on Feb. 27, 1998.
Barrus’ notable career took him across Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. While his many achievements as a musician and educator were distinguished, those close to him say his most significant attribute was his genuine concern for others and his ability to extend sincere love and support for all with whom he came in contact.
The BYU Chamber Orchestra, now under the direction of Kory Katseanes, will play selections from its current tour repertoire that were also performed during Barrus’ tenure as director. The orchestra will perform Gioachino Rossini’s famed “La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie)” Claude Debussy’s “Petite Suite,” Richard Strauss’ “Emperor Waltz” and Aaron Copeland’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Appalachian Spring.”
Specializing in classical works, the Chamber Orchestra’s technical quality and diverse repertoire have earned it the highest recommendation rating from the National Endowment of the Arts, as well as a recording contract with Pyramid Records of Paris.
The group frequently tours in the United States and Canada and has performed in China, Taiwan and throughout Europe. The orchestra will embark on a tour of the Eastern United States in May that will conclude with a performance in New York’s Carnegie Hall on June 4. For more information, contact Kory Katseanes at (801) 422-3331.
Writer: Marissa Ballantyne
