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Chamber, Philharmonic Orchestra concert April 3 to preview Carnegie Hall repertoire

Includes premiere of K. Newell Dayley's "A Perfect Brightness of Hope"

On Thursday, April 3, the Brigham Young University Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Kory Katseanes will present a concert that will include the world premiere of a piece the Chamber Orchestra will perform at New York’s famous Carnegie Hall this spring.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Harris Fine Arts Center’s de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets are $10 for general admission or $7 with a BYU or student ID and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office or by calling (801) 422-4322.

The concert will be the premiere performance of K. Newell Dayley’s “A Perfect Brightness of Hope.” An emeritus music professor and former administrator at BYU, Dayley may be best known for his sacred songs, hymns and choral settings, such as “Lord, I Would Follow Thee,” “I Feel My Savior’s Love” and “Faith in Every Footstep,” which are widely used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In addition to premiering Dayley’s work, the orchestras will also perform Leonard Bernstein's Overture to “Candide” and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Sheherezade.” Faculty artist Jennifer Welch-Babidge, soprano, and guest artist Nathan Botts, trumpet, will be featured as soloists.

In May, the Chamber Orchestra will embark on a tour of the Eastern United States that will conclude with a performance in Carnegie Hall’s main performance hall, the Isaac Stern Auditorium. Housing performances by the world's greatest soloists, conductors and ensembles since 1891, the auditorium's renowned acoustics have made it a favorite of audiences and performers alike

"It has been said that the hall itself is an instrument," said Isaac Stern, the late violinist for whom the auditorium is named. "It takes what you do and makes it larger than life."

The opportunity to perform at such a prestigious venue is rare. The Chamber Orchestra is only the second performing group in BYU history to perform in Carnegie Hall, following the BYU Singers’ performance there in 1999.

“Carnegie Hall is the best concert hall possibly in the world,” said Kory Katseanes, Chamber Orchestra director. “Playing in such a storied concert hall is so exciting.”

In addition to “A Perfect Brightness of Hope,” the orchestra’s Carnegie Hall concert will include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4, Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and Rossini’s famous Overture to “La gazza ladra.”

The orchestra’s three-week tour will also include performances in venues such as Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall, sometimes referred to as “the Cradle of Liberty,” where early statesmen and politicians gave speeches promoting independence.

For Eastern states tour ticket information, contact BYU Performing Arts Management at (801) 422-3576.

Writer: Marissa Ballantyne

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