UVU Symphony Orchestra stuns audience with solos, Dvorak’s New World Symphony

February 23, 2017

3 min read

Photo Credit: Sarah Sanchez

Chaotic music fills the air as the musicians prepare their instruments for Concerto Night Feb. 11. The Ragan Theatre is filling up as parents, students and supporters prepare for the musical spectacle. Finally, the conductor enters the stage followed by a round of applause. The lights dim as the UVU Symphony Orchestra begins.

“My boyfriend Nathan plays trumpet at UVU. I’m here to support him and because I really like music. It’s really fun dating him because it gives me opportunities to come to things like this,”said Aryanna Hyde, international relations in Arabic major at BYU.

The symphony began with four solo pieces. Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major featured Ching Yao Chang, a cello soloist. His performance was energetic as he bobbed his head and tapped his toe. Next was Marcel Grandjany’s Aria in Classical Style. Bridget Ence Jackson, a harp soloist, delicately strums a beautiful black, gold and red harp; she made playing the harp look easy. Afterward, AnQi Ning, a solo violinist, enters the stage to perform during Pablo de Sarasate’s Introduction and Tarantella. Ning’s performance is flawless as she vigorously slides her bow across the violin.

Finally, Claire Glaittli, a soprano and senior in vocal performance, enters the stage to accompany the orchestra during Mozart’s Die Hölle Rache and Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. The audience was blown away the minute Glaittli opened her mouth. Her operatic voice was incredible. She sang with profound emotion and clarity, and her performance seemed on par with professional opera singers. “To be honest, [Glaittli] was my favorite. It was that Mozart. I got goosebumps listening to it,” said Michael Cheney, a senior in commercial music.

“I really enjoyed [Glaittli’s] singing. She was really, really good. It was fun because I’ve been listening to these songs online with Nathan as he was preparing … We were watching professional people sing it and she sounded just as good as they did,” said Hyde.

Once the solos were finished, the orchestra began Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No.9 From the New World. The four movements from Dvorak’s symphony were influenced by Native American and African American music. Adagio, Allegro Molto, the first act, evoked images of nature, the forest and community. Largo, the second act, was reminiscent of a great discovery; it was like seeing a beautiful landscape for the first time. Scherzo, the third act, sounded like a vicious battle. The musicians played faster and faster, flying into a breathtaking crescendo. Allegro con Fuoco, the final act, carried beautiful triumphant notes. The music seemed to be a celebration of the victory from the battle in the second act.
“I loved the show. … The new world symphony was really powerful,” said Cheney.