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Welcome to the 2007-2008 season of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra and
Chorale! Out theme this year is “Continuing the Journey” and this year
is surely our most exciting yet with a great line-up of musicians and
soloists. The journey began in 1980 when the late Irene Evertt, Dr.
Normon Fawson, and Ronald Garner organized the Symphony and kept alive
the vision of building a musical legacy in our community. We are
indebted to them.
- JJ Abernathy
Chair, Board of Trustees
The Southwest Symphony Orchestra is very fortunate to include some
wonderful new players on its roster. With the addition of these players,
the symphony has been able to move to higher musical heights than ever
before. The music I have selected this year is both challenging and
rewarding for the players and interesting and enjoyable for the
audience. It has been and continues to be a most rewarding experience to
rehearse and learn some of these great works.
Gary Caldwell
Gary Caldwell is in his twenty-ninth years as Director of Bands at Dixie
State College in St. George, Utah, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble
and the Theater Orchestra. He was appointed Maestro of the Southwest
Symphony Orchestra in 1989. He has worked with many professional
artists and guest soloists during his career, performing some of the
world’s greatest music literature. As conductor for the Tuacahn
Amphitheater, his orchestras have always received high accolades.
Having conducted and participated in various ensembles’ for many years,
Maestro Caldwell is a competent conductor in a variety of styles.
Maestro Caldwell’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Music
Education from Brigham Young University (1979) and a Master of Music in
Instrumental Conducting from Northern Arizona University (1986). He has
studied with numerous private conducting coaches including Kory
Katseanes (Utah Symphony) and Dr. Newell Dayley (BYU). As a trumpet
player, Mr. Caldwell is indebted to these excellent teachers and
musicians: Dr. Newell Dayley (BYU), Ed Gornik (Utah Symphony), Alan Ware
(free-lance recording artist), Tom Gause (UNLV) and Charles Way (NAU).
Other highly-influential musicians Mr. Caldwell has worked with include
Tom Leslie, Director of Bands at UNLV and Allen Vizzutti, free-lance
trumpet virtuoso. As an educator, Mr. Caldwell is involved in the
development of music in the St. George public schools by frequently
lending his expertise as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor.
He has adjudicated in Utah, Arizona and Nevada at the region and state
levels. His guest conducting appearances include junior and senior high
honor bands, community college bands, and a special appointment to
conduct a hand-picked orchestra and chorus for a tour of Japan.
Dr. Robert Briggs
Dr. Robert Briggs (D.A. University of Northern Colorado, M.M.A. Bowling
Green State University of Idaho) has been Director of Choral Activities
and Professor of Voice and Music History at Southwestern Michigan
College and Dodge City Community College over the last seven years. He
is a certified KMEA and MSVMA Adjudicator and Clinician, adjudicating
over 150 choirs each year. He has also served as clinician in many
school districts, including the Indiana 350 Voice “Circle the State With
Song” performances. Dr. Briggs has been a tenor soloist with many
symphony orchestras and choirs, and was a chorister in the Utah Symphony
Chorus and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. His choirs have performed at
MENC All-State and All-Northwest Conventions on four occasions, and have
been invited to tour Europe and Mexico. Dr. Briggs is a published
composer/arranger, and author of articles on Music History and
Choral/Vocal Performance. He is originally from Idaho, and has taught
and directed in many states.
Ed Candland - Conductor of the ZYSO
In addition to conductor of the Zion Youth Symphony Orchestra, Mr.
Candland is the director of Instrumental music at Pine View High School.
His ensembles have received top honors, scholarships’, and awards. He
loves to teach music and enjoys working with the student musicians of
Southern Utah. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University
of Utah where he studied trumpet under Edmund Cord, Alan Weight, Phil
Margoules, and Scott Hagen. Mr. Candland is grateful for his involvement
with the Zion Youth Symphony Orchestra and the opportunity it brings.
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