Artisit to perform 13th annual Christmas concert
Kurt Bestor has been bringing the Christmas spirit to audiences for the past 12 years and will continue the tradition Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall.
“It’s something I look forward to all year long,” Bestor said. “I want to raise awareness and spread the love among the Loganites.”
Due to budget issues, Bestor did not perform in Logan last year and said he has received many requests to bring his Christmas concert back to Cache Valley.
Bestor, who has been involved in music all his life, released his first CD of Christmas music in 1988 and performed his first concert of that music after his record company urged him to. Bestor’s record company was hesitant about the CD at first because the only popular instrumental Christmas music at the time was Mannheim Steamroller. However, after the success of the CD, the record company pushed for a concert and after a near sell-out of the concert, Bestor had no problem continuing the tradition. Bestor attributes his first holiday success to his clever tactic of calling local radio stations and requesting his own music.
“It created a mystique about who I was and got my music played and sure enough people showed up and liked it,” Bestor said.
Fans of Bestor’s music can expect such favorites as Prayer of the Children and Christmas classics like Joy To The World as well as hear new music. At every Christmas concert Bestor performs a new Christmas carol he’s written and gives it to the audience. A casual and relaxed feeling can also be expected from the concert.
“I talk to the audience a lot. I like to feel like I’m sitting in my front room just sharing music feelings about Christmas,” Bestor said.
The feeling shared between the audience and performers is also a reason Bestor loves performing, he said.
“The thing I like least about performing is the applause. I like the communication with the band, audience and me. I feel an electricity between me and those listening. It’s a beautiful thing,” Bestor said.
This year’s concert will be a little different than usual, however, because where in years past the concert has been filled with classic Christmas songs from other countries, Bestor wants to “come home” this year. The American music group “Yankee Clipper” with fiddles, accordions and other instruments will perform as Bestor’s guest.
“I want to go back to the days when I was 11 years old in my pajamas with the little feet, opening my first Erector set,” Bestor said.
Music has always been in Bestor’s blood. Bestor’s grandfather played the trumpet in the Tommy Dorsey jazz band and Bestor first started writing music in junior high when he realized how playing the piano at a party made him very popular with girls.
Music was always a way of getting attention for Bestor. In high school, Bestor wrote music for band and choir and realized he wanted a career in music when he saw the movie Jaws and realized that someone was getting paid to write the music being played.
Bestor has gone on to record many albums as well as write music for jingles and motion pictures. Bestor also received an Emmy for the music he wrote for the 1988 Winter Olympics.
The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City requested help from Bestor. He, among other artists from around the world, will be performing cultural concerts on four different occasions at Kingsbury Hall. Bestor is involved in an Olympic CD with music that teaches Olympic values as well as a CD with partner Sam Cardon called “Celebrate the Spirit of These People” which consists of music written and dedicated to different athletes.
Bestor recently returned from SeaTreak 2001, a three-week Scandinavian and United Kingdom tour of music celebrating the pioneers coming across the ocean. A new album of Bestor’s high-lighting different instruments from around the world will also be coming out this spring.
Tickets to “A Kurt Bestor Christmas” in Logan range from $17.50 to $22.50 and can be purchased at the Taggart Student Center Ticket Office. Bestor will also be performing in Boise, Idaho Dec. 1 and in Salt Lake City Dec. 7, 8, 10 through 13.
“It’s (the concert) about as long as a Harry Potter movie, but a lot more fun,” Bestor said.