Summer of Mozart Premieres at Utah State University

 Utah State University’s Caine College of the Arts and Legacy Music Alliance presents Mozart’s “Grand Mass in C Minor” featuring vocal soloists from the Metropolitan Opera July 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the USU Performance Hall.

“This is music at its finest, comparable to any of the exceptional concerts one may find in New York City, London or any of the great music capitals of the world,” said Craig Jessop, dean of the Caine College of the Arts at USU.

The concert features professional-level singers from across the nation, performing one of Mozart’s many choral masterworks, “The Grand Mass in C Minor,” with Metropolitan Opera soloists Kiera Duffy and Stanford Olsen, USU’s Cindy Dewey and Snow College’s Steven Meredith. The Minnesota Orchestra’s principal bassoonist, John Miller, will also be featured in a performance of Mozart’s “Concerto in B-flat for Bassoon and Orchestra (K. 191).”

“This performance is the first of what will be an annual series of choral masterpieces presented by the Caine College of the Arts and the USU Summer Music Institute,” said Michael Huff, director of special programs for the Caine College of the Arts.  

The concert is one of the culminating events of this year’s USU Summer Music Institute. The annual USU Summer Music Institute offers several enriching musical activities presented by the Caine College of the Arts.

“Under the guidance of Craig Jessop and other leaders from the Caine College of the Arts, the institute is planting seeds that will yield a rich musical harvest,” said Huff.

American soprano Kiera Duffy is recognized for both her brilliant high soprano and insightful musicianship in repertoire that encompasses Handel, Praetorius, Bach, Mozart and Verdi, to the modern sounds of Alban Berg, Elliott Carter and John Zorn.

Stanford Olsen, who made his Metropolitan Opera debut on an hour’s notice as Arturo in “I Puritani” has fulfilled his initial promise as one of the world’s outstanding artists. Olsen has performed at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York and has been featured in Handel’s “Messiah” throughout North America and Europe.

A gifted vocal performer with a tone described as “seamless and superb” by the “Arizona Republic,” Steven Meredith is one of the most sought-after concert performers in the United States. Recent seasons have found Meredith performing “Messiah” with the Utah Symphony and Mozart’s “Requiem” with the Great Falls Symphony.

Cindy Dewey came to USU from West Virginia University where she was the coordinator of all vocal programs, graduate and undergraduate. Dewey is a frequent recitalist and has been a finalist in a number of national and international competitions. Her students have sung at the Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera and elsewhere.

John Miller assumed his present position as Principal Bassoon of the Minnesota Orchestra in 1971, when he also joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota. Since then, he has continued his solo career, performing many times with the Minnesota Orchestra as well as numerous other orchestras.

This Mozart concert is part of Cache Valley’s “Summer of Mozart” with the Old Lyric Repertory Company’s production of “Amadeus” and the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre’s presentation of Mozart’s “Requiem” and “Don Giovanni” this summer. The USU Summer Music Institute seeks to enhance the standard of music-making in Cache Valley, at USU and throughout Utah.

Concert Tickets are $10 for general seating and can be purchased at the Caine College of the Arts Box Office in room 139-B of the Chase Fine Arts Center, online (arts.usu.edu) or by calling 435-797-8022.