Murray Symphony

03/10/2024

11/04/2024

SATURDAY
APRIL 27 | 7PM
Hillcrest Jr. High
Admission: $8
Children 10 & under free
MurraySymphony.org

09/04/2024

This dancing raccoon want you to come to the concert on April 27, 7:00 PM Hillcrest junior high

04/04/2024

Get ready for an unforgettable Parisian experience on April 27th!

24/03/2024

Watch, follow, and discover more trending content.

21/03/2024

Apr 27, 2024, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Murray, 178 E 5300 S, Murray, UT 84107, USA
The Murray Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Michelle Willis and Ernest Nielsen, romances the audience with the works of French-born composers - from years past and the present. Selections include DeBussy's Suite Bergamasque, recognized by the Clair de Lune movement.

13/03/2024

Join us for our concert, Inspired by Paris
Saturday, April 27 at 7 PM

05/02/2024

✨Member spotlight of the week: Rebecca VanSleeuwen ✨

Rebecca is a bass player at heart!

She began as a violin player, as many do, but switched to bass in 8th grade with two of her best friends. (Best decision ever!) The junior high orchestra teacher handed the three girls a bass and an instruction book for beginners and sent them to a back practice room to figure it all out. That's the only bass lesson she's ever had! Since then, string bass has become an incredibly rewarding part of her life. Rebecca played through junior high and high school including a performance with the Utah High School Honors Orchestra and a year each with Granite Junior Youth and Granite Senior Youth Symphonies, picking up electric bass along the way.

She then joined multiple groups at Snow College, and then played a few years with West Valley Symphony. When moving to Cedar City for her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in communication, Rebecca played four years with the community group, the Orchestra of Southern Utah, as well as groups on campus including the concert symphony, string ensemble, and jazz band.

More recently she has enjoyed playing all over Salt Lake including her current positions in Murray and the Taylorsville–SLCC Symphony, and occasional spots with Kensington Symphony, Kensington Theatre Group (for musicals), American West Symphony, West Valley Symphony, and anywhere else that will let her pop in for a performance or two. Her favorite places to perform have been the Tabernacle on Temple Square, Libby Gardner Concert Hall at the U of U, the Heritage Theater in Cedar City, and of course Abravanel Hall downtown.

Rebecca's passion in life and in her career is communication. She works as a corporate communications writer and content development manager, loves puns, and enjoys a well-placed semi-colon. Music is her favorite hobby, though. She loves that she's always found a way to include music in her life and is grateful for the groups and conductors who have helped make that happen.

11/01/2024

✨Member spotlight of the week: Aaron Anderson ✨

What instrument(s) do you play?
Bass Trombone
Trombone
Euphonium/Baritone

Where are you from?
West Valley City

Tell us about your background
I started playing the trombone 35 years ago in 4th grade. The reason was very simple, Dad played the trombone so it was easy for him to teach me how to play. In High School. I joined the Murray symphony. I played for about a season and half until I went on a mission to Cincinnati, OH for two years. After that I came home and the first thing I wanted to do was get started back in Murray mid season. I've been here ever since.
I enjoy playing in musical pits, where I met Sierra doing the Scarlet Pimpernel in Bluffdale. Well we technically met the year before doing whatever show that was, but it was the Scarlet Pimpernel when I decided to ask her out and six months later we were married. Now we have 4 kids, with Freia being the oldest who wants to start playing trumpet with us.
I got my degree in Mechanical Engineering, but work in the civil industry and am a licensed professional engineer in 18 states working with water and wastewater equipment.
I play games, a lot. One of our favorite things to do is play games of all kinds, dungeons and dragons, world of warcraft, and whatever new game we can buy each year.
That's really about it. I play music with Murray Symphony, Kensington, and Riverton. I play games with family and friends (who are really just extended family), and in my spare time I engineer things for money.

Favorite musical memory?
All I can say is family is the favorite memory. Without my Mom we would NEVER have been able to play this long. As the kids have grown up over the past 19 years, it was Mom who watched all eight (8) grandkids so that Sierra, Melody, Paul and Myself could come to rehearsals every week. She made dinner for all families every Wednesday. In fact, when it comes to thinking about my week, I do not think of the week as being from Sunday to Saturday, or even Monday to Sunday. No, my week is Thursday to Wednesday. And activities have always been scheduled around the end of my week. Of course as the kids grew up Mom didn't have to do as much, the older kids could help watch the younger kids, everyone contributed to dinner which unfortunately hasn't happened since Mom and Dad went on their mission to Alaska and I hope that starts up again when they get back. I know you want a picture of me, and Sierra says I shouldn't use this picture, but without everyone in this picture, I would not be here. There I am, over there on the right, kneeling next to Sierra with our dog. Currently there are 6 people in this picture who play with the Murray Symphony and one more who hopefully joins soon.

05/01/2024

✨Member spotlight of the week: our amazing Associate Conductor Jim Thompson ✨

What instruments do you play?
- Primary instruments: string bass (both classical and jazz), bass guitar (rock), piano
- Other instruments: viola, violin, cello, guitar

Where are you from?
- Born and raised in Salt Lake City (grew up in East Millcreek area) and bought a home 3 streets away from parents in 1990--currently still living there.

Tell us about your background
- Started piano lessons at age 5 and violin at 8. Played in school orchestras through elementary and junior high, but in high school switched to bass because the teacher needed a bass player. Have played in orchestras, bands, jazz bands, some rock bands ever since high school.
- Attended University of Utah receiving three degrees--Bachelors 1982, Masters 1987, and Phd in 2012 all while teaching high school instrumental music--first at Granger High, then Granite High, and currently at Bingham High School.
- Was a member of the 23rd Army Band (Utah National Guard) playing bass and serving as platoon leader as well as rehearsal conductor for 26 years (1990--2016)
- Played in numerous pit orchestras for community Musical Theatres,
- Conducting high school groups for over 40 years, and participated either by playing in or conducting honor student groups, as well as some community groups at various times--ie. Salt Lake Symphony, American West Symphony, Davis County Orchestra, Cityjazz Band, Murray Symphony

Why did you choose your instrument? (Bass)
- Because it afforded hundreds of playing opportunities some paying and many not paying.
Favorite memory in Murray Symphony?
- I think I'd have to say last summer doing all of the Americana pieces, especially the ones by Aaron Copland

17/12/2023

See you tonight!

16/11/2023

✨ Member spotlight of the week: Michelle Willis!✨
Michelle has been a part of Murray Symphony for 5 years and is in her second year as the Music & Artistic Director. She is originally from Idaho Falls and came to Utah with her husband in 2000. Michelle has taught orchestra, ukulele, and guitar at Early Light Academy in South Jordan since 2014 and conducts the Kensington Symphony Orchestra, which focuses mostly on pit orchestra playing for their sister organization, Kensington Theatre Company. She is the mother of four wonderful children and loves to support her husband as he serves as a member of the Tabernacle Choir. She enjoys reading, hiking and being outside, and animals of all kinds.

09/11/2023

✨Member spotlight of the week: Leon Francis! ✨

Leon is an oboe player who was born and raised in Lethbridge, Alberta. He is the 6th of 10 children and comes from a very musical family. His mother was a violinist, his father was a singer, and his siblings were all very talented with most of them playing instruments and others studying art and ballet.

When asked why he chose his instrument he responded: “It chose me!”

He first taught himself to play the trumpet at age 16 and then found a teacher to help him grow his skills. A year later he stared playing the trombone as well, and after another year he was playing trombone in competition stage band! Over time he also taught himself to play other instruments (including the tuba and the flute), and while he says the oboe was calling to him, he didn’t pick it up at the time.

He played trumpet through college while majoring in computer programming, and several years later was playing trumpet for a production of The Sound of Music. The orchestra ended up having four trumpets but no oboe! So after they finished the production he finally picked up an oboe and taught himself how to play.

And we’re so grateful he did! We are so lucky to have his amazing talent on our team!

02/11/2023

✨NEW footage from the conductor’s point of view, featuring orchestral suite “The Wasps” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Can feel them buzzing?