Vocal Performance Major to Sing with Utah Symphony
Published: September 26, 2023 | Author: Kol Gibson | Read Time: 4 minutes
Anne Turner, a senior Vocal Performance major studying under Professor Carol Ann Modesitt, has been selected to perform with the Utah Symphony in the 63rd Annual Salute to Youth concert. Turner will sing an aria from La Favorita by Donizetti at the concert on November 22, 2023, at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City.
The Utah Symphony’s Salute to Youth concert is a longtime tradition that spotlights extraordinary rising talent throughout the state. This year, nine of Utah’s most talented young musicians have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform alongside the Utah Symphony, and audiences have the chance to witness greatness.
The Salute to Youth concert audition process is quite rigorous and begins with the submission of an audio recording. A panel of judges then determines from those recordings who will move on to a second in-person blind audition. Blind auditions, which are the standard in symphony orchestras, are meant to prevent bias by concealing the identity of performers.
“I was thrilled that I got to sing in such a prestigious music hall, and I told myself that even if I didn’t make it, it was worth it to sing in that space,” Turner recalls. “Singing opera in Abravanel Hall reassured my dreams for my future career.”
Fortunately for Anne, she received word the next day that she had earned her spot as a soloist in the Salute to Youth concert. “I’m embarrassed to admit that when I found out, I cried,” she says. “This was the first audition I have been very passionate about, and I knew that singing in this concert would help me to become a professional opera singer.”
In her final year at SUU, winning this prestigious spot at the Salute to Youth concert is a culmination of the experiences and hard work Anne has put into her time at college. From leading roles in the Music Department’s opera productions to winning Artist of the Year at the 2023 SUU Thunderbird Awards, she has truly made the most of her T-Bird experience.
“I have been very blessed here at SUU for having incredible Music faculty and staff that are so supportive,” Anne remarks. “With every performance, audition, and even personal events and recitals, my professors and mentors have shown genuine interest and given priceless advice. I have also gained wonderful friends at SUU and their pure love of music has helped me in my journey.”
“Opera holds a great deal of history and beauty, even if it is not as appreciated as it once was,” says Turner. “People would be surprised by just how much opera they can recognize and how much they would enjoy watching a live production. I am honored to be able to perform such a venerable art form and keep it alive.” What a memorable way for Anne to end an exceptional year of accomplishments.
About the College of Performing and Visual Arts
The College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 41 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM, BMEd) degrees in art, design, dance, filmmaking, music, and theatre. It includes graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 900 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year and is affiliated with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Center for Shakespeare Studies. Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) making SUU the first public university in the state of Utah to be accredited by all four associations. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.
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