CEDAR CITY – Three exceptional young violinists will shine at the upcoming Orchestra of Southern Utah concert next Thursday.

Roy L. Halversen taught countless students throughout Southern Utah during his career. In honor of his dedication to young musicians, the Orchestra of Southern Utah presents the Roy L. Halversen Young Artist Concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Cedar City Heritage Center.

The concert will feature performances by talented violinists from Southern Utah Tara Tichenor, Marisa Barth, and Hillary Dalton. The major concert sponsor is the Sterling and Shelli Gardner Foundation.

Tichenor performs “Violin Concerto, Op. 61 No. 3, Molto moderato e maestoso,” by Camille Saint-Saens. Tichenor is the Concert Master for the Dixie State College Symphony Orchestra and the Associate Concert Master for the Southwest Symphony.

She was a featured Soloist for the Southwest Symphony’s Salute to Youth. She is currently pursuing her Bachelors of Science Degree in Music with an emphasis on education.

Tichenor has performed with her family, Celtic Band “Wooden Tantrum,” at various community events for the past 11 years. They recently put on a benefit concert for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. They have also been part of many other benefit concerts as well as festivals, conventions, marathons, and the Huntsman World Senior Games.

Barth plays “Violin Concert No. 5, K. 219, Allegro aperto,” by W. A. Mozart

She is a 17-year-old honor student at Cedar High School. She has soloed with the Intermountain String Institute Honors Recital, Rocky Mountain Strings, OSU Recital Series and Cedar City Arts Festival.

Last summer she soloed as the fiddler in the Utah Shakespearean Festival Greenshow. Barth also received superior ratings at Region and State Solo and Ensemble, and played in Abravanal Hall with the 2010 All-State Orchestra. She presently plays in the CHS Orchestra, CHS Chamber Ensemble, and the Orchestra of Southern Utah.

Dalton performs “Scherzo-Tarentelle, Op. 16” by Henri Wieniawski. This 15 year old from Circleville performed a solo with the Southwest Symphony Orchestra for the 2009 Salute to Youth Performance. She has performed at the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute in Salt Lake City, and served as Principal Second Violin during the Young Musicians Summer Festival at Brigham Youth University.

She has also performed at Abravanel Hall and Tuacahn. She is currently Concert Master for Zion Youth Symphony Orchestra, a member of the “3-to-1” quartet, the Utah Symphony Youth Guild, and All-State Orchestra.

OSU performs “Symphony Op. 98 No. 4” by Johannes Brahms, under the direction of OSU Music Director and Conductor Xun Sun. Brahms wrote four symphonies, and they are considered among the greatest in symphonic music.

In the first somewhat somber movement Brahms plays with the conventional sonata form, showing that he thoroughly understood the form yet could go beyond it at will. The energetic third movement represents Brahms in a lighthearted mood. He would later boast that “three kettledrums, triangle, and piccolo will, of course, make something of a show.”

The final movement is cast unexpectedly in a strict theme and variations form. The variations are often quite elaborate but the basic theme is never abandoned.

The Halversen Concert is performed annually in memory of Roy L. Halversen, a beloved music educator who came to Cedar City to teach after years of training at Juilliard and in Germany. He stayed in Cedar City for years, building the string program at Southern Utah University, and establishing a standard of musical excellence in Cedar City. He became a teacher and mentor to countless young musicians throughout the area.

In honor of his memory and dedication, OSU selects musicians from Southern Utah, ages 14-25, by audition to perform as soloists during the concert. Auditions included taped and live performances and were under the direction of OSU Executive Director Pete Akins.

The Roy L. Halversen Concert is next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Heritage Center (105 N. 100 East) in Cedar City. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Lobby music is provided by the The Accidental Five with Robby Carnesecca and Tana Jenson on trumpet, Johnny Gallis on French horn, Bethany Brinton on trombone and Tyician Knight on tuba.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and children age six and older, and $30 for groups of six. OSU requests only children older than 6 attend as the concerts are recorded and podcast worldwide. For more information on the concert or podcasts, please visit the OSU website at www.orchestraofsouthernutah.org. or call 586-2286.