The Northern Utah Youth Symphony and Chamber Orchestras will present their Season Finale Concert, Honoring the Golden Spike, Friday, April 26th, 7:30 pm, at Box Elder High School. Admission is free thanks to our generous sponsors.
The Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Nathan West, will open the concert with an Americana theme, including the Colonel Bogey March, Chuck Thompson's Iron Horse Suite, movements 1 and 2, and the Orange Blossom Special.
The orchestras will then combine to perform the theme from Mission Impossible.
The Youth Symphony, conducted by Conrad Dunn, will perform the Dittersdorf Harp Concerto featuring Ambree Burggraaf, Chariots of Fire, music from West Side Story, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. There will be a specially constructed indoor balloon cannon at this performance, thanks to the creativity of Dr LaMar Johnson.
We are truly grateful to our season sponsors for supporting this effort: Classical Strings, BrainTrainUT, PetsFirst! Wellness Center, Edge Orthodontics, Cache Valley Endocrine & Diabetes Center, Sentinel Law Group PC, Pride Mechanix and Design, and Post Products.
Ambree Burggraaf is a junior at Weber High School and has played harp for 11 years. Living in Seattle, Washington, Ambree began the harp at age 6 with Leslie McMichael. In Utah, she currently studies with Julie Keyes, who plays with the Orchestra on Temple Square and is an instructor at Weber State University and Dixie State University. She started Suzuki violin at age 3, and then switched to the harp.
Ambree has had the opportunity to perform at weddings, and has charmed audiences in numerous assisted living centers. This past year she was invited to be part of recording projects with a local musician. She is a volunteer for the Ogden Symphony Ballet Association Youth Guild, and has loved performing as a pre-show artist at the Weber State Browning Center.
This high honor student is an officer in the National Honor Society. She has received superior ratings in Solo and Ensemble festivals for the past three years. She loves being involved in music, and has participated in various choirs and musicals. Ambree started piano at a young age, and she currently teaches private piano lessons to beginner students in order to save for a pedal harp of her own.
Other accomplishments include The American Harp Society—Utah Chapter Rosalie R. Pratt Award 2014-2017 and the Konrad Harp Award 2017-2020 which awarded the use of this harp.
Ambree would like to thank all those who have made miracles happen in her life. She is especially grateful for her family, teachers, and the American Harp Society, Utah Chapter for their help and generous support.
