Mat Kearney, Jenny Oaks Baker, others set to perform at BYUI - East Idaho News
Arts & Entertainment

Mat Kearney, Jenny Oaks Baker, others set to perform at BYUI

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REXBURG — The Center Stage Performing Arts Series has announced its spring and summer line-up of entertainment at Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg.

“There’s already a lot of buzz on campus concerning some of our performers, including Mat Kearney, Alex Boye and The National Parks,” said Don Sparhawk, coordinator of the Center Stage. “We already added a second night for The National Parks because of the interest from college students.”

Sparhawk said, “On the classical side, we are excited to have Jenny Oaks Baker and her children coming for the annual Patriots and Pioneers concert June 30 and Tom Trenney, one of the country’s premiere organists, coming May 18.”

The season opens with the Barrage 8, a high-energy fiddle group of eight string players and a drummer, that will perform Friday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hart Auditorium.

The Falconaires big band, consisting of U.S. Air Force musicians based at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, will give a free concert on Thursday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kirkham Auditorium. Ticket are required and will be available starting April 3.

Women of the World, winners of the 2014 Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, will perform music from around the world Saturday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kirkham Auditorium.

The Idaho Falls Youth Symphony, conducted by Kendell Nielsen of Rexburg, will perform Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” and other works Wednesday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Barrus Concert Hall.

Alex Boye, well known for “Africanizing” some of his music, will return to campus for a concert in the Hart Auditorium Friday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m.

The National Parks, a five-piece band that started in Provo, Utah, in 2013, will play Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kirkham Auditorium.

Singer Mat Kearney will perform in the Hart Auditorium Friday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale April 17 for the show that is expected to sell out quickly.

The annual Patriots and Pioneers concert will be held Friday, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the BYU-Idaho Center. This year’s performance of patriotic and pioneer music will feature the university choirs and band, along with violinist Jenny Oaks Baker and her children.

Following the end of the Spring Semester, two concerts will be held in conjunction with BYU-Idaho Education Week. Ultimi, a trio of tenors, will perform Thursday, July 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hart Auditorium, followed on Friday, July 28, by Mercy River, a trio of female singers performing a program of spiritual music.

A free brochure listing all performing arts events at BYU-Idaho is available at the BYU-Idaho Ticket Office and the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce, or by calling 496-2000. Detailed information can also be found on the Center Stage website at www.byui.edu/centerstage.

Here is more detailed information about each event:

Barrage 8
Friday, April 21
7:30 p.m., Hart Auditorium
Barrage is back…with a twist! Utilizing the same energy, panache and innovative stage performance that Barrage was known for, Barrage 8 features all the instruments in the modern string family. The “8” in the name represents a re-imagining of the string octet: five violins, viola, cello and double bass. This instrumentation drives a rich and powerful sonic palette that further explores the musical diversity in the Barrage 8 compositions and arrangements. Barrage 8 presents what the Barrage name has come to represent worldwide: “A memorable presentation of music, from many genres and cascading generations, delivered in a way not seen or heard before.”
Tickets go on sale April 3. $6 for BYU-Idaho students, $12 for general public. No children under four. Classroom dress.

U.S. Air Force Academy Falconaires Big Band
Thursday, April 27
7:30 p.m., Kirkham Auditorium
The professional airmen-musicians in the Falconaires Big Band follow in a long blue line of talented Air Force Academy bandsmen who are dedicated to serving our great nation and representing the young men and women at Air Force Academy. The versatility and professionalism of this unique ensemble reflects the great diversity and ingenuity that makes our air force the greatest air, space and cyberspace force the world has ever known. The Falconaires play a major role in cultivating our national heritage through America’s only indigenous musical genre — jazz!
Tickets available April 3. Free. No children under 4. Classroom dress.

Women of the World
Saturday, April 29
7:30 p.m., Kirkham Auditorium
Women of the World, who were the winners of the 2014 Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival, was formed to bring women musicians from across the globe onto a common platform to collaborate and create through the sharing of music. Honoring global folk traditions, their repertoire spans music in 30 languages. Women of the World continues to serve as cultural ambassadors of peace and unity through music and has delighted audiences at venues like Carnegie Hall, Blue Note Jazz Club, Boston Symphony Hall, and the Kennedy Center, as well as through collaborations with the United Nations.
Tickets go on sale April 3. $6 for BYU-Idaho students, $12 for general public. No children under six. Classroom dress.

Idaho Falls Youth Symphony
Wednesday, May 3
7:30 p.m., Barrus Concert Hall
Kendell Nielsen and Ariel Loveland will direct the orchestra’s spring performance. Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition will be featured on the program. The Youth Symphony seeks to enhance school music programs in eastern Idaho while nurturing the talents of the youth in the region by providing a positive, educational, and fulfilling experience in a full orchestra.
Tickets go on sale April 3. $5 for BYU-Idaho students, $10 for general public. No children under six. Event dress.

Alex Boye
Friday, May 5
7:30 p.m., Hart Auditorium
6 p.m., Preshow dinner in Manwaring Center
With more than 110 million total YouTube views and counting, Alex Boyé is “Africanizing” the pop landscape, infusing the explosive rhythms and various languages of his ancestral continent (he was raised by his Nigerian mother) into his music. Embracing his rich heritage after years of successful recordings as a gospel artist, the London born, U.S. based vocal powerhouse is having a breakthrough year as a mainstream pop artist. Alex said, “The ultimate goal is to make people feel good and give them a few moments of uplift, which as I’ve discovered over the years, can have transforming and even lifesaving potential.”
Tickets go on sale April 3. Floor and red seats: $10 for BYU-Idaho students, $20 for general public. Bleachers: $8 for BYU-Idaho students, $16 for general public. No children under four. Classroom dress.

The National Parks
Friday & Saturday, May 12 & 13
7:30 p.m., Kirkham Auditorium
The National Parks began making music in early 2013 in Provo, Utah. Later that year the five-piece band released its first album, Young, and saw it climb to No. 13 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart. ​The success of that album, along with additional chart success from its stand-alone single, “As We Ran,” helped the group get out on the road to play for fans across much of the United States. In August 2015 the group released Until I Live, its second full-length album. The group was named Utah’s “Band of the Year” in 2016 by Salt Lake City Weekly.
Tickets go on sale April 17. $6 for BYU-Idaho students, $12 for general public. No children under four. Classroom dress.

Tom Trenney — Organist
Thursday, May 18
7:30 p.m., Barrus Concert Hall
Known for his engaging improvisations on hymns, submitted themes, silent films, scripture, poetry, and artwork, Tom Trenney became the first organist to be awarded First Prize and Audience Prize in the American Guild of Organists’ National Competition in Organ Improvisation in 2006. Since 2009 Trenney has served as minister of music to First Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he shepherds four choirs, plays the organ and preaches sermons. He is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music.
Tickets go on sale April 17. $6 for BYU-Idaho students, $12 for general public. No children under six. Event dress.

Mat Kearney
Friday, June 2
7:30 p.m., Hart Auditorium
Mat Kearney is a No. 1 iTunes artist whose third album, Young Love, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard digital chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. In addition, Young Love was the first album to oust Adele’s 21 from its resident iTunes No. 1 spot in 2011. His music has been featured in countless television shows and films, ranging from Soul Surfer and Parenthood to The Closer, NCIS, 30 Rock, and Vampire Diaries. His 2006 major label debut Nothing Left to Lose has sold over 450,000 copies, while 2009’s City of Black & White hit No. 13 on the Billboard Top 200. His most recent release Just Kids came out in early 2015, featuring the singles “Heartbeat” and “Air I Breathe.” In between it all, he has supported everybody from John Mayer to Keane on the road.
Tickets go on sale April 17. Floor and red seats: $15 for BYU-Idaho students, $25 for general public. Bleachers: $13 for BYU-Idaho students, $23 for general public. No children under six. Classroom dress.

Patriots and Pioneers featuring Jenny Oaks Baker and Family Four
Friday, June 30
7:30 p.m., BYU-Idaho Center
6 p.m., Preshow dinner in Manwaring Center Special Events Room
The BYU-Idaho Department of Music will present a major concert to celebrate American patriots and pioneers. Violinist Jenny Oaks Baker and her children will join more than 200 students, including the combined choirs and Symphony Band. The Grammy-nominated violinist, along with her four musically-gifted children, combine to form Jenny Oaks Baker and Family Four.
Tickets go on sale April 17. $6 for general public, $3 for BYU-Idaho students. $15 extra for preshow dinner at 6 p.m. No children under 6. Event dress.

Ultimi
Education Week Concert
Thursday, July 27
7:30 p.m., Hart Auditorium
Ultimi (pronounced “ool-tee-me”) combines the vocal and instrumental talents of Isaac Hurtado, Tyler Nelson and Brian Stucki. Joining forces in February 2014, the three have performed well over 100 operatic tenor roles combined and numerous concerts across the United States and abroad. The name “ultimi” means “latest” and has a connection to the Italian name of the shared Mormon faith of Isaac, Brian and Tyler. They will perform a program of popular operatic, inspirational and Broadway music.
Tickets now on sale. $10 for general public, $5 for BYU-Idaho students and Education Week participants. Classroom dress. No age restrictions.

Mercy River
Education Week Concert
Friday, July 28
7:30 p.m., Hart Auditorium
With 15 children between them, it’s amazing that Whitney Permann, Brooke Stone, and Soni Muller have time for anything other than runny noses, sock hunts, and prying suckers off the van floor. But music has been a part of each of their lives since childhood, and is now a strong presence in their homes. The three friends met while singing in the Jenny Phillips Choir and there found a common love for tight harmonies and sharing the gospel through song. Over the past five years, Mercy River has traveled all over the United States and Canada, performing for thousands of people while testifying of the Savior.
Tickets now on sale. $10 for general public, $5 for BYU-Idaho students and Education Week participants. Classroom dress. No age restrictions.

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