The premiere of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga music composition/instrumental music education major Tyler West’s three-movement work, “The Empress of Ireland,” highlighted the UTC Symphony Orchestra’s annual spring concert on Sunday, April 21, in the Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall.
West, a junior and graduate of Ridgeland High School in Rossville, Georgia, also plays trumpet in the orchestra.
“We are very proud to premiere a new orchestral work by one of our own players,” UTC Symphony Orchestra conductor Sandy Morris said prior to the concert. “I first met Tyler as a member of my youth orchestra a few years ago, and when he approached me about premiering his new orchestral work, I was delighted.
“One of my goals as a conductor has been to perform music by living composers. What better chance to help bring a work to life than with the composer in attendance each week to give feedback and answer questions from the orchestra and me? This is an incredible opportunity for the orchestra to experience the evolution of a new piece of music.”
The 55-member college/community orchestra included University music majors and non-majors, UTC music faculty, area music educators and other amateur and professional musicians from the region.
To learn more about UTC concerts, recitals and performances, visit the UTC Department of Music events page.
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Tyler West
Tyler West Bio
Tyler R. West is a junior at UTC pursuing his bachelor’s degree in both instrumental music education and music composition. He resides in Chickamauga, Georgia, and attended Ridgeland High School, graduating in 2017. He credits his former high school band director, Rick Chambers, for having the most impact on his love for music. West says, “He taught me how to tell a story and convey deep emotion through the music that I compose. This inspired me to pursue music as a career. I plan to be a high school band director and composer when I graduate from UTC. I hope to share my passion for music and pass on the knowledge I’ve gained to future generations so that they too can appreciate the magnitude of what can be done through this incredible art.”
