The UTC Symphony Orchestra is led by conductor Sandy Morris.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra will present its annual spring concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, in the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
Free parking is available in the adjacent Lupton Hall parking garage. Both the parking garage and the Roland Hayes Concert Hall are handicap accessible.
The 55-member college/community orchestra, led by UTC Symphony Orchestra conductor Sandy Morris, includes University music majors and non-majors, UTC music faculty, area music educators and other amateur and professional musicians from the region.
One of the highlights of the concert program is the premiere of a three-movement work, “The Empress of Ireland,” composed by UTC music composition/instrumental music education major Tyler West.
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,” Morris said. “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 UTCSO performance also includes dances from “The Nutcracker Suite” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and “Danzon No. 2” by Arturo Márquez.
“The other pieces on our program are well-loved works requested by our graduating seniors,” Morris said. “Even though it’s springtime, the ‘Nutcracker’ dances are timeless, and it’s good for these students to experience this work before graduating and possibly playing it later as professional musicians. ‘Danzon No. 2’ by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez is an exciting work that combines soulful solos with lively Latin dance rhythms.”
To learn more about UTC concerts, recitals and performances, visit the UTC Department of Music events page.
Location: The UTC Fine Arts Center is at the intersection of Dr. Roland Carter Street (formerly known as Vine Street) and Palmetto Street on the UTC campus.
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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.”
