Piano Guys Include Suzuki Strings in Performance

Thanks to Blaine Hofeling for sharing these videos of the Feb. 3, 2016 performance in Cedar City at the SUU Centrum:

Piano Guys with Suzuki Strings students: https://youtu.be/ojW8RXIA9MY and from a different angle
https://youtu.be/O7iJGsChNLM

Sound check was in the afternoon: https://youtu.be/b5ZJ0TYoHG

It is fascinating to see all the stage, light, and sound set up for a big production.  Thanks to the students who participated, their families, and the teachers who helped.  Thanks to Mindy Benson and her staff for persevering to get this wonderful group to SUU. The biggest thanks is to the Piano Guys for nurturing and encouraging all ages to engage in live music.  Their joy and enthusiasm is contagious and we have been excited to see their rise to an internationally prominent group.

Thanks to the parents, teachers, and SUU Alumni Office for sharing photos:

Three group rehearsals before the sound check and the music had to be memorized

Soundcheck in the afternoon

Backstage before the performance

Performance

After the performance backstage

Steven Sharp Nelson has been coming to Cedar City to perform since he was in high school with Jack Ashton's "Young Artist Chamber Players".  He also wrote two symphonies for Orchestra of Southern Utah with Marshall McDonald that Sara Penny helped facilitate. Dr. Xun Sun directed the world premiere performances of both "Spanish Trail Suite" and "Africa" are available on the OSU youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/OrchestraofSouthernU  There are also interviews with Dr. Sun and the composers.

At the Meet and Greet, photos thanks to SUU Alumni

With teachers Patty Walser, Marin Colby, Sara Penny, and Amy Gold

The Blaine and Kirsten Hofeling family are friends of Jon Schmidt so the whole event had the feel of a family reunion.

The local pipers who participated included Jameson Fife, 2nd from left, who participated in Suzuki Strings as a child.