After a temporary break, the Uintah Basin Youth Chamber Orchestra is back with a small
but mighty group of youth musicians ready to enrich life in the Uintah Basin by sharing
classical music. At its peak, the organization had a full orchestra with over 50 youth
members but the pandemic hit the group hard and the organization had to take a
temporary break after its 6th season. Determined to rebuild the program and at the urging
of youth members ready to resume a challenging ensemble experience, board members
recruited Clayton Johnson, orchestra teacher at Roosevelt Junior High, as the new
Creative Director. Johnson joined director Brian Gibson in the fall of 2023 and the pair
have worked with a talented group of 9 youth orchestra members for a 7th Season of the
Uintah Basin Youth Chamber Orchestra. A common trait of these talented string players,
ranging in age from 11 to 17, is they excel in other pursuits as well. One example is
13-year-old Cello player Anna Buhler who designed the concert poster that has been
shared online and displayed around the community. This is Anna’s first experience with
this youth orchestra. “I’m happy that there is an orchestra now because last year there
wasn’t one and I feel like I’ve improved a lot,” shares Anna. “I came from a youth
orchestra in the city where there were about 100 kids. This one is more personable.” The
hard work of this group will culminate with a Season 7 concert at the Uintah High School
Auditorium taking place tomorrow evening, March 28th, at 7:00 pm. Anna and her fellow
youth orchestra members will play numbers including Rondeau from Abdelazer Suite by
Henry Purcell as well as an arrangement of The Inner Planets by Gustav Holst, and more.
The concert is free and all are invited.
