Brigham Young University contemporary voice faculty (Korianne Orton Johnson) and classical voice faculty (Diane Thueson Reich) go head-to-head to collaborate on classical, musical theatre, and contemporary songs in this show of friendship, rivalry, and just plain good singing. With a special presentation by BYU faculty pianist Jared Pierce.
Program
FACULTY RECITAL
“HEAD TO HEAD”
*KORIANNE ORTON JOHNSON, soprano
^DIANE THUESON REICH, soprano
JARED PIERCE, piano
PROGRAM
*^Opening Number
*Adele’s Laughing Song from Die Fledermaus Johann Strauss (1825-1899)
*Amor William Bolcom (b. 1938)
^ “Si, mi chiamano Mimi” from La Bohème Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
^Mrs. Noah from Hotel Eden Henry Mollicone (1946-2022)
Tarantelle Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Presentation by Jared Pierce
^ Losing My Mind from Follies
^Sam, You Made the Pants Too Long
adapted from “Lord, You Made the Pants Too Long,” by Sam M. Lewis and Victor Young
*Back to Before from Ragtime
*Rita’s Confession from Lucky Stiff
*^For Good from Wicked
*^Musical Theatre/Opera Mash-Up
Artist Bios
Korianne Orton Johnson
Korianne Orton Johnson is a teaching professor of music at Brigham Young University. She has her BFA in Music Dance Theatre and her MM in Vocal Performance. She has been seen all over the U.S. performing, music directing, and teaching for the past 21 years. Some of her favorite projects have included performing at the National Theatre in Washington DC, performing with Starky Productions in Denver, Colorado, and music directing for several different theaters in the western U.S. She has spent the past 17 years as adjunct faculty in the BYU School of Music, teaching both contemporary and classical voice.
Diane Thueson Reich
Diane Thueson Reich, soprano, is a Professor of Voice at Brigham Young University where she serves as Division Coordinator for Classical Voice, and also teaches Vocal Literature and Supervised Teaching courses. She has previously taught and been the Director of Opera at Central Washington University. She has earned doctoral and master’s degrees from Indiana University. At home in the concert hall or opera stage she has appeared in major operatic roles such as Marguerite in Faust, Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, the title role in Strauss’ Arabella, Nanetta in Falstaff, Rosina in The Ghosts of Versailles, Mimì in La Bohème, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Valenncienne in The Merry Widow, and Antonia in The Tales of Hoffman. Diane has performed with professional opera and theater companies, including the Utah Festival Opera Company, Opera West, Indiana University Opera Theater, Utah Lyric Opera, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma City, and River City Players. She created the role of Rosamond in the world premiere of Michael Valenti’s opera, Beau Nash, performed with Portland Chamber Orchestra.
Diane has been a guest artist with Icicle Creek Music Festival, Third Angle Ensemble in Portland, OR; and also appeared with the Yakima and Walla Walla Symphonies, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Utah Chamber Orchestra, Indiana University Philharmonic, and Indiana State and Utah State University orchestras, as well as soloing in the northwest premiere of George Crumb’s Star Child in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall. Diane was a featured soloist with Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Company in Hanoi, a guest soloist with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic in Russia, and has sung several concerts throughout Vietnam and China. She has been an Artist-in-Residence at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica in Pescara, Italy, and the National University of Arts Education in Hanoi, Vietnam. Diane is a multiple Metropolitan Opera Audition winner in both the Utah and Indiana Districts, and won first place in the Vera Scammon International S.O.S. Voice Competition. She has been the recipient of numerous scholarship and academic awards as well. Diane’s research endeavors have led her to be a leading authority on the vocal music of contemporary composer Henry Mollicone. Reich students have gone on to prestigious graduate programs such as Indiana University, University of Houston, Arizona State University, Cleveland Institute of Music, and University of Missouri-Kansas City. Students have also been accepted to participate in training programs throughout the world.
Jared Pierce, piano
Dr. Jared A. Pierce is coordinator of group piano studies and a member of the piano performance faculty at Brigham Young University. He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Utah, a Master of Music in piano performance from BYU, and a Bachelor of Music from California State University, Stanislaus. His teachers include Susan Duehlmeier, Heather Conner, Irene Peery-Fox, Jeffrey Shumway, Scott Holden, Richard Anderson, and Stephen Thomas. He has performed in the master classes of Ingrid Fliter, Nelita True, Norman Krieger, Alexander Tselyakov, and Jon Nakamatsu. He also spent two summers at the Aspen Music Festival & School studying with Ann Schein, Anton Nel, and Gabriel Chodos.
Dr. Pierce is known as one of Utah’s rising generation of engaging, versatile, and entertaining pianists, composers, and teachers. As a collaborative pianist, Dr. Pierce has worked with hundreds of singers, instrumentalists, and numerous choirs. Recent professional collaborations include internationally renowned artists Øystein Baadsvik, Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot, Jason Hardink, and Stephen Beus. Jared is currently the accompanist for the Utah Chamber Artists and the Utah Symphony Chorus.
Some of his solo piano accomplishments include first place in the 2014 Arne Oldberg Competition, first place in the 2013 SummerArts Solo Piano Competition, the 2010 Earl and Marilyn Kruschke Prize for piano, first place in the 2008 CSU Stanislaus Concerto Competition, and first place in the 2006 Merced Symphony Concerto Competition. As a collaborative pianist, Dr. Pierce has been the joint recipient of numerous prizes including the “Grand Prix de la Ville de Tours” of the Florilège Vocal de Tours 2014 & 2015 International Choir Competitions.