The Idaho Falls Symphony has a strong program for music education in our community. Many IFS concerts cater to families with young children, and Symphony Ambassadors make annual classroom visits to our elementary schools. But perhaps no effort attracts the attention of music educators in southeast Idaho like the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony, which is under the umbrella of the non-profit Idaho Falls Symphony Society organization.
Designed as an advanced student orchestra, the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony welcomes members as young as age thirteen to join by audition. Many students choose to stay in the Youth Symphony throughout their high school careers, and past alumni have gone on to advanced degrees and even professional careers in music. Over the years, there have been many excellent conductors acting as the Music Director of the Youth Symphony, including the most recent conductor, Darrell Brown. During his tenure between 2012-15, Mr. Brown transformed the group into a dedicated ensemble of more than 100 players while premiering new works and featuring soloists from within the Youth Symphony’s ranks.
With Darrell and his family moving to Nevada, the Symphony Society launched a regional search for the next conductor of the Youth Symphony. After an exhaustive process and some restructuring of the organization’s responsibilities, the IFS has hired not one but two new conductors: Kendell Nielsen was selected as the next Music Director of the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony; and Ariel Loveland as the first-ever Assistant Conductor of the Youth Symphony.
Kendell and Ariel are the perfect combination for the Youth Symphony. They have shown incredible devotion to music education, they are inspiring to play for, and we know they will bring out the best abilities in our students. The recent trend of tremendous growth in the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony is sure to continue for many years to come. Both conductors have signed initial two-year contracts with the Idaho Falls Symphony that are renewable.
A faculty member at Brigham Young University-Idaho for 23 years, Kendell Nielsen is currently teaching music in the public schools for Idaho Falls District 91. He recently relocated to Idaho Falls from Boise, where he had been serving as the Headmaster of Fresco Arts Academy, a private performing arts school originally founded by his son, Justin. During his tenure at BYU-Idaho, Mr. Nielsen served as Director of Bands, associate conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, director of Music Theory studies, and as a private instructor of French Horn. He is a recipient of both the Distinguished Faculty and Honorary Faculty awards from BYU-Idaho.
Kendell has served as an associate conductor of the Meridian Symphony (Boise) and the New American Philharmonic (Ogden), and he has guest conducted the Magic Valley Symphony in Twin Falls. As a free-lance professional horn player, he has performed frequently with the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera, as well as the Pioneer Memorial Theatre, Triad Center Theatre, and Promised Valley Playhouse in Utah. Kendell was a founding member of the Targhee Brass Quintet, and on more than one occasion, he has served as principal horn for the Idaho Falls Symphony and the Idaho State Civic Symphony in Pocatello.
Ariel Loveland is an experienced orchestral violinist, chamber musician, and violin soloist. As it happens, Ariel was once a student in the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony, and so she is especially excited to stand up and conduct the orchestra that was such an important part of her musical upbringing. After graduating from BYU-Idaho with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, Ariel taught orchestra and choir in the Shelley School District. She has performed with the Idaho Falls Symphony as a violinist for over ten years, and she is currently establishing herself as a recording artist. She enjoys serving her community, and from the viewpoint of the Symphony Society, she has one of the most infectiously positive personalities in the state of Idaho. Ariel currently lives in Rexburg, Idaho, with her husband and their two children.
Students and parents interested in more information about the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony should visit www.ifsymphony.org and click on the “Youth Symphony Homepage” button. The website includes detailed information about the dates and requirements for student auditions, plus past programs and biographies of our distinguished conductors. All interested students are encouraged to audition and get involved. Don’t miss the biannual concerts of the Youth Symphony—the talent of these students has to be seen and heard to be believed! Tickets and information are available at www.ifsymphony.org.