Kory Katseanes is a Professor of Music and the Director of Orchestras at the BYU School of Music and was the director of the School of Music from 2009-2015.

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

(BYU) The orchestra program at BYU is one of the largest collegiate orchestra programs in the United States. He has also been a guest conductor for multiple orchestras. Katseanes grew up in

Blackfoot, Idaho Blackfoot (Shoshoni language: Soo-gahni) is a city in Bingham County, Idaho. The population was 11,907 at the time of the 2019 census. The city is the county seat of Bingham County. Blackfoot boasts the largest potato industry in any one area, and ...

. He is a member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) and served as a missionary in Switzerland from 1971-73.

Missionary (LDS Church) Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and commu ...

Katseanes first studied music at

Ricks College Ricks may refer to: People * Andre Ricks (born 1996), American basketball player * Bob Ricks (21st century), American police chief * Christopher Ricks (born 1933), British literary critic and scholar * Doug Ricks, American politician and member o ...

and continued on to the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

where he received a Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in violin performance. Katseanes joined the Utah Symphony as a violinist in 1975 and later became its assistant conductor from 1987-2002. He regularly conducted the Symphony on the Entertainment, Youth, and Family Series, at Deer Valley, Abravanel Hall, and at numerous venues locally, throughout Utah, and the surrounding Western States Katseanes was also the founder and music director of the professional chamber orchestra, The Utah Virtuosi. In 1999 he joined the faculty at BYU, and conducts the BYU Philharmonic and BYU Chamber Orchestras at BYU and oversees the operations of the other three orchestras at the university, approximately 450 students all together. Katseanes is also the director of BYU's graduate orchestra conducting program. T In 2021 Katseanes was one of three recipients of BYU's Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Teaching award given to faculty. Under Katseanes direction the BYU Philharmonic orchestra has also been nominated to receive a

Pearl Award :''This article deals with music's role in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outside of the context of worship; for hymns, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hymns or for the hymnal Hymns of The Church of Jesus Chr ...

. Katseanes has been a frequent guest conductor and clinician appearing with the Utah Symphony, Ballet West, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra, and community orchestras throughout the West. He has worked with All-State orchestras in Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. . Katseanes conducted the BYU orchestra for the premiere production of

Glen Nelson Glen Nelson is an American poet, librettist, publisher, writer, and a ghostwriter of several ''New York Times'' nonfiction bestsellers. He wrote the libretto for ''The Book of Gold'', an opera about Joseph Smith publishing the Book of Mormon. He i ...

and

Murray Boren Murray Boren (born 1950) is a composer of opera, symphonic, chamber, and vocal works. He has written nine operas and over 100 songs and chamber compositions. He also contributed to the ''Joseph Sonnets''. Among his operas are ''Book of Gold'' and ...

's ''The Book of Gold''. Nelson is a BYU and NYU graduate who works as a ghost writer in New York City. Katseanes was one of the original members of the College Orchestra Directors Association when it was formed in 2003. In 2008 the CODA National Conference was held at BYU. At the conference Katseanes directed the BYU Philharmonic orchestra in the premier performance of

Libby Larsen Elizabeth Brown Larsen (born December 24, 1950) is a contemporary American classical composer. Along with composer Stephen Paulus, she is a co-founder of the Minnesota Composers Forum, now the American Composers Forum. A former holder of the Pa ...

's "Bach 358". For years, Katseanes lived in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City with his wife, Carolyn and their four children. They have since moved to Provo, UT.

Notes

Sources

BYU biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katseanes, Kory Latter Day Saints from Idaho Brigham Young University faculty Brigham Young University–Idaho alumni Living people People from Blackfoot, Idaho Musicians from Salt Lake City University of Utah alumni American male conductors (music) American people of Greek descent 21st-century American conductors (music) Year of birth missing (living people)