Alicia Ross is a dance artist, choreographer, and arts administrator based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
She is the Founder and Director of Fem Dance Company, where she has spent the past five years
performing, choreographing, and creating opportunities for women in dance to share their artistic
voices. One of Alicia’s most notable evening-length works, Hear Her, was honored by The Utah
Review as "an enlightening, sensitively structured choreographic contemplation" that spoke to
the power and truth of the #MeToo movement. Additionally, she has presented screendance work
with TEDxSaltLakeCity, performed in Kaley Pruitt’s Het Bonhe in New York City, and presented
a solo at Small Plates Choreography Festival in Austin, Texas. She most recently produced an
evening-length work, Concurrence, which explored the idea of multiple feelings, perspectives,
and experiences unfolding concurrently in our lives, examined through both a global lens and at
an individual level. Alicia applies feminist principles to reflect on the incredible and vulnerable
human experience, utilizing visceral storytelling and deeply emotional expression throughout her
work.
Alicia is honored to be collaborating with NEXT Ensemble for The Shape of Sound. She is
especially excited to explore the intersection of movement and music, considering how the two
art forms can deepen and transform one another. Through this multidisciplinary project, she
looks forward to bringing her artistic perspective as a choreographer and performer to create an
experience that invites audiences to encounter music not only through sound, but also through
the body.

David Campbell writes music about the things that shape us: the mind, mental health, and the ways ideas from other art forms can find their way into sound. His pieces often start from an unusual connection, such as a harmonic system, a musical form, or a concept borrowed from another discipline. The goal is always to reach the listener. For David, a piece of music is something one person says to another, and he aims for work that is adventurous in form but still moves people and makes them think.

David studied composition at Southern Utah University, Western Washington University, and Stony Brook University. His teachers included Hal Campbell, Keith Bradshaw, Leslie Sommer, Roger Briggs, Sheila Silver, and Perry Goldstein. His music draws on the classical canon as well as the many voices shaping new music today.

David is the Artistic Director of NEXT Ensemble, an Ogden-based nonprofit dedicated to bringing new music to local audiences. He is also a founding board member of Opera Contempo, which develops and produces new opera.

Two operas are on his desk right now. Love Droids is a chamber opera with librettist Anthony Buck, set for production by Opera Contempo in 2028. Nova is a full-length opera with librettist Jennifer Campbell, planned for a 2028–2029 premiere. He also continues to write new chamber works for NEXT Ensemble.

The compositions of Andrew Maxfield—hailed as “rhythmically vital ... superbly judged ... [and] tender” by Fanfare Magazine—have been performed throughout the U.S. and Europe. A recent winner of the King’s Singer’s New Music Prize (Jury Special Commendation), Andrew has been a Composer Fellow of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and Composer-in-Residence for Newburyport Choral Society, Southern Virginia University, and Sound of Ages. His “well-crafted, approachable” works (Dr. George Case, The Boston Cecilia) have been performed by groups ranging from Utah Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Omaha Symphony to Chanticleer, The Gesualdo Six and The Choir of Royal Holloway, recorded on multiple albums, and are published by Walton, Santa Barbara, and Yalecrest. Andrew learned his craft at the EAMA–Nadia Boulanger Institute in Paris, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, the University of Bristol (UK), and the ACDA Choral Composers Forum, via mentorship with Philip Lasser (Juilliard), John Pickard, Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Marti Epstein. Please visit andrewmaxfield.org/hello.

Composer/Performer Randall Smith lives in pursuit of a creative practice that challenges categories and
defies assumptions and expectations about genre, style traditions, and the foundations of music itself.
Viewing music as a uniting and edifying force, Smith's interests chiefly lie in unusual and unexpected
collaborations with musicians and artists of various disciplines and media as well as community experiences
that challenge traditional concert formats and participant roles.
Never one to shy away from the bizarre, Smith makes up one half of punk-classical duo Counterpoint
Hangman, an ensemble that evades description at every turn, combining stylistically fluid spontaneity with
edgy, experimental theatrics.
Hobbies and extra-musical pursuits include cooking, reading everything in sight, learning languages, and
Chinese martial arts.

Violinist and violist Blanka Bednarz holds a DMA and MM from the New England Conservatory in Boston and a BM from the University of Kansas. A native of Poland, she is an alumna of the J. Kaliszewska Talent School in Poznań and studied with Eric Rosenblith, Ben Sayevich, and James Dunham. She also participated in master classes and chamber music studies with members of the Borromeo and Cavani Quartets, James Buswell, and Patricia Zander.

As a soloist, Dr. Bednarz has appeared with the Changsha Symphony, Connecticut Virtuosi, the New England Conservatory Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta Polonia, Utah Valley Symphony, Sinfonietta Vidin and other ensembles. During the 2007–08 season, she served as first violinist of the Vega String Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at Emory University, praised by The Strad as a "marvelous foursome."

An active chamber musician and orchestral performer, she has collaborated with distinguished artists including Barry Snyder, Rita Sloan, John Novacek, Doris Stevenson, Vedrana Subotić, Ning Lu, Simon Gollo, Stephanie Chase, Airi Yoshioka, and Richard Stoltzman. She has also performed with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Alarm Will Sound, the Baltimore, Utah, Harrisburg, and Changsha Symphonies. She has collaborated with artists from the Park City Chamber Music Festival and Market Square Concerts (PA). In Utah, she has performed in the Intermezzo, NEXT, Nova, and Timpanogos Chamber Music Series and has served as concertmaster of the Utah Metropolitan Ballet.

Dr. Bednarz has performed throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Italy, China, Finland, and Lithuania. Her appearances have taken her to renowned venues including Jordan Hall (Boston), Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York), Beijing Concert Hall, the Philadelphia Ethical Society, Miller Hall, and Aula UAM in Poznań.

Her recordings are available on Capstone Records, Acte Préalable, and Musica Omnia. Her 2017 recording of works by Karol Szymanowski with pianist Matthew Bengtson received a Silver Medal from the Global Music Awards and earned her an Honorable Mention from The American Prize.

Dr. Bednarz has previously served on the faculties of Emory University, Dickinson College, and the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. She currently teaches violin and chamber music at the University of Utah, the Peterson School of Music (formerly the Gifted Music School), and the International Musicians Academy in Bulgaria. Among her students are numerous competition winners, UMTA. She has served as a judge in competitions such as MTNA and UMTA.

Dr. Bednarz serves as Executive Director and Conductor of the Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra and as Associate Conductor of the Utah Valley Symphony, with which she presented concerts at the Scera with Jeremy Jordan and Loren Allred, Dallyn Bayles, Mindy Smoot Robbins, among others.

Selected Reviews

"Bednarz is clearly a remarkable violinist." — Daniel Morrison, Fanfare Magazine

"Bednarz's violin playing illuminates every detail of these sometimes nigh-impossible works." — O'Connor, American Record Guide

"Outstanding Polish violinist." — Marek Zaradniak, Głos Wielkopolski (Poland)

Tia Jaynes was born on an Army base in Landstuhl, Germany, but grew up in Salem, Oregon. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the Pacific, her Master of Arts degree at the University of Iowa, and her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Flute Performance at the University of Utah. She has appeared as a soloist with the Taylorsville Symphony, American West Symphony, Paradigm Chamber Orchestra, and the 2010 international broadcast of the General Women’s Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She won the Utah Flute Association Concerto Competition in 2005 and 2007, and the National Flute Association’s Convention Performer’s Competition in 2020. In October of 2019, she was honored to travel to Riesa, Germany, as part of a delegation from Sandy, Utah to celebrate Riesa’s 900th anniversary. While she was there, she performed in a gala concert in the flute section of the Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen. She has served the Utah Flute Association as a Vice President, President, Librarian, and Treasurer. She has performed with Ballet West, Utah Metropolitan Ballet, American Heritage Festival Orchestra, Utah Choral Artists, American West Symphony, the Paradigm Chamber Orchestra, Beautiful Dreamer Trio, and Kairo By Night, an Egyptian cabaret ensemble. Tia freelances, has worked as an adjunct professor at Salt Lake Community College, Weber State, Snow College, and Utah State, and maintains a private flute studio. She enjoys taking naps, traveling, and exploring national parks with her husband and three children.

Chinese/American pianist Ning Lu is an acclaimed recitalist, orchestral soloist, and educator. He began his musical journey at age four, later studying at the middle school attached to Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music under Pinguo Zhao—the mentor to virtuosos Lang Lang and Yuja Wang.

An award-winning artist, Professor Lu has won competitions across China and the US and performed over 400 recitals worldwide. He has led masterclasses internationally and currently serves as a full Professor of Piano at the University of Utah School of Music, where his students frequently win prestigious national and international competitions.

Natalie Tolman is a performer and choreographer holding a BA in Dance Performance and
Choreography as well as a 200 hour yoga certification. She has performed with Utah-based
companies including Junction Dance Co., Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company, Fem Dance
Company, and Playground Dance Project. She is driven by a desire for diverse performance
and choreography opportunities, ranging from traditional concert dance and multi-artist
collaborations to immersive work within queer spaces that integrates contemporary movement
with drag and burlesque productions. Her experience in somatic practice informs her creative
process, inspiring movement that feels honest, embodied, and meaningful. Through her creative
process, she explores the human experience through the lens of womanhood, studying the
relationships and connections that shape our lives.

Olivia is an Utah based dance artist, choreographer, and teacher. She grew up dancing at Canyon View Arts Center, Utah Dance Artists, and Riverton High School. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Southern Utah University with a Bachelor of Science in Dance and minor in Arts Administration in 2024. She currently teaches at Artistic Endeavors Dance and has continued to perform as a freelance artist in Salt Lake City with organizations such as Myriad Dance, Wasatch Contemporary Dance Co, Fem Damce Co, Amor Dance Creatice, Allium movers, etc.

Julia Ozdych is a movement artist and climber originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. She earned her BFA in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and spent six years living and working in New York City as a dancer and artist. Julia has performed and created work in theaters, film, and site-specific environments, and has trained with artists and companies including Trisha Brown Dance Company, Bill T. Jones, Doug Varone, Alvin Ailey, and Yin Yue. She is currently based in Salt Lake City, where she continues to dance, teach, climb, and create work.

Sarah Lorraine is a performing artist and choreographer from St. George Utah. With a full-ride scholarship, Sarah received her BFA in Modern Dance Performance at Utah Valley University. During her time at UVU, she had opportunities to perform with the companies Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Diavolo, and hip hop crew M.O.S.A.I.C. Since graduating in Spring 2021, Sarah has danced with Creators Dance Project, Oquirrh West Project, Myriad, Fem Dance Company and Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company. Sarah is passionate about researching ways to show the athleticism of dance and how to communicate that through movement quality and textures. She has shown this in her choreographic style through teaching at dance studios, Highschool dance companies, and collaborative work. Sarah is currently performing her 4th season with Fem Dance Company and excited to be apart of her 2nd season with Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company.

Lyndsi received her BFA in Dance Performance from Brigham Young University, where she performed with DancEnsemble and Contemporary Dance Theatre. During her time at BYU, she had the privilege of learning from and collaborating with professionals including Natalie Desch, Daniel Charon, Ihsan Rustem, Sarah Pearson, and Patrik Widrig. Since graduating, Lyndsi has been involved in a variety of companies and projects throughout Utah, including performing with Salt Pro under the direction of Courtney Mazeika and serving as a member and teacher with Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company.
Lyndsi believes deeply in the power of movement to communicate stories, thoughts, and ideas that words cannot adequately express. She is excited to continue exploring that power through choreography and collaboration with NEXT Ensemble and Fem Dance Company.

Bronté Hopkins is a dance maker and educator originally from Southern California. She holds a
BS in K-12 Dance Education from Brigham Young University and an MFA in Dance from Sam
Houston State University, where she also served on faculty. Before her graduate studies, she
directed a high school dance department in Utah, producing full-length evening concerts,
presenting at festivals, and touring with her students in New York City.
Described by her colleagues as a "force of energy and light," Hopkins seeks to create work that
uplifts and inspires the human spirit. Her choreographic research in world-building and
immersion led her to CONCRETE's Immersive Dance Theater conference in New Jersey, where
she worked closely with directors Stephanie Batten Bland, Leslie Kraus, and Dan Safer. Drawing
on tools from those workshops, interviews with dance makers in the field, and the scholarship of
Mark J.P. Wolf, she built an evening-length, semi-immersive work based on the world of Beatrix
Potter in collaboration with her dancers and dramaturg Aliya Qureshi. She was recently
recognized by the LDS Center for the Arts, which awarded her a grant to continue this research.
Hopkins is thrilled to be performing and creating with FEM Dance Company and NEXT
Ensemble. Her work for the Socrates aphorisms series explores the cognitive dissonance that
arises when ignorance battles true knowledge, a reminder that no one can see clearly with their
head buried in the sand.

All That Remains moves through scenes from a life, moments and memories that stay connected to one another even as they drift in and out of focus. Some surface vividly and then begin to fade, and over time memory softens and reshapes them until all that remains is whatever our minds have turned them into. But every so often, something comes back as it really was, and for a moment we can still remember.

Aphorisms are short statements with deep meaning. Usually they can be elaborated and interpreted in different ways. I was curious if it can be done by music. Here I present my view of four aphorisms by Socrates. (I intend to write more eventually.)

1. “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” The key words here are knowledge and ignorance. Knowledge for me is something, which makes sense and constant. It is also calm, rational, and predictable. The ignorance brings a contrasting distraction of order, thus altering the truth.
2. “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events; weak minds discuss people.” The key words here are ideas, events, and people, which in my composition stands for sections A, B, and C. ‘Ideas’ (A) are represented by a seed growing into many branches, or everything returns to a seed. ‘Events’ (B) may be important, but often the transition from one state of mind to another is more valuable. Each instrument starts with one pitch and transition to another pitch by a glissando. What makes it exiting; each instrument’s arrival point is unpredictable. ‘People’ (C) in Socrates’ treatment are objects without individuality. I thought the minimalist approach to pitch organization here would fit this image adequately.
3. “I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think.” For me, various polyphonic manipulations of the initial melodic material represent closely the process of thinking. Each combination of the instruments brings new colors, but the melody is the unifying feature.
4. An honest man is always a child.” The ‘honesty’ is represented here by a coral-like texture, and the ‘childhood’ is relatively fast, and full of unexpected accents. My task here was to find unity in these contrasting elements, which are naturally juxtaposed, but have the potential to blend and superimpose.
   

I have a hard time making anything that isn’t narrative. My musical training is all in opera, which basically can’t exist without narrative. When writing a piece meant to showcase dancers, narrative immediately springs to mind as well. Day and Night follows this trend. It’s the story of a group of innocent young ladies whose lives are turned upside down by vampires. (Vampires? Really?) Pretty silly, I suppose. Or is it?

Narrative implies meaning. This simple narrative of vampires and young ladies suggests several questions: What is the value of innocence? What does it mean to lose it? Is losing innocence a bad thing? Or is it inevitable?

Musically speaking, I enjoy tonality and even-length phrases, as this piece will demonstrate. Does that make me innocent too?