2012 Camerata Award Winners
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School of Music Celebrates Roger L Miller and the S.J. and Jesse E. Quinney Foundation at its 12th Annual Gala
The School of Music presents its 12th annual Camerata Awards Gala on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, in honor of the 2012 Camerata
Award winners, Roger L Miller and the S.J. and Jesse E. Quinney Foundation. The evening
includes an honoree reception, dinner, and a program of classical favorites presented
by the University of Utah Chamber Choir, directed by Barlow Bradford, and the Utah
Philharmonia, directed by Robert Baldwin, among others.
In honor of the award recipients, two selections will reflect some of their musical
favorites. Since the Quinneys shared a love for opera, a cast from the university’s
Lyric Opera Ensemble will perform selections from Puccini’s “La Rondine.” To honor
Miller – a nearly 20-year member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir – the choir’s organist,
Rick Elliott, will perform a solo piece.
This much-anticipated event celebrates the contributions of passionate and dedicated
individuals who have served and contribute to the School of Music in meaningful ways.
Roger L Miller
From his first appointment as a visiting assistant professor in 1982 to his retirement
as a full professor, Dr. Miller's 25-year tenure was marked by a dedication to engaged
teaching and unprecedented expansion of the school and its facilities. He worked
closely with former department chair Dr. Edgar J. Thompson in the planning and construction
of the brand new Libby Gardner Concert Hall and the renovation of David P. Gardner
Hall into a world-class teaching environment.
Thanks to the family of Emma Ray Riggs McKay, the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation,
Caroline Abravanel, and other donors, Dr. Miller was able to assist the School of
Music in assembling an impressive collection of research and study materials for the
newly-established Emma Ray Riggs McKay Music Library. He also oversaw the selection
and planning of the beautiful Lively-Fulcher pipe organ for the new concert hall,
made possible through the generosity of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.
Beginning in 1985, he was invited to write the broadcast continuity for the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir's weekly program, "Music and the Spoken Word," which he did for the
next 25 years. After retiring as Professor Emeritus and ending his long association
with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, "Dr. M" currently serves on the Utah Chamber Artists
and Heritage Music Series boards and has recently undertaken a project to write critical
commentaries on the lives and contributions of a number of Utah composers and musicians.
The S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation
S.J. and Jessie Eccles Quinney gave many gifts during their lifetime to the arts, education and other charitable institutions in the State of Utah. They gave unselfishly to their alma mater, Utah State University, and particularly to its College of Natural Resources. Their generosity also extended beyond Logan to the Salt Lake community and the University of Utah. Their lifetime of giving is carried on through the Foundation they established whose ten board members are members of their family and Joe’s law firm partners.
After graduating from the Agricultural College of Utah (U.S.U) in 1916, Joe completed his first year at Harvard Law School and then returned to Logan to marry Jessie Eccles. They returned to Boston where Jess enrolled at Radcliffe College and Joe finished his last two years and graduated from Harvard Law School. Upon relocating to Salt Lake City in 1919, Joe became a founding partner in the Salt Lake City law firm of Ray Quinney & Nebeker. Joe was also a member of the group that financed and developed Alta Ski Resort.
Jess was a daughter of David Eccles, pioneer industrialist, entrepreneur, financier and philanthropist who taught his children the importance of thrift, hard work and contributing their talents, time and gifts to their community and country. David Eccles’ framed portrait can be seen within the background of the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney portrait that will hang in the U. of U. School of Music’s Hall of Honor.
Jess was an active volunteer and financial supporter of Ballet West and Utah Opera, and Joe served on the board of directors of the Utah Symphony for many years. Although Joe passed away in 1983 and Jess in 1982, the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation has continued for the past 30 years supporting the arts, education and other charitable endeavors in Utah.
In 2000, the Quinney Foundation made a major gift to the School of Music that helped establish and build the collection of the McKay Music Library over its first decade. In recognition, the library’s Quinney Reading Area was named in their honor. The S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney Foundation also has provided major sponsorship support for the school’s annual Camerata Awards Gala, as well as student scholarships for the School of Music.
Tickets to the Camerata Awards Gala concert are $10 general admission and can be purchased at www.kingsburyhall.org or at the door.