A Note from the School of Music

KC’s Corner

Here at the beginning of my second term as Director of the School of Music, I am still overcome with gratitude for the brilliant colleagues, inspiring students, engaged alumnae, and supportive donors that I have the pleasure to work with daily.  I am proud of the community we have built both inside and outside the physical structures of the School of Music, the conversations I continue to have with people whose lives have been changed by the work of our faculty and staff, and the privilege it is to guide the next generation of University of Utah musical scholars and educators toward a strong future of artistic engagement and leadership.

Though we often come together in moments of joy here at the School, this semester, we have found ourselves standing together in moments of sadness and reflection as we have mourned the loss of two impactful humans in our community.  I will share a bit of each of their stories here.

Kyle Elwood (2001-2025)

Kyle Elwood was pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Science in Biology degree with an Emphasis in Neurobiology and a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance with a Minor in Chemistry.  He was an Undergraduate Researcher in the Rose Lab at the U with plans to attend medical school to specialize in neurosurgery, an active member of our A Cappella Choir, a compassionate and concerned member of the Ideals Committee here in the School of Music, a volunteer interpreter and eye test examiner in Hispanic communities across our region, and a principal organist for Spanish-speaking LDS young single adult congregations. 

As I have spoken with our faculty who had the privilege of knowing and teaching Kyle, they have shared that he was an intensely conscientious person with tremendous integrity, respect, emotional maturity, and a strong moral compass.  Kyle consistently improved the experience of those around him, he was engaged in all his coursework, and he went out of his way to offer kindness and generosity to friends, teachers, and total strangers. The quote on the top of the résumé he shared with one of our faculty members is by Ralph Waldo Emerson – “All life is an experiment.”  What an insightful, brilliant, and compassionate human who we have been blessed to have walk beside us.

Edgar J. Thompson (1935-2025)

Edgar T. Thompson devoted more than 25 years to shaping the choral program at the University of Utah School of Music, where he served as Chair from 1979 to 2001. A gifted conductor and educator, he led the A Cappella Choir on tours across the U.S. and Europe, inspiring generations of students with his passion and precision. He also directed the Utah Symphony Chorus for 21 years and was instrumental in launching the beloved Messiah Sing-In. His leadership transformed Gardner Hall through major renovations, including the creation of Libby Gardner Concert Hall and the Thompson Chamber Music Hall, named in his honor.

Thompson’s academic journey in music began at California State University Long Beach, where he earned a master’s in Choral Conducting before completing a PhD in Music Education at the University of Utah. After retiring in 2003, he was named Emeritus Director and continued to support the School through the Edgar T. Thompson Music Education Scholarship and archival contributions. His legacy endures in the halls he helped build, the students he mentored, and the vibrant choral tradition he cultivated at the U.

I recently came across a poem that touched my heart deeply. I find the words to be true, comforting, and remarkably real, and they were some of the first ideas that came to mind as I reflected on these two remarkable lives.

‘Tis a Fearful Thing ~ Judah Halevi (1075-1141)
Translation by Rabbi Chaim Stern (1930-2001)

‘Tis a fearful thing
To love
What death can touch.
To love, to hope, to dream,
And oh, to lose.

A thing for fools, this,
Love,
But a holy thing.
To love what death can touch.

For your life has lived in me;
Your laugh once lifted me;
Your word was a gift to me.

To remember this brings painful joy.

‘Tis a human thing, love,
a holy thing,
To love
What death can touch.

My prayer is that we will continue to hold Kyle, Ed, and their families close to our hearts; that we will stand in “painful joy” in a community of support and gratitude for the times when we make extraordinary things happen together; that we will cling tightly to moments of peace and love and grace; and that we continue to walk in the radiance of the beautiful souls who have left us far too soon but provided us with a path of kindness, curiosity, and service to others to light our way.  We are not alone in this journey.

Kim Councill
Director of the School of Music 

Connect with us at the UMEA reception
Friday, February 6, 2026 | 5 p.m.
Hilton Garden Inn, Mariposa room (there will be signage)
Light appetizers