BYU graduate student leads choral recital at Provo City Library

BYUs University Chorale, a high-level choir for students of all majors, performed Tuesday, April 14, at the Provo City Library.

Kelsey Snyder, a masters student in choral conducting, conducted the concert as her masters recital. She was responsible for the entire program and spent the semester teaching the pieces to her students.

I've learned so much about working with an orchestra, and as a choral conductor, we don't always get the opportunity to work with an orchestra. But they were amazing and wonderful, so I learned a lot about that. I also learned how important it is to plan early, Snyder said.

As part of her responsibilities, Snyder contacted multiple venues throughout Provo before selecting the Provo City Librarys ballroom.

When the library opened in 1892, the ballroom was primarily used as a study hall and occasionally for dancing. Today, the venue hosts a variety of events, from operas to wedding receptions.

Mindy Taylor, whose daughter, Alyssa Taylor, is a student in the choir, praised the choice of venue.

This is totally my favorite performance theyve done. It was such a beautiful space and so echoey and just had a great sound to it, Taylor said.

The choir used the smaller venue to create an intimate setting. The concert opened with a piece titled Reaching, in which the singers surrounded the audience.

The program is called Reaching. Because when I heard it, it hit me so strongly that I wanted this program to be about connection, about humanity, about ... being there for each other, Snyder said. I thought that sort of encircling the audience for the first number would kind of set the tone that we're all in this together.

During the first number, there were two soloists: Spencer Baldwin and Matthew Paez. Baldwin is a BYU graduate who will be joining the choral conducting Masters program this fall.

The BYU choirs and all the BYU music ensembles really do a wonderful job of testifying not only of God's love, but of goodness in the world and of humanity, Baldwin said.

Baldwin says he looks forward to improving his strengths and working with great people through the program.

The choir began rehearsing with the accompanying orchestra just one day before the concert, and Snyder met the orchestra only a few days earlier.

I learned about the goodness of people. I think what made this experience was that the students are so good. They're so wonderful, and I think their souls really shone through in this concert, Snyder said.

The choir is available to join as a BYU class for Fall Semester 2026: MUSIC 311R.