SUU Performs with Josh Groban and Sarah McLachlan

Opus, Southern Utah University's elite chamber vocal group, will be singing onstage with Josh Groban and Sarah McLachlan as part of their national On Stage tour. The SUU students will meet the tour for performances in Denver and Salt Lake City. The singers will be joined by SUU trumpeter Austin Clark, who will be a featured soloist on the song Old Devil Moon, part of the Broadway-themed concert that features repertoire from Groban's 2015 album, Stages.

For Dr. Steve Meredith, SUU director of choral activities, this is the second time he has been involved with a Josh Groban national tour.

"I was involved as a vocal contractor for Groban's 2013 national tour, with performances in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas," said Meredith. "He puts on a great show, and it is a tremendous opportunity to introduce emerging professional singers to the 'behind-the-scenes' world of concert performances."

Meredith's background as a professional performer has put him on stage and in the recording studio with many well-known artists and producers over the years, and it is these connections that have established him as a provider of vocal groups for concerts and events throughout the western U.S. His choirs have done a number of national tours, including Star Wars Live, and many performances of Video Games Live with symphony orchestras in Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California.

"Being a professor has given me the opportunity to maintain a very active career as a professional musician for the past 30 years," said Meredith.

"I've done a couple of professional gigs with Dr. Meredith, and it is such a great opportunity to see how music gets made," said senior vocal performance major Jordan Sanders.

Corey Furr, a graduate student in the new Master of Music Technology degree program has sung with Dr. Meredith for a number of years, and enjoys the interaction with artists, technicians and Audience members.

"I'm a young musician at the beginning of my career," said Furr. "I'm used to performing in small venues where sometimes I am the sound engineer and lighting guy. It is amazing to be in front of 10,000 fans and see how it all comes together."

"SUU has a national reputation in experiential learning," said Meredith. "I am a huge believer in giving students the opportunity to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom and studio. This is as close to the 'real world' as they can get while still in school."

The Denver concert is on Friday, August 19th at the Pepsi Center, and the Salt Lake City show is at the USANA Amphitheater on Saturday, August 20. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased online at Live Nation and many other online ticket sources.

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