IVINS — Southern Utah youth are encouraged to audition now for the Youth Symphony of Southern Utah, led by an award-winning teacher and freelance musician who once played with the band Journey, toured with The Chicks and even performed solo for the San Francisco Symphony.

The Youth Symphony of Southern Utah first began two years ago when Linda DeLuca, a musician with a wealth of knowledge and experience in string instruments, saw the need in the community and solidified the group. The symphony allows children in the community to showcase their talents while learning from DeLuca’s unique instructional style. As the symphony approaches its third season of coaching and performances, they’re inviting youth from all over the community to audition.  

DeLuca told St. George News her background in the music industry has been a whirlwind of amazing and unique experiences. It all began when her music teacher was in need of students to perform in the orchestra and asked her to try the violin. She was apprehensive at first, with an original desire to play the clarinet. One day she watched the San Francisco Symphony perform with a string quartet and said that performance inspired her desire to push forward as a violinist.

As her mom took her to the San Francisco Conservatory on Saturdays to take theory, piano, recorder and violin lessons, DeLuca said her talents flourished. Another teacher at that time saw her play the violin and said she would make a great violist.

After five years of playing the violin, she was again apprehensive, this time toward learning to play a completely new instrument – the viola. To her surprise, she said, she loved it and found her voice with the mellow sound it created.

As she continued playing the viola, DeLuca went on to compete in a variety of competitions and won the Young Artists Competition. Upon receiving the award, she was able to perform solo with the San Francisco Symphony.

She went on to attend Aspen Music Camp, which led to a significant opportunity to audition for The Juilliard School in New York. After being accepted, she attended Juilliard for six years, where she received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance.

For a period of time, DeLuca said she quit performing and worked on Wallstreet as a recruiter for the Bank of New York. Once married, she and her husband moved to California in order to escape the hustle and bustle of New York City. Upon moving to California, she chose to continue her musical dreams and became a freelance musician. 

“Driving for dollars” up and down Route 101, DeLuca said she called her freelance musician career the “freeway philharmonic” because she needed to play in many orchestras in order to sustain a liveable wage.

Principal viola in all the orchestras she played, she also created music at Skywalker Sound for movies such as “Cop and a Half,” “Predator II” and “Mars Attacks,” along with several HBO specials. She picked up as many musical side jobs as she could, such as musical performances at weddings. During this time, she also had a private home studio where she taught roughly 40 students.  

In addition to her already impressive background, DeLuca said she played in the Burkley Symphony, which gave her the rare opportunity to tour with famous artists including The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks. The Chicks tour included four months of traveling all over the United States and Canada; during which, she performed at over 60 concerts in every major sporting arena while living on a tour bus.

DeLuca also played with the band Journey and worked with Danny Elfman, a film composer most known for his work with Tim Burton, which included songs he wrote for “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and the voice of Jack Skellington. She said one of the highlights she experienced in her career was when John Williams came to conduct the remake of “Star Wars” theme songs.

DeLuca said her transition from California to Utah started when she saw an article about Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in a magazine. She and her husband decided to head to Kanab to visit the famous facility.

“We loved Utah and the landscape of it and also loved animals, saving animals,” DeLuca said.

On their first day in Kanab, DeLuca said she met someone in the music industry who connected her with the conductor of the community orchestra. She went to a rehearsal that night, which ultimately led to a yearly tradition – going to Kanab every summer to play live with the orchestra. When she heard about an open position for a music teacher in Kanab, she jumped at the chance.

DeLuca had already connected to the music director at Vista School through New Years’ performances in Las Vegas and when the director chose to move to Hawaii, she encouraged her to apply for her current position. DeLuca has now been a musical instructor at Vista Charter School for about eight years. 

Music programs taught by DeLuca are based on a large chamber orchestra, which is the highest level a musician can achieve. With the unique opportunity for each student to lead the orchestra themselves, along with a teacher that believes enough in their students to allow it, she’s been able to visibly raise students’ confidence levels.

This type of instruction also requires students to stand during each performance, which assists in posture while playing their instruments and creates a way to avoid distractions such as cell phones. 

“They also learn every musician’s part so none of them are just one individual player, they’re a team,” DeLuca said.

It was two years ago that DeLuca officially started the Youth Symphony of Southern Utah, which is now open to kids from all over the community. Individuals do not need to be students at Vista School in order to audition or participate. 

The Youth Symphony runs from August through May each year. With no limit on the number of kids that can participate in the symphony, DeLuca encouraged as many as possible to come out and audition, with hopes to see 65 or more participants this year. Auditions are open to grades eight through 12. For more information on the program or to schedule an audition, email DeLuca.

“I’m able to pass on what I’ve … so generously been given of my musical talents, to the students who then take it to the next level,” DeLuca said. “I’m thankful for that ability.”

Michelle Walter, chairperson and parent at Vista Charter School, said when Vista broke ground about 12 years ago, she was excited to have a performing arts technology school in the community and enrolled her kids the first year it was open. Her son played viola and took private lessons from DeLuca and was also a part of the platinum string orchestra, an advanced orchestra class.

With a fifth grader that is currently in DeLucas’ orchestra program, Walter said DeLuca has been a special gift to each of her children. She also said that DeLuca told her she actually teaches 90% life skills and 10% music and she’s seen DeLuca teach valuable life lessons to the kids firsthand.

“It’s so unique because I’m used to seeing somebody standing up front leading, but Linda will be in the back playing for the orchestra,” she said. “She has embraced this way of teaching that allows these kids to have rare opportunities that lead to feelings of empowerment.”

Chris Barnum, principal/director at Vista School, said DeLuca won Teacher of the Year at Vista School last year. She has also won the Teacher of the Year Award twice this year, which came from two different entities – the American Teacher Association, which is national, and the Masonic Lodge of Southern Utah. 

“Linda is phenomenal,” Barnum said. “What she and other teachers bring to this school is so special.”

About Vista Charter School

According to the Vista School website, Vista is a public charter school that operates under the direction of the Utah State Board of Education, the Utah State Charter School Board and the school’s local Board of Directors. The school seeks to enhance academic achievement by providing specialized instruction in math, science, technology and history by highly qualified teachers beginning in first grade. Students learn from teachers who are experts in their individual fields. 

After-school programs at Vista give students the opportunity to pursue their passion in athletics, technology, dance, strings and theater at a fraction of the typical cost of private instruction. Because Vista is not part of a traditional school district, teachers are free to pursue instructional methods they feel are best, instead of a predetermined curriculum and teaching delivery method.

Vista Charter School is in the process of a $13 million campus expansion that began in January 2021, as reported by St. George News. For more information on Vista School, click here.

The Youth Symphony of Southern Utah will rehearse every Thursday from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Vista School in Ivins beginning Aug. 18. For more information on the Youth Symphony of Southern Utah and to schedule an audition, email DeLuca.

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