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Violinist brings Orem roots to stages across the globe

By Brian Preece - Special to the Daily Herald | Oct 15, 2021

Aubree Oliverson performs at the Karlskirche Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. (Courtesy Stephen Oliverson)

One of the best young violinists in the world, having grown up in Orem, brought her skills to one of the world’s storied venues for classical music in Austria.

The concert took place at the Karlskirch Saint Charles Cathedral with the Cappella Istropolitana, the chamber orchestra of Bratislava, where Aubree Oliverson performed Joseph Haydn’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in C Major” with her original cadenzas.

Her father Steve, who worked as an administrator in Provo School District for 30 years, is a classical pianist and together they formed Moon Light, which has attracted a sizable local following.

Aubree is the oldest of three children and when her younger siblings Andrew and Lily got older, they joined their performances playing the viola and violin, respectively.

Aubree Oliverson attended Timpanogos High School briefly, but her talents were so prodigious that she left Utah to attend the prestigious Colburn Academy in Los Angeles at age 15. Much like the iconic Juilliard School in New York City, the Colburn Academy attracts top international talent.

For Aubree Oliverson, choosing to leave Utah and her family was actually an easy decision.

“For me, it was just pure excitement and there was no hesitation in going,” Aubree Oliverson said. “I’ve always wanted to travel and chase my dreams.”

For Steve it was definitely a bit harder to grapple with, but he felt it was necessary to cultivate her talents.

“It was hard to send her away, but we (as her parents) knew what she needed. We couldn’t act selfishly and have her stay in Utah,” said Steve Oliverson. “We knew it was her dream to be a soloist and she needed to give it a shot and going to Colburn (Academy) gave her the best opportunity.”

One pivotal moment in Aubree’s life was the chance to perform with the Utah Symphony at age 11.

“I think after that opportunity, I was set on the dream to be a soloist. And I feel lucky to have known what I wanted to be at such a young age,” Aubree added.

During this past summer, she was a guest soloist on the Utah Symphony’s Forever Mighty Tour of Utah which traveled from Cache Valley to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

But Oliverson’s talents, as exhibited by the recent engagement in Austria, have taken her across the world to perform, including stops in China, Japan, Mexico and all across Europe. She has also competed in prestigious musical festivals winning the Special Prize of Merit at the Verbier Musical Festival in Switzerland and the Delay Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival.

Though just 23 years old, Aubree Oliverson has given her share of masterclasses, been invited to work with top musicians and perform with some of the world’s best known conductors.

Thus far in her career and life, she has already collaborated with Stefan Jackiw and Robert McDuffie in Harris Hall at the Aspen Music Festival and School; Lynn Harrell, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Orli Shaham, Andrew Marriner, and Clive Greensmith as part of the Colburn Chamber Music Society in Los Angeles; and Gil Shaham on a tour in Mexico.

Aubree Oliverson has performed just about every recognizable classical piece from the legends of classical music including Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Vivaldi. But what makes her even more remarkable is her own talent for composition.  Moon Light has produced a number of CDs with original compositions including “A View From the Edge,” “Dance of the Fireflies” and “Along the Silver Way.”

For the time being though, Aubree is going to concentrate on her solo performing career. After playing in Vienna she returned to southern California for several performances.

“I just want to travel the world and play,” Aubree Oliverson said. Now years removed from a childhood in Utah County, she finds herself at the epicenter of classical music in Vienna. “I want to take advantage of every opportunity in front of me.”

She, along with her father Steve and sister Lily (their brother Andrew is serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) will perform Wednesday, Dec. 22 at the Scera Center for the Arts in Orem. The concert entitled “Aubree Oliverson and Friends” will also feature the Timpanogos High School Chamber Singers.

“I always love coming back to Utah to perform,” Aubree said.

More information about Aubree Oliverson and her musical family can be found at both http://aubreeoliverson.com and http://moonlightperformers.bandcamp.com.

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