2 Utah musicians celebrate major career milestone

SALT LAKE CITY — Ellen Hayashi and Karen Ferry, two alumni of the Diana & Joel Peterson School of Music, have been appointed to section violin positions with the Utah Symphony.

Hayashi said the Peterson School, formerly known as the Gifted Music School, helped turn that dream into a goal and gave her the training and community to pursue it.

This spring, she and fellow alumna Karen Ferry both earned spots in the Utah Symphony after a demanding, multi-day audition process.

Now, they hope to pass those lessons on to the next generation while encouraging others to support arts education in Utah.

Hayashi said the Peterson School of Music not only provided her with high-quality training but also helped her feel welcome in a peer group of musicians working toward similar goals.

"I really owe it all to the Peterson School of Music building the stepping stones for my love for orchestra and my love for making music with people," she said.

Ferry was among the school's founding students and shares that her teachers at the Peterson School of Music nurtured her love for the arts, a passion that has continued to define her career.

"What I love about music is sharing it with other people," she said. "I love being able to share beautiful music, but also share experiences of working really hard together to create a product of excellence that touches people's hearts," she said.

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