Hyrum Arnesen began studying the piano at age 6 with Amy Merkley in American Fork, Utah. In April 2018 he graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a Bachelor’s degree in Piano performance with Dr. Irene Fox as his teacher. Hyrum Arnesen continues his studies at BYU as a masters student now studying with Dr. Stephen Beus. He has soloed with several symphonies including Macdowell’s Concerto No. 2, Mvt III and Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2, Mvt I with the Lyceum Philharmonic, and Liszt’s “Totentanz” concerto with both the American Fork Symphony and the BYU Symphony Orchestra. Prizes from competitions include MTNA first prize and honorable mention at the state level, MTNA honorable mention at the division level, first prize in the UMTA piano concerto competition playing Liszt’s “Totentanz” concerto, and second prize in the UMTA concerto competition playing Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 2, Mvt IV. Hyrum has presented several solo recitals playing pieces by Bach, Mozart, Busoni, Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt, and Carl Vine.
Hyrum has also taught piano for eight years and enjoys helping young people ages 5 to 70 discover great music and perform at a high level. He is an active member of the Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA) chapter at BYU. In the past three years he has presented at the National Pedagogy Symposium three times and once at the MTNA National Conference. As a masters student, Hyrum teaches group piano and private piano lessons to college students and ear training for music majors. Hyrum also finds great fulfillment in collaborating with other musicians and has accompanied numerous winners in school, local, and state competitions. He is also a founding member of the Ensign Piano Quartet - a group of pianists that has given performances in Provo and Salt Lake City. In August 2018 the group also appeared on Radio station Classical 89’s “Highway 89” program featuring a full-length concert recorded in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hyrum’s love for music and performing stems from his belief in its transformative power and he hopes that his audiences will not only enjoy but be uplifted and changed by his music. In addition to his passion for music, Hyrum enjoys spending time outdoors biking and hiking. He and his beautiful wife Haley are excited to welcome a new daughter into their family this October.
