Lynnette Thredgold

Violinist Lynnette Thredgold put on a visually and aurally stunning program Monday at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Salt Lake City.

Thredgold was at her best in the Franck Violin and Piano Sonata, Gershwin Prelude No. 1, and especially in the Franz Waxman transcription of the "Carmen Fantasie." On the latter, Thredgold made a dramatic and sexy entrance from stage left. her performance was a veritable incarnation of the Carmen character. Thredgold glistened with acrobatic virtuosity and musical display.

After two encores, Thredgold effectively left her audience pondering whether there really is a fine line dividing the two camps of popular and classical music. - The Salt Lake Tribune

Probably the most important concert series Utah has had is the ongoing offerings of music by Utah composers presented by the Contemporary Music Consortium.

Violinist Lynnette Thredgold occupied the entire second half of the showcase recital, playing arrangements by Utah composers of religious tunes. She invited other top-flight instrumentalists to collaborate in respective pieces.

Thredgold's violin playing delivers passion and conviction. Her own arrangement of "O, Divine Redeemer" was a traditional transcription rather than a reworking as were the other compositions presented.

Trumpeter Anthony DiLorenzo and pianist Jed Moss collaborated for a spectacular arrangement of "Ave Maria." This new setting breathed refreshing life into this most recognizable religious tune (better-known in the Bach-Gounod arrangement). Here, Thredgold was at her soaring best.

Moss was at the piano for the majority of the compositions presented. His playing, as always, had a captivating voluptuousness. - The Salt Lake Tribune

FIDDLER FITS LAYTON BILL

The Phantom, the mystery woman of the 2000-2001 Women of Wrestling league, didn't know if she should dedicate herself to her violin or to the art of the body-slam.

Lynnette Thredgold, who played the cape-wearing, fiddle-toting Phantom on TV, chose to do both - and more besides.

Still fit as a fiddle, Thredgold is a former competitive natural bodybuilder, as well as the trainer of two Mr. Utahs.

Having played with professional orchestras throughout Texas, Utah, Idaho and Colorado, Thredgold nowadays tends to play closer to home. Her latesst gig is in her own backyard, when she opens the Davis Arts Council's Summer Nights With the Stars series on Saturday.

"About five years ago, I played as part of their Sunday night community series, doing a favor to help promote it. I love that stage." she said.

PLAYING IN SCHOOL

Thredgold played piano from an early age, saying it came easily to her. She started her violin studies in the summer of her third-grade year. "I love to emphaisze that I started in the school system," she said,
"because more and more, they are cutting these programs."

The classic repertoire came first, but in college, she started to get interested in other styles. That eventually led to gigs with the likes of Josh Groban and Zeppelin's Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. "I guess I am a quote-unquote classical violinist, but I branced out, "she said. "That's what I like to do. People have suggested, "Why don't you just go into jazz, or do this or that? But that wouldn't be me. I think what people find interesting about what I do on stage is that I don't just play classical or jazz or pop. I do a big show with a lot of different things to keep the audience engaged."

STEAMROLLER PARTNER

Thredgold cites a longtime musical partnership with Chuck Penington, the arranger for Mannheim Steamroller. Penington has written for Thredgold, and helped co-produce her three albums: "Amazing Grace", "Cool Energy", and "Dancing With the Red Priest".

The second and third albums feature a mix of styles, but the first one has a theme of nondenominational spiritual music.

"When I decided to record, I didn't want to record a Beethoven concerto - that would not seperate me out from any other player. I decided to do a spiritual theme because of the religious community we live in.

Her own concerts started in 1995, soon after the release of "Amazing Grace."

To Layton, Thredgold will bring six musicians - piano, bass, drums, harp, flute and reeds, as well as a singer for one number.

"I will give a little taste of my wrestling past," she said, "and I like to bring in a surprise guest - but I won't tell you who, because it is a surprise. And I slways like to premiere a new piece. This time I am redoing 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' because people have asked for that forever."

She laughed, adding, "But frankly, I always thought the violin part was a little bit lame in such a great piece, so I reworked it. I want to show a real duel in there." - Standard Examiner

Women of all ages will be inspired by the energy and passion of Lynnette's music and masterful performance. You will be on your feet, ready to meet life with renewed passion and energy! - Media One

When Utah Violinist Lynnette Thredgold decided to change her image-from classical to new age-she got some expert advice.

"It was Mannheim Steamroller's Chuck Penington who gave me the spark," she recalls. "I played with them every time they came, and the last time, in 1993 I believe, Chuck told me, 'You need to be onstage, not in the pit.' Then he told me you have to do two things-'You have to record and you have to perform,' emphasizing very clearly that the two go hand in hand. "If you perform, people will be asking for your records, and if you record, people will want to see you in concert after they hear it.'"

So since no one was about to do it for her, she did it herself.

The result was her 1995 CD "Amazing Grace", followed by a concert at Salt Lake City's First Presbyterian Church. That was successful enough that it was followed by a second, "Cool Energy", which even incorporated one of her concert performances, of Franz Waxman's "Carmen" Fantasie.

Both are available on her own label, Gold String Productions, and can be found in stores alongside CDs by such local artists as Peter Breinholt, Sweet Loretta, Michael Lucarelli, Cottonwood and the choral group Gloriana. - Deseret News

CDs offer everything from classical trios to new-age hymn arrangements.

All kinds of things are brought to the surface in Lynnette Thredgold's new collection of hymn arrangements, many of them also commissioned by her.

There is almost a rustic flair in Chuch Penington's affecting arrangement of the title tune.

But that is nothing compared to Audrey Terry's new-age treatment of "O My Father," whose jazzier impulses and Oriental percussion comport oddly with the music's 19th-century ardor. Or Henry Wolking's bumptious recasting of "Praise to the Lord," whose tune sort of sneaks into the mix pizzicato-style.

Elsewhere, despite their sophistication, Robert Manookin's and James Prigmore's arrangements tend to let the natural beauty of the hymns themselves shine through, as do the various treatments of Gounod-one by Thredgold herself.

There are obviously things here for all tastes. And, as you can see from the heading, the taste-dispensers are among Utah's finest.

- Deseret News