Two local musicians with a big dream are astounded at the success of their endeavor in the year since its inception last May. The new 75-member Bountiful Philharmonia orchestra has now presented four concerts to rave reviews.

Sara Jane Nicholson, one of the orchestra’s founders and its board chairperson, was longing for a return to more in-person performing after the COVID-19 pandemic. She began chatting with fellow musicians about participating in a new Bountiful orchestra and was encouraged by their enthusiastic response. 

One of the violinists she spoke with even volunteered her husband, Darrin Thiriot, to be the group’s conductor. “My wife volunteers me for all sorts of things,” said Thiriot, a professional clarinetist and adjunct music professor at the University of Utah. “But it was a no-brainer for me to align myself with such talent.”

In fact, he has a penchant for starting regional orchestras. While in the Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., he created a chamber orchestra and directed two youth orchestras. He currently conducts the Davis Youth Philharmonic.

Nicholson earned a violin performance and pedagogy degree from Brigham Young University and taught orchestra at Woods Cross High School and South Davis Junior High for 16 years. Under her tutelage, the WXHS orchestra tripled in size.

“One of my primary goals in starting the orchestra was to bring musicians from separate worlds together, to create unity and connections, and to serve the larger community,” she said. 

So far, her goals have been met in a big way.

Their four concerts drew large and enthusiastic audiences. They include the inaugural concert featuring Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland last May at St. Olaf Catholic Church to a capacity crowd of 450.

Their outdoor concert at Centerville Founders Park last September exceeded 450. In December, the group performed to a capacity crowd at St. Olaf’s, wowing audiences with selections from the Messiah, Vivaldi and Corelli. 

Most recently, the orchestra played Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev before their biggest audience to date of 750-800 people at Viewmont High School. 

“Sara Jane and I had been asking ourselves if we were moving too fast and if there was enough appetite for an orchestra like ours,” said Thiriot. “That question was resoundingly answered at Peter and the Wolf. Not only did we pack the lower level, but people didn’t want to leave. We were agape at the interest and excitement.”

Not only has the orchestra attracted large audiences, it has also enticed a diverse group of top-flight musicians into its ranks; musicians excited about performing with other accomplished musicians who want to share their talents within the community. Currently, members of the orchestra donate their services, but the hope is that one day they can be paid.

The orchestra is a nonprofit organization funded completely by donations and sponsors.

“We’re in the infant stages of something amazing,” said Thiriot. “We hope that in 10 years people will be saying, ‘How did we ever do without this?’”

The next performance will be Dvorak’s New World Symphony, one of the most beloved and recognized symphonies today. It will take place at the Viewmont High School auditorium, May 18 at 7 p.m. Like all prior performances, it is free of charge, but donations of $5/person, $20/family are appreciated. For more information visit bountifulphilharmonia.org.