Meet the Composers

M. Ryan Taylor, chairman

"Incredible!" "Beautiful music." "I was deeply touched." . . . comments from audience members in reaction to the music of M. Ryan Taylor. Taylor is the author of operas such as The Other Wise Man and Abinadi, both of which have been produced live. Notable song cycles include A Light that Shames the Noonday Sun, All Heaven and it was One Hour Old, Leafs from the Diary of an Old Soul and The Moon Songs (a Vera Hinckley Mayhew Composition Competition winner in 2000). Taylor brings his sensitive vocal writing, born of his own university vocal studies, to his original choral music as well, and, as a former brass and wind player, is equally at home with instrumental chamber and orchestral music. He has written works that have been premiered or performed by the Utah Premiere Brass, The Chicago Brass, organists Neil Thornock and Carson Cooman, the Timpanogos Chorale, the American Fork Symphony, and more. Contact: ryan@saltycricket.org | 801.492.6284

Rick Mortensen, legal counsel
Contact: rick@saltycricket.org | 801.230.3655

Crystal Young-Otterstrom, marketing director
A composiatrix, Crystal is also a coloratura soprano, marketer, amateur pianist, and political and community activist extraordinaire. Crystal is also the Audience Development Manager at the Utah Symphony & Opera. Her mission in life is to convince the universe that a) they should love classical music and opera and b) that social justice is the way to go. Crystal received her BA in Music Theory from BYU in 2002, and her MA in Musicology/Composition from Queens College in 2004. Crystal’s music has been performed in New York, Utah, Texas, and California. Crystal is the co-founder of Vivace, a funkified bunch of 20, 30, and 40 somethings – single/partnered/married – who just happen to get their groove on to classical music and opera. It is the largest group of it’s kind west of the Mississippi. She serves on the board of the Utah Cultural Alliance, the Studio D Advisory Council, the Executive Committee of Young Benefactors at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the OPERA America Young Friends of Opera steering committee, and the board of the North American Association of Young Professionals. She is active in politics and social justice and environmental activism. She is the Communications Director of Young Democrats of Utah, the vice-chair of the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus, the national marketing director and SLC chair of Mormons for Equality and Social Justice, and serves on the Communications Committees for the Utah State Democratic Party and the Salt Lake County Democratic Party. She also volunteers with the Coalition of Religious Councils, an organization dedicated to eradicating poverty in Utah. Contact: crystal@saltycricket.org | 801.652.0737

Heidi Schmidt, marketing co-director
Heidi Schmidt is the token non-composer on The Salty Cricket Board, and isn't sure why they let her on in the first place.  She’s a performing arts junkie with a bachelor’s degree in theatre, and when she’s not bankrupting herself (financially and intellectually) in service of theatre, dance and music, she’s working as Repertory Dance Theatre’s Marketing & PR Director. She holds a BS in Theatre from the University of Evansville (Indiana),and serves on the Vivace Advisory Council with the Utah Symphony & Opera as well as on the Board of Directors for The Salty Cricket Collective. She is one of the founding directors of Studio D. Contact: heidi@saltycricket.org | 801.918.7588

Gary Gerber
Gary Gerber has been a guitarist and composer for 25 years.  He is currently working on his Master of Music degree at the University of Utah.  His  roots are in Rock and Roll, but has become proficient in virtually every style.  His favorite compositional musical setting is the symphony orchestra and electro-acoustic music. Contact: gary@saltycricket.org

John Newman, development director
Contact: john@saltycricket.org

REBECA DAWN, treasurer
rebeca@saltycricket.org | 801.717.6866