Willey Family Strings
The Willey Family Strings is a Mormon family of musicians that hails from Pleasant Grove, Utah. The family is headed by Donell J. and Denise Willey. All six children play classical stringed instruments. As of 2011, they were Anthony, 27, contrabass; Elizabeth, 24, cello; Kristina, 23, viola; Alexander, 22, contrabass and violin; Catherine, 19, cello; and Rebekah, 17, violin. Anthony's wife, violinist Brittany Williams Willey (21), sometimes performs with the group. The family has performed locally for years, including solo appearances on the Utah Symphony's Salute to Youth concerts. Many of them have also played outside the Beehive State. In June, 2010, the family performed in New York as part of the "Strad for Lunch" concert series, which enabled the siblings to perform on Stradivari, Guarneri and Vuillaume instruments.
The Willey siblings have performed with the Utah Symphony seven times, and they've won 11 first prizes at the Utah State Fair Music Competition as well as racking up over a dozen wins with the Utah Symphony Youth Guild.
The six brothers and sisters have played principal positions in the All-State Orchestra, the Debut Orchestra in Malibu, Calif., the Disney Young Musicians Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of the Americas. They have toured the nation, and five foreign countries, including a volunteer music service mission tour to Europe in ‘01.
In addition, Anthony, Elizabeth, Kristina, Alexander, and Catherine Willey are members of the Orchestra at Temple Square.
References
- Pleasant Grove's Willey family to perform in New York - May 2010
- Mormon family makes sweet music together - Aug 2010
- New Era - Feb 2004 "Called to Play" pp. 28-31.
