Reginald_Beales
Reginald Beales
American violinist (1898–1988)
Reginald J. H. Beales (October 10, 1898 – July 1, 1988) was an American violinist and music teacher. He began learning the violin at the age of eight and accompanied silent movies by the age of 14. He studied the violin under Michael Baxte in New York City. He moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was a violin instructor at the McCune School of Music and an orchestra conductor at the American Theater. He managed the Federal Music Project in Utah in 1935 where he formed the Utah State Sinfonietta (later renamed the Utah Symphony). After losing funding for the orchestra after the Great Depression, Beales and others organized the Utah State Symphony Orchestra Association. Beales retired from teaching and performing in 1987. Beales was honored by the University of Utah and Utah governor Calvin L. Rampton for his musical contributions. By the time of his death, he was described as "one of Utah's most distinguished musicians" in the Deseret News.[1] His musical scores are in the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.[2] In his personal life, Beales married Mesia Jenson in 1923. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.