Theodore Anchor Hadley

Music Director / Conductor

A presence in the Twin Falls musical community for more than 35 years, Ted Hadley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Idaho. He played french horn in the symphony for many years, shared conducting responsibilities for the symphony during its 1982-1983 season with Carson Wong, and won a prize in the 1983-84 Symphony composition contest for his work “Commemorations.” Hadley was guest conductor for the first concert of the 1989-1990 season and took over the baton as conductor and music director for the 1990-91 season.

In addition to his symphony responsibilities, Hadley teaches band and guitar students at Twin Falls High School and Robert Stuart Junior High and is director of the Twin Falls Municipal Band. He is the publications chairman for the Idaho Music Educators Association, of which he has also served as president. He was honored by that organization as Idaho Music Educator of the Year in 1992. In 1996 he was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Twin Falls Rotary Club, and last year received the MV Arts Council’s biennial Mayor’s Award for Arts Community Leadership. He plays french horn in the CSI Symphonic Band.

Hadley is a member of Gideons International and serves in several capacities with the congregation of Community Christian Church. His wife, Patty, plays clarinet in both the MV Symphony and the TF Municipal Band. The couple’s three grown children all played with the Symphony when they were living at home and are still involved with music. Ted and Patty recently purchased a piano for their four-month-old grandson.

Lori Casperson

Concertmistress

Lori A. Casperson, raised in Twin Falls, began studying violin with Julienne Slaughter at the age of 8. She studied with Dr. LaMar Barrus at Ricks College, serving as concertmistress during her studies there. She served as concertmistress of the BYU Symphony; played with the Utah Valley Symphony, Seattle Philharmonic, Bellevue Philharmonic, and Mormon Youth Symphony; and served as Principal 2nd Violin of the Salt Lake Symphony. She was also a member of the Salt Lake Symphony quartet.

Casperson has taught private violin lessons for 19 years, was an elementary orchestra instructor for Jordan School District in Sandy, Utah, and has made recordings with L.A. East Recording Studio in Salt Lake City. She has been our Magic Valley Symphony concertmistress since 2003. She is married to Joseph R. Casperson, current director of the Magic Valley Chorale, and she is the mother of five children, grandmother of seven.