Reginald Beales

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. His musical scores are in the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. In his personal life, Beales married Mesia Jenson in 1923. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Biography Born in Bradford, Beales started learning the violin when he was eight. By the age of 14, he had a job playing music to accompany silent movies. He also studied the violin in New York, taught by Michael Baxte. Beales was passionate about the violin throughout his life. After moving to Utah, he married Mesia Jensen in Salt Lake City in 1923 and had six children. In Utah, he worked as a violin instructor at the McCune School of Music. Under Beales' direction, the project formed the Utah State Sinfonietta, also known as the WPA orchestra, which performed over 1,000 concerts for the state of Utah within five years. During this time, Beales continued directing the group and conducting the orchestra. He also performed as a soloist. at the capitol building, in the LDS assembly hall, When federal funds no longer supported the orchestra after the Great Depression, Beales and other people in the community organized the Utah State Symphony Orchestra Association through the Utah State Institute of Fine Arts so that the group could continue performing.

He spent time as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States as a young man and in Scotland later in life.