Young Ambassadors

Ernest L. Wilkinson, then president of BYU, asked Janie Thompson, who had just returned from a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), to found the Program Bureau in 1952. She accepted Wilkinson's request, though she had to reject an offer from the Ike Carpenter band. BYU was invited to send a group to represent the United States at the 1970 World Fair in Osaka, Japan.{{cite news |last1=Penrod |first1=Emma |title=Janie Thompson, legendary BYU Young Ambassadors founder, dies at 91 |url=https://www.deseret.com/2013/6/5/20520760/janie-thompson-legendary-byu-young-ambassadors-founder-dies-at-91/ |access-date=January 10, 2019 |work=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret News Publishing Company |date=June 5, 2013}}{{cite news |last1=Penrod |first1=Emma |title=BYU Legend Janie Thompson launched careers, touched lives as founder of Young Ambassadors, Lamanite Generation |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865581393/BYU-legend-Janie-Thompson-launched-careers-touched-lives-as-founder-of-Young-Ambassadors-Lamanite.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611000701/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865581393/BYU-legend-Janie-Thompson-launched-careers-touched-lives-as-founder-of-Young-Ambassadors-Lamanite.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2013 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |work=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret News Publishing Company |date=June 8, 2013}} Assisted by Harry Schultz, Thompson had created a performing group in 1969 called the Brigham Young Ambassadors. "Brigham" was dropped from the name in 1970 and the group became known as Young Ambassadors.{{cite book |editor1-last=Wilkinson |editor1-first=Ernest L/ |editor2-last=Arrington |editor2-first=Leonard J. |title=Brigham Young University |date=1976 |publisher=Brigham Young University Press |location=Provo, Utah |isbn=0842507086 |page=[https://archive.org/details/brighamyounguniv03wilk/page/644 644] |url=https://archive.org/details/brighamyounguniv03wilk |access-date=January 16, 2019}} Randy Boothe, the current director of the group, was recruited for the show. The audience received the group well and the Young Ambassadors continued to receive invitations to perform in front of international audiences. Before a tour, group members study the language and culture of the countries they tour so they can better interact with the people in the country.

Since their first international performance at world exposition 1970 in Osaka, Japan, they have performed their musical variety show throughout the United States and over 68 other nations.{{cite news |title=Guideline |url=https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2572&context=cwu_student_newspaper |access-date=January 16, 2019 |work=Campus Crier |publisher=Central Washington University |date=April 9, 1981}} Their audiences have included the prime minister of India, the queen of Thailand, and the king and queen of Jordan.{{cite web |title=Young Ambassadors |url=https://pam.byu.edu/group/young-ambassadors/ |website=Performing Arts Management |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 10, 2019}}{{cite web|title=About Us|url=https://youngambassadors.byu.edu/about-us/|website=Young Ambassadors|access-date=2 March 2018}} Live and televised appearances in major concert halls and impromptu performances in hospitals, orphanages, town squares and government palaces reach millions of people each year.{{cite web |last1=Boothe |first1=Randy |title=Auditions |url=https://youngambassadors.byu.edu/auditions/ |website=Young Ambassadors |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 10, 2019}}

The Young Ambassadors company consists of 20 performers (10 men and 10 women), a 10 piece show band (keyboard, drums, guitar and bass guitar, etc.) and technical personnel.{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Taylor |title=Head Over Heels: Young Ambassadors explore the different faces of love in new show |url=https://universe.byu.edu/2014/01/14/1young-ambassadors-explore-the-different-faces-of-love-in-new-show/ |access-date=January 10, 2019 |work=The Daily Universe |date=January 14, 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Hobbs |first1=Cassidee |title=Young Ambassadors' intense audition process brings talent to the top |url=https://universe.byu.edu/2015/08/12/byu-young-ambassadors-audition-process1/ |access-date=January 10, 2019 |work=The Daily Universe |date=August 12, 2015}} The Young Ambassadors have been directed by Randy Boothe since 1978.{{cite news |last1=Haddock |first1=Sharon |title=Young Ambassadors to showcase some old hits |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/695242249/Young-Ambassadors-to-showcase-some-old-hits.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115081204/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/695242249/Young-Ambassadors-to-showcase-some-old-hits.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 15, 2019 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |work=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret News Publishing Company |date=January 10, 2008}}

The Young Ambassadors were the first organized group to represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) or BYU in the Soviet Union.{{cite web |last1=Oaks |first1=Dallin H. |title=Where Much is Given |url=https://speeches.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Oaks_Dallin_1978_09.pdf |website=BYU Speeches |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 10, 2019}}

In a 1991 speech at BYU, Dallin H. Oaks discussed how the Young Ambassadors overcame the challenges of trying to perform in China in 1978. The challenges were due to the lack of diplomatic relations between China and the United States at the time and the fact that United States tourists were not welcome there. Oaks related the 1978 tour and subsequent tours of the Young Ambassadors to China as contributive to missionary work of LDS Church in China and around the world.{{cite web |last1=Oaks |first1=Dallin H. |title=Getting to Know China |url=https://speeches.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Oaks_Dallin_1991_03.pdf |website=BYU Speeches |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 10, 2019}} Chinese nobility were impressed by the Young Ambassadors, and continued to let them perform in China, even when visits from other performing groups were cancelled.{{cite journal |last1=Terry |first1=Thomas H. |title=Interest group influence on sex education policy in Utah: A cultural perspective |journal=UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations |date=1995 |page=59 |url=https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1557&context=rtds |access-date=January 16, 2019}} Along with Oaks, French scholar Pierre Vendassi agreed that the performances of the Young Ambassadors in Beijing and other Chinese cities helped establish a relationship between China and the LDS Church.{{cite journal |last1=Vendassi |first1=Pierre |title=Le mormonisme et l'État chinois |journal=Perspectives Chinoises |date=2014 |page=48 |url=http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=9d1b3070-6d16-4a3c-954b-2d6fbc9e2301%40sdc-v-sessmgr05 |access-date=January 16, 2019}}

• Sharlene Wells Hawkes, Miss America 1985{{cite news |title=Young Ambassadors to present "Harmony: the Music of Life" Feb. 13-16 |url=https://dance.byu.edu/2013/02/11/young-ambassadors-to-present-harmony-the-music-of-life-feb-13-16/ |access-date=January 14, 2019 |work=Department of Dance |publisher=Brigham Young University |date=February 11, 2013}}
• Candese Marchese, Eponine in Broadway cast of Les Misérables
• Christeena Michelle Riggs, Eponine in Broadway cast of Les Misérables, Cosette in the 10th Anniversary Production.
• Dan Truman, country music group Diamond Rio keyboardist
• Emily Tyndall, actress in Napoleon Dynamite{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Brittany Karford |title=Since Napoleon |url=https://magazine.byu.edu/article/ndnow/ |access-date=January 14, 2019 |work=BYU Magazine |publisher=Brigham Young University |date=Spring 2018}}
• Dallyn Vail Bayles, LDS recording artist, Understudy of Phantom and Raoul in Phantom of the Opera US Tour, Enjolras in US National Tour of Les Mis{{cite news |title=BYU Young Ambassadors Celebrate |url=http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=71&sid=9586357 |access-date=January 15, 2019 |work=Studio 5 |agency=KSL |date=February 8, 2010}}
• Jeff Whiting, associate choreographer to Susan Stroman, founder of Open Jar Institute in NY, creator of Stage Write Software{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=Doug |title=Utahn hits the big time on Broadway |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865591652/Utahn-hits-the-big-time-on-Broadway.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202054526/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865591652/Utahn-hits-the-big-time-on-Broadway.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |access-date=January 15, 2019 |work=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret News Publishing Company |date=December 1, 2013}}
• Summer Naomi Smart, Joseph Jefferson Award winning actress{{cite news |last1=Hardy |first1=Rodger L. |title='Passage to Zarahemla' actress says she gained strength at BYU |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/695218972/Passage-to-Zarahemla-actress-says-she-gained-strength-at-BYU.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117094753/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695218972/Passage-to-Zarahemla-actress-says-she-gained-strength-at-BYU.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 17, 2014 |access-date=January 15, 2019 |work=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret News Publishing Company |date=October 18, 2007}}

Harry Schultz , Director 1970 - 1974

• Randy Boothe, Artistic Director{{cite web |title=Randy Boothe |url=https://youngambassadors.byu.edu/performers-2/randy-boothe/ |website=Young Ambassadors |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 15, 2019}}
• Eric Hansen, Band Director{{cite web |title=Eric Hansen |url=https://youngambassadors.byu.edu/performers-2/eric-hansen/ |website=Young Ambassadors |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 15, 2019}}
• Ron Simpson, Associate Director (retired){{cite news |last1=Barlow |first1=Katie |title=Young Ambassadors associate director retiring after 27 years |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/15673743 |access-date=January 15, 2019 |work=KSL |publisher=KSL Broadcasting |date=June 2, 2011}}
• Janielle Christensen, Assistant Artistic Director
• John Shurtleff, Technical Director{{cite web|title=Directors|url=https://youngambassadors.byu.edu/meet-the-directors/|access-date=2 March 2018}}

This tour history begins in 1970 and continues up to present day.{{cite web |title=Tour History 2017-18 Season |url=https://pam.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/YA-Tour-History-Revised-2017-18.pdf |website=Young Ambassadors |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 15, 2019}}

• 1970 Japan (Osaka World Exposition)
• 1972 California, Alberta, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Eastern United States
• 1972-1973 New Mexico, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, El Salvador
• 1973-1974 Midwestern United States, Southern California, Nevada, Utah
• 1975 Utah, Arizona, California, Northern California, Eastern United States, Canada
• 1975-1976 Southern United States, Central United States, Alberta, California, Nevada, Utah
• 1977 Arizona, Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland
• 1978 California, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Central Canada, Midwestern United States, Eastern United States
• 1979 Arizona, New Mexico, California, Northern United States, Canada, Poland, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, People's Republic of China, Republic of China Hong Kong, Guam, Hawaii, California
• 1980 India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Arizona, New Mexico, Southern United States, Hawaii, People's Republic of China, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan.
• 1980-1981 Romania, Egypt, Greece, Northern California, Colorado, Wyoming, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Norway
• 1981-1982 Arizona, Northwest United States, India, Sri Lanka, San Diego, California (Holiday Bowl), Southern California, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, New York, Tennessee World Exposition,
• 1983 Utah, Southern California, Idaho, Washington, California (twice), Nevada, Japan, People's Republic of China, Republic of China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii
• 1984 Arizona, Utah, Southern California, Louisiana World Exposition, Southern United States, Northeastern United States
• 1985 Southern California, Nevada, Northern California, Yugoslavia, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Jerash
• 1986 California, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Canada
• 1987-1988 Colorado, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C., New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Ohio, Illinois, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, United Kingdom, Ireland
• 1988-1989 Northern California, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica
• 1989-1990 Utah, Nevada, California, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland
• 1991 New Mexico, Texas, Soviet Union
• 1991-1992 Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky
• 1992-1993 Northern Nevada, California, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
• 1993-1994 Pacific Northwest, Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt
• 1994-1995 Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota
• 1996 Southern California, Vietnam, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, Philippines, Malaysia
• 1997 Arizona, Morocco, Tunisia
• 1998 California, South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana
• 1999 Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China
• 2000 California, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia
• 2001 Arizona, Far East Russia, Japan
• 2002 Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Canada
• 2003 California, Northern Nevada
• 2004 Southern Nevada, California, Brazil, Argentina
• 2005 Colorado, New Mexico, Hong Kong, China, South Korea
• 2006 Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois
• 2007 China, Idaho, Washington, Oregon
• 2008 Australia, Tasmania, Nevada, Southern California
• 2009 New Mexico, Texas, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland
• 2010 Arizona, Illinois
• 2011 North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Cuba, Nevada, California
• 2012 South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland
• 2013 Idaho, Washington, Oregon
• 2013-2014 Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China
• 2015 Nevada, California, Nauvoo, Illinois
• 2016 Wyoming, Colorado, South Africa, Zimbabwe
• 2017 Brazil
• 2018 Utah, Arizona
• 2018-2019 Southern California, People's Republic of China{{cite web |title=The BYU Young Ambassadors Highlight the Importance of Family in 2019 Show |url=https://arts.byu.edu/2019/01/the-byu-young-ambassadors-highlight-the-importance-of-family-in-2019-show/ |website=BYU Arts |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 15, 2019}}

Information retrieved from BYU Music Store.{{cite web |title=BYU Young Ambassadors |url=http://www.byumusicstore.com/byu-young-ambassadors-cds/ |website=BYU Music Store |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 15, 2019}}

• Tapestry: Weaving the Colors of Life (1993)
• Of One Heart (1995)
• The Neighborhood (1997)
• Come Unto Him: A Young Ambassadors Fireside Devotional (1999)
• Curtain Time (2000)
• Broadway Rhythm (2002)
• The Lord is My Light (2003)
• Circle of Life (2005)
• The New American Songbook (2008)
• Harmony: The Music of Life (2012)
• Heartsongs: Melodies of Love (2014)
• Welcome Home (2018)

Information retrieved from Apple Music.{{cite web |title=BYU Young Ambassadors - Singles & EPs |url=https://music.apple.com/us/artist/byu-young-ambassadors/522577601 |website=Apple Music |publisher=Apple |access-date=January 15, 2019}}

• Chicago Medley (2017)
• Yorktown: The World Turned Upside Down (2017)
• My Heavenly Father Loves Me (2016)
• Thinking Out Loud (2016)
• What Christmas Means to Me (2014)

• Let it Ring (1987) on VHS{{cite web |title=Intellectual Property Office video collection, 1947-2005 |url=https://eadview.lds.org/resource/public/collection/pdf/14/ |website=Church History Library |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |access-date=January 15, 2019}}
• Heartsongs: Melodies of Love (2014) on DVD{{cite web |title=Heartsongs:Melodies of Love [DVD] - BYU Young Ambassadors |url=http://www.byumusicstore.com/heartsongs-melodies-of-love-dvd-byu-young-ambassadors/ |website=BYU Music Store |publisher=Brigham Young University |access-date=January 15, 2019}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://youngambassadors.byu.edu/ Official Young Ambassadors webpage]
• [http://pam.byu.edu/SimilarPage.asp?title=Young%20Ambassadors BYU Performing Arts Management webpage for Young Ambassadors]
• [https://alumni.byu.edu/chapters/byu-young-ambassadors-alumni/ BYU Young Ambassadors Alumni]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160923140133/https://findingaid.lib.byu.edu/viewItem/UA%205395/Series%204/Suberies%2028/Subseries%208/carton%203/folder%201-3/ Young Ambassadors, UA 5395 Series 4 Suberies 28 Subseries 8 carton 3 folder 1-3] at [https://sites.lib.byu.edu/sc/ L. Tom Perry Special Collections], Brigham Young University

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Category:Choirs in Utah

Category:Brigham Young University

Category:Musical groups established in 1970

Category:1970 establishments in Utah