About BYU Performing Arts Management

Our Mission

Our mission is to bring the BYU experience to the world through high-quality performing arts and create meaningful educational opportunities for BYU students.

Our Vision

Our vision is to develop BYU students as global citizens by providing experiences that are intellectually enlarging, spiritually strengthening, and character building – cultivating a habit of lifelong service (BYU Aims).

About Us

Performing Arts Management is the managing agency for BYU's performing companies and functions in professional as well as educational circles. The touring program typically reaches 140 cities in 20 countries annually. With more than 400 performances each year, these professional-level ensembles delight and uplift hundreds of thousands worldwide and appear before millions on foreign and domestic television.

Studying with faculty from the Departments of Dance, Music, and Theatre and Film, the members of these performing ensembles are selected through rigorous auditions and are professionally trained to provide quality programs in the performing arts.

For booking information contact:

Performing Arts Management
306 Hinckley Center
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602-8500

Telephone: (801) 422-3576

Fax: (801) 422-0546

Email: perform@byu.edu

BYU Performing Arts Management Staff

PAM Accountant, Accountant

pamaccountant@byu.edu 801-422-3578

Karson Denney, Artist Manager

Karson B. Denney joined BYU’s Performing Arts Management in January 2017. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Communications with an emphasis in Mass Communications and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography with an emphasis in Global Studies from BYU.

Karson has been involved in the performing arts since he started ballroom dancing at the age of 10. As an amateur competitor, Karson held 6 United States National titles. He had the opportunity to dance with BYU’s Ballroom Dance Touring Company for 4 years where he traveled and competed internationally. Karson competed professionally throughout the United States. He is dual-licentiate certified with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and a certified dance teacher, adjudicator and emcee for the National Dance Council of America (NDCA). Karson has been an artistic director in the BYU Youth Dancesport program since 2003, and taught ballroom dance classes for BYU’s department of dance for 9 years. He is the owner and operator of the retail store, Star Dance Provo. Karson is also a volunteer for Families Supporting Adoption and the Miss America Organization.

For years, Karson has enjoyed his association with BYU. He is excited to be a part of the team at Performing Arts Management and looks forward to working with the performing groups. Karson is currently the Artist Manager for the Ballroom Dance Company and the Wind Symphony.

Karson and his wife, Betsy, have 4 children and live in Provo, UT.

karson_denney@byu.edu 801-422-3575

Assistant

pamassistant4@byu.edu

Justin Smith, Artist Manager

Justin Smith joined BYU’s Performing Arts Management team in the Fall of 2015. Justin has a bachelor’s in communications/public relations from Brigham Young University and a minor in music. He also holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Virginia.

He has worked in higher education for nine years within the areas of advancement, communications, and student life. He has more than 10 years of experience managing international and domestic student programs throughout North American, Europe, Asia, South America, and the Pacific Islands.

Justin also has a unique background as both a recording artist and group manager. His experience began at BYU (Men’s Chorus, Young Ambassadors, Showtime Company) then moved into the music industry as both a business manager and singer for the popular, Christian singing group Jericho Road. Working in this field has given him a strong knowledge in marketing strategies, branding, booking venues, auditions, contract negotiations, cross-cultural issues, and problem solving. He has booked groups into Carnegie Hall, Yankee Stadium, Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Beijing Arts Festival, and more. Whether on stage as a musician or leading a university program overseas, Justin brings a fresh and unique perspective to a team that is committed to using the performing arts to promote the values and standards of Brigham Young University.

Justin and his wife, Kristie, have three children. They are thrilled to be a part of BYU after living in Virginia and Hawaii for several years.

justin_smith@byu.edu 801-422-3573

Assistant

pamassistant3@byu.edu

Angie Thomas, Office Manager

Angie Thomas is a lifelong BYU fan as she received her bachelor’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development and master’s degree in Public Administration from BYU. Angie began her career at BYU in 1996. She has held positions at BYU, including BYU Admissions Office, International Admissions Office, the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office and the BYU History Department.

Angie is a Utah native who loves to eat BYU Cookies & Cream Ice Cream, read, be around friends, enjoys the outdoors, and going to plays. She served her mission in the Russia, Novosibirsk Mission. She is excited to work at Performing Arts Management because of the involvement with the performing arts all around the world. She enjoys each performance and thinks the students at BYU are so talented and amazing!

angie_thomas@byu.edu 801-422-3576

Secretaries

Jacob Ribar

pamassistant@byu.edu

McKayla Jensen

pamassistant@byu.edu

Rex L. Barrington, Director

Rex has been working at BYU since 1980, serving as Assistant Director until 2015, when he became Director of Performing Arts Management. With a Master’s Degree in administrative management and a bachelor’s degree in accounting, he has worked with most of the BYU performing groups and has traveled to many parts of the world in their behalf.

While at BYU, Rex served as adjunct faculty for Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University) teaching in the Office Technology and Administration area. Before coming to BYU he was the administrative and financial manager for a thrift store in Portland, Oregon. Currently, he is the Artist Manager for the International Folk Dance Ensemble, and BYU Singers.

Rex is involved in community service through work with the Boy Scouts of America as well as in a number of church assignments. Rex lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with his wife Dixie. They are the parents of 7 children and the happy grandparents of 16 grandchildren.

rlbarrin@byu.edu 801-422-3574

Assistant

pamassistant2@byu.edu

Shane W. Wright, Assistant Director

Shane W. Wright has been with Brigham Young University (BYU) Performing Arts Management since 2001. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with an emphasis in Broadcast. He also has a Master of Public Administration with an emphasis in Management from the Marriott School of Management at BYU.

Shane’s appreciation for the arts started in his childhood with training in piano, voice, acting and dance. Shane has performed and been involved in the arts extensively throughout his life. While at BYU, Shane was a performer in the Young Ambassadors and the International Folk Dance Ensemble. Shane is currently the Artist Manager for Young Ambassadors along with Contemporary Dance Theatre, Vocal Point, and Noteworthy. He also manages BYU’s Winterfest in the small theater at the LDS Conference Center.

While at Performing Arts Management Shane has trained, managed, marketed, created marketing materials, worked with high level VIP’s, throughout the U.S., and internationally. He has also worked with all of the performing group directors in the School of Music and Department of Dance, and has thoroughly enjoyed every minute. For the past 15 years, Shane has booked 1,000’s of concerts in the U.S. and around the world.

Shane and his wife Emilee are the proud parents of 4 children.

shane_wright@byu.edu 801-422-3579

Assistant

Jordan Mazzocato

pamassistant1@byu.edu