SALT LAKE CITY – The Orchestra at Temple Square, under the direction of Igor Gruppman, will perform its annual spring concert, "A Spring Premiere," Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19, in the Salt Lake Tabernacle at 7:30 p.m.
"A Spring Premiere" will open with "Double Concerto for Violin and Viola" by Dutch composer Paul van Brugge, and will feature Vesna Gruppman on viola and Igor Gruppman on violin. Van Brugge composed this piece especially for the Gruppmans.
The second half of the program will have a romantic theme with "Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy" by Tchaikovsky and "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story" by Leonard Bernstein.
"We are deeply grateful to our dear friend Paul von Brugge for his artistry and genius in composing this new work," said conductor Gruppman about the concerto. "We are very excited to be premiering the piece here in Salt Lake City with the Orchestra at Temple Square that we love so much. It will be a delightful experience for us and we hope for our audience as well."
The Orchestra at Temple Square is a professional-quality group of volunteer musicians. Started in 1999, under the administrative direction of then-Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, the Orchestra has become a nationally recognized symphony orchestra. The repertoire for this concert was selected specifically to show the breadth of musicianship represented in the Orchestra as a whole.
Tabernacle doors will open at 6:30 p.m. the evening of the concert. Tickets are required but are free to the public and are limited to those 8 years of age and older. They will be available at at www.lds.org/events or by calling 801-570-0080, or toll-free 1-866-537-8457.
