News Story

The Planets, 12-Year-Old Violinist Top Orchestra Fall Concert

SALT LAKE CITY —; The Orchestra at Temple Square will perform Gustav Holst's monumental suite The Planets for its fall concert on Saturday, 26 October, at 7:30 p.m. in the Tabernacle on Temple Square.

On the same program, the orchestra will be joined by 12-year-old violinist Eugene Ugorski, one of the top-rated youth violin virtuosos in the world, in performing Henryk Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor.

It was Gustav Holst's deep admiration for the vastness of the universe, his interest in the heavens and his attempt to capture the varying planetary moods that led him to compose the seven-movement suite The Planets, one of the most popular British compositions of the 20th century.

The first movement, "Mars, the Bringer of War," was written just as World War I was breaking out across Europe. Its relentless impetus caused Richard Capell, a music critic, to describe it as "the most ferocious piece of music in existence." It is followed by "Venus, the Bringer of Peace," "Mercury, the Winged Messenger," "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity," "Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age," "Uranus, the Magician" and "Neptune, the Mystic." (Pluto had not been discovered at the time The Planets was written.)

The rich variety of musical themes, textures and tempos in Holst's masterpiece make The Planets is a joy for the Orchestra to perform as well as a sumptuous feast of sound for the audience," said Barlow Bradford, music director of the orchestra.

Ugorski will be the soloist for one of Wieniawski's violin masterpieces. It has become one of the most frequently performed violin concertos of the world's symphony orchestras because of its distinguished melodic beauty.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in December 1989, Eugene Ugorski made his professional debut at the age of 9 with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. He is the youngest violin virtuoso ever to win several prestigious violin competitions.

When he was 8 years old, he became the youngest first place winner since Joshua Bell in the American String Teachers California State Competition.

Eugene is a protégé of Dr. Vesna Gruppman, concertmistress of the Orchestra at Temple Square. Speaking of her young student, Dr. Gruppman, professor of violin at Brigham Young University, said recently: "I have taught Eugene since he was a little boy. He has blossomed into a truly remarkable talent, someone you will be hearing about for years to come."

All tickets for the concert have been distributed, but standbys are encouraged. Organizers say that standbys have been seated at orchestra concerts in the past.

The doors of the Tabernacle will open at 6:30 p.m., and the performance will last approximately 90 minutes. Seating is limited to children 8 years of age and older.

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