Igor Gruppman

Igor Gruppman (born July 4, 1956) is the conductor of the Orchestra at Temple Square, a position he has held since 2003.

Gruppman is a native of Kiev, Ukraine. He made his debut performance at the Kiev Philharmonic Hall in 1967. [ [http://www.naxos.com/artistinfo/bio268.htm Igor Gruppman Biography. Listen to Classical Music by Igor Gruppman ] ] He is a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory where he studied under Leonid Kogan and Mstislav Rostropovich. Gruppman also studied with Jasha Heifetz in Los Angeles.

Gruppman emigrated to the United States with his family in 1979. Soon after Vesna Stefanovich, who he had known at Moscow Central Music School and at Moscow Conservatory, also came to the United States and shortly after this they were married.

Gruppman is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gruppman joined the church in about 1983 in San Diego, while his wife, Vesna joined the church in 1982 while they were living in North Hollywood, California."LDS Church News", November 2nd, 2002, p. Z11] Gruppman was the concertmaster of the San Diego Symphony at the time of his baptism. Gruppman and his wife won a Grammy Award in 1993. [http://www.desnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=TPPUAZXXSZFJ&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=23&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES] He and his wife lived in San Diego, California until 1997. At this time he was concert master of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Gruppman and his wife first performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on March 30th, 1991. ["LDS Church News", April 6th, 1991]

Gruppman and his wife Vesna Gruppman were among the first members of the Orchestra at Temple Square in 2000. They initially served as co-concertmasters. At the same time they were both members of the music faculty at Brigham Young University. In 1997 Grupman was Guest concertmaster for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. [http://www.desnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=TPPUAZXXSZFJ&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=30&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES] Igor was also serving as concertmaster and associate conductor of the Florida Philharmonic. [ [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=c9f4a1615ac0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 Taylor, Rebecca M. "The Orchestra at Temple Square: Lifting Souls Through Music"] , in "Ensign", December 2000, p. 67-68]

In the summer of 2001 Gruppman was an instructor at the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program (connected with the Idyllwild Arts Foundation) in Idyllwild, California. [ [http://www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/strings92/summer01h-l.shtml All Things Strings: Summer Study 2001 H-L ] ]

In 2003 Gruppman also founded the Gruppman International Violin Institute, designed to teach students from many lands using the lattest technology.

In 2007 Gruppman and his wife performed a concert for members of the LDS Church in her native Serbia. ["LDS Church News", July 14th, 2007 p. U15]

Starting in 2004 Gruppman served as Concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the conductor of the Concerto Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra. Gruppman is also currently a professor at the Rotterdam Conservatory. ["LDS Church News", February 24th, 2007, p. Z06]

References

External links

* [http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/info/person?person_id=24 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Website biography]
* [http://magazine.byu.edu/g/?act=view&a=433 BYU Magazine article on the Gruppmans]