Igor and his wife, Vesna Stefanovich-Gruppman are back in Utah from the Netherlands, where both of them were teaching music. They are scheduled to perform with the traditional annual spring concert at Temple Square. The Maestro and his wife accepted an invitation from the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), coalition of students clubs at UVU, to speak before the students and faculty of Utah Valley University on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 10.00 AM at LI120. The title of their joint presentation is: "Music touches lives across the worlds." The lecture is free and open to the public.

Igor Gruppman and his wife, Vesna Stefanovich-Gruppman during the event at Utah Valley University

Two world-renowned musicians would like to talk about their special passion for raising talented kids-violin players and the unique and great opportunity provided by their Gruppman International Violin Institute (GIVI) through distance education to many children, who live in the remote parts of the global mountain world. They will share their own personal experiences and successes in that field and then would be glad to answer to the questions from the audience.

Igor Gruppman is the Principal Conductor of the Orchestra at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, a position he has held since 2003. In May 2009, Igor Gruppman was appointed to the position of Music Director of the newly formed Mariinsky Stradivary Orchestra in Russia. He currently also is the Concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Vesna Stefanovich-Gruppman is a violin and viola professor at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Gruppman and his wife won a Grammy Award in 1993 for the recording of Malcolm Arnold's Concerto for two violins.

UVU faculty and students during the event

GIVI joined the Mountain Partnership, coalition of global players, engaged in the promotion of sustainable mountain development, in 2010 and since then it cooperates as a partner with UVU, which joined MP in 2006. This week GIVI and UVU had supported the initiative of the UIMF to contribute to the final document of the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development RIO+20 in Brazil in June 2012 and submitted their joint proposal as a part of a regional group, which includes also Mountain Partnership members from Colorado and Wyoming.

                 John McClure, President of UIMF

UVU Press Release

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INTERNATIONAL RENOWNED MUSICIANS TO SPEAK ABOUT TEACHING CHILDREN VIOLIN THROUGH SKYPE

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