The Orchestra at Temple Square (Orchestra) is a 110-member orchestra located in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. The Orchestra was created in 1999 under the direction of
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...
, then the
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
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Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church), as part of an initiative to continually strengthen and expand the capabilities of the church's music organizations.
History
Formed in 1999, the Orchestra fulfilled the desire of LDS Church leaders of having a permanent orchestra both to enhance the quality of the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for ov ...
(Choir) performances and to involve instrumental musicians in church music projects on the same volunteer basis as Tabernacle Choir members. While some initial recording contracts in the first years of the Orchestra's existence were paid, with the creation of the Tabernacle Choir's own recording label the 110-member Orchestra has evolved into a purely volunteer organization. Although many Orchestra members are professional musicians, in order to participate they are required to give their time and talents to the Orchestra without financial compensation.
Like the Tabernacle Choir, the Orchestra makes its home in the
Salt Lake Tabernacle
The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, in the U.S. state of Utah. The Tabernacle was built from 1863 to 1875 to house meetings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sa ...
on
Temple Square
Temple Square is a complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately ...
in Salt Lake City. During structural renovations to the Tabernacle, the Orchestra rehearsed and performed in the adjacent
LDS Conference Center
The Conference Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the premier meeting hall for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Completed in 2000, the 21,000-seat Conference Center replaced the traditional use of the nearby Salt ...
, as did the Choir.
The Orchestra was initially directed by former Tabernacle Choir associate director (and current Creative Director of
Utah Chamber Artists) Barlow Bradford. Under his direction the group developed into a critically acclaimed symphony orchestra. Bradford unexpectedly resigned shortly after the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...
. The Orchestra continued under the musical supervision of Tabernacle Choir director
Craig Jessop
Craig D. Jessop (born 1949) is an American academic, musician and singer best known for his tenure as the music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Choir) from 1999 to 2008.
Biography
A native of Millville, Utah, Jessop has been a lifelong ...
, until his abrupt resignation on March 4, 2008. Under his direction the Orchestra increased its role as accompanist to the Tabernacle Choir and
Temple Square Chorale, but continued to perform on its own under the baton of
Igor Gruppman
Igor Gruppman (born July 4, 1956) is a Ukrainian violinist and conductor. He 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 by Val ...
, concertmaster of the
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Gruppman was the Orchestra’s concertmaster at the inaugural concert in 1999 and was named conductor of the Orchestra in 2003.
Repertoire and performances
The Orchestra performs masterworks from the standard symphony orchestra repertoire several times a year, both at home and on tour, under the direction of the Ukrainian-born Gruppman.
The Orchestra also regularly appears in the Tabernacle Choir's weekly radio and TV broadcasts of
Music & the Spoken Word, the Choir's acclaimed Christmas specials on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
, and in the Choir's recording projects, including several on the
Telarc
Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner (recording engineer), Jack Renner and Robert Woods (producer), Robert Woods. ...
label. More recent recordings on the Choir's own label have enjoyed tremendous success, appearing prominently on Billboard's classical and classical crossover charts. Additionally, the Orchestra accompanies the Temple Square Chorale in its semiannual concerts and has provided the music for various LDS Church stage productions such as the annual Christmas favorite ''Savior of the World''.
Guest Artists
The Orchestra featured pianist
George Li and organist
Clay Christiansen at its 15th Anniversary Celebration Concert.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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See also
* The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for o ...
References
External links
*
Orchestra at Temple Square
Official site
{{Authority control
1999 establishments in Utah
American orchestras
Latter Day Saint musical groups
Tabernacle Choir
Musical groups established in 1999
Musical groups from Salt Lake City
Temple Square
Performing arts in Utah
American Christian musical groups