The Western Slope Concert Series will present world-renowned Polish virtuoso violinist Adam Han-Gorski in three concerts — on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Montrose Pavilion; Friday, Jan. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the American Lutheran Church in Grand Junction; and Saturday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Sage Center in Paonia. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door for adults, $10 for students, and are available at Roper Music in Grand Junction, Paonia Farm and Home, Hardin’s Natural Foods in Hotchkiss, Finishing Touch in Delta, and the Montrose Pavilion.

Tickets are also available at the door.

Adam Han-Gorski

The story of Mr. Han-Gorski’s first five years of life is utterly amazing, and steeped in the history of World War II. He was born to Jewish parents as Arno Haan in Lvov, Poland, in 1940, after it was taken over by the Russians in the course of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. His mother, a concert pianist, was caught by the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa), while she was touring the Russian Far East with a Ukrainian ensemble. Until the end of the war, she had no way of knowing about the whereabouts of her child and family. His father, first hiding from the Nazis under the false name “Gorski,” in a desperate attempt to join her, managed to cross the front line to the east just to be put by the Soviets in a Gulag labor camp. Little Arno spent a short time with his grandparents in the shtettle of Javorov. When the life turned too “hot” there (his grandfather was the first to be taken away by the Germans, never to be seen or heard from again), Arno was transferred to his maternal grandparents in Krakow. They in turn were promptly relocated to the ghetto and were among the first to be sent to a liquidation camp of Belsec, where they perished. But having the premonition of doom (their last postcard miraculously survived), they decided to leave the child behind and notified the Christian woman who took care of him in his infancy to smuggle him out. They were already gone when she arrived, and picking him up from the neighbors, she daringly carried the child as her own into safety. Back in Lvov, she arranged for a fake birth certificate for him as her son “Adam.” Through some incredible actions, courage and cleverness, she and the man she married in December 1942 succeeded in saving him by risking their lives 24/7 for three years (there was a death sentence for harboring a Jew).

Adam met his mother for the first time when, after the Nazis left Lvov, she was able to return from the Far East. Serendipitously, she ran into his guardian on the street. At the same time a daredevil plot to arrange for his father’s escape from the Gulag succeeded (with the help of a bribed Red Army officer) and the now reunited family along with Adam’s saviors hurriedly emigrated to Poland (1945), which was by now liberated. After settling in Silesia Adam started violin lessons in the fall of 1946 and gave his debut by performing solo with the Silesian Philharmonic in March 1948. That event was filmed by the national Polish Newsreel and shown nationwide for weeks in movie theaters, making him an instant celebrity at the age of 7.

Han-Gorski has a diploma from the Israeli Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and was concertmaster of the world-famous Vienna Radio Orchestra for 25 years.

Experience the artistry of one of the greats! Han-Gorski will be joined by Stephanie, Tyme and Kathryn Mientka on viola, cello and piano. The program will feature famous music for the violin.

For more information, call 241-0741 or check out the website at www.JunctionConcerts.com.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed