David Park likes to do concerts each year that are aimed towards the Salt Lake City Korean community.

This year Park, who was born in South Korea, will play a special concert that will benefit the victims of the recent South Korean ferry disaster. “I want to do a concert that will support the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy,” he told Reichel Recommends.

David Park

Joining Park, the Utah Symphony’s assistant concert master, will be colleagues from the orchestra as well as musicians from the Korean community.

Also taking part in the concert will be Park’s mother, a cellist and former member of the Seoul Philharmonic. “This will be the first time I’ll be performing with my mother,” Park said. “I wanted her to be a part of this because it’s close to Mother’s Day and also because her 75th birthday is coming up.”

The program will consist of two works — Mozart’s Divertimento in D major, K. 136, and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, both in versions for string quartet.

Park said the Vivaldi is a meaningful work for him. “It’s a special piece for me, because I made my Carnegie Hall debut with it.” He also likes it because it’s an exceptionally crafted work. “It’s great music. I think that’s why it’s such a favorite with the public.”

And he could have added “with violinists, too,” although that hasn’t always been the case. Park said that none of the old timers, including Heifetz, ever recorded The Four Seasons. “I don’t know why that is so,” he said. Among today’s violinists, though, it’s a different story. “From about the middle of the 20th century on, the list of artists who have recorded it is a who’s who of the violin world. It’s the most recorded work today, with the possible exception of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.”

The Four Seasons is also a feel good work. And that’s the mood Park is striving for with Sunday’s concert. “We all need some escape in our lives, and music can play a very important role in the community. I see myself in the role of a soul doctor, because music has the power to heal.”

Park loves to perform, and his greatest pleasure is seeing how the audience reacts to the music he plays. “As a performer you want to reach out and touch the audience. My reward is interacting with people and seeing them inspired and having them come up to me afterwards and tell me how much they enjoyed it. It makes all the work worthwhile.”

• CONCERT DETAILS:
• What: Benefit Concert, featuring David Park, violin
• Venue: Korean Presbyterian Church, 1945 S. Redwood Rd.
• Time and Date: 5 p.m. May 4
• Tickets: By donation, all proceeds to benefit the victims of the South Korean ferry disaster