The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-27
1T the worlds orchestra, Hugo Ok.

II ID years concertmelSter With the = St. Louis Symphony orchestra, Is one of the first violins. simply be- | cause he Is much more than violin 1 ist-he is a teacher.
 | When, in a burst of enthusiasm, 8 Birmingham admirer of MT. OK, who had heard the famous violinist play here three years ago with MT. Zach, exclaimed yesterday
 He is the greatest interpreter of Bach I have ever heard" he might have added that MT. OK is a great teacher of Bach as well.
 You'd never take MT. Ok for mu- sician at a casual glance; his eyes are small and brown; his scant hair is not brushed back in the orthodox style affected by musicians; nor has he any mannerisms or peculiarities like most men of genius; on the other hand, he Is modest and retiring in his na- ture, averse to anything like self laudation and ggrandizement; simple and unaffected, with pleasing manner and radiant smile which expresses keen sense of humor and an appre- citation of all things beautiful and re- fined in art.
 Mir. OK comes of Polish ancestors, from the land which has produced such world renowned musical geniuses as Paderewski and Godowsky, and his de- cidedly foreign accent which he de- clares he has tried very hard to over- come since his residence in America, Is most attractive, even if sometimes dis turbing.
 Mr. Ok and his charming wife are visitors to Birmingham for few days and soon after their arrival had the pleasure of meeting them yesterday. Naturally I was interested in learn ing something of MT Oll1's musical affiliations and when he told me that he appeared in concert at the very youthful age of years, I at once be- gan to swamp him with questions and in his pretty, broken English he said:
 Don't put me down as a musical prodigy, for I wasn't. I was merely talented. At 10 years old I played the
 Perpetual Motion of Paganinfs, and at 12 the Mendelssohn concerto; but many others have done that"
 You see. I had to be talented, else | master. Joachim" MT. Ok said, "be- cause he took only pupils of talent and promise. I practically knew no other teacher: I mean from experience. Soon after studying with Joachim travelled over Europe and played in all the great cities of Russia. Finland and other countries. Then I became con- .certmeister of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. After I came to America I | baI ,or,t in la 6a1 1l ia under Fritz Scheel with the Symphony orchestra; later occupied a similar po- sition with the Cincinnati Symphony under Mr. Van der Stucken; I also took MT. Kramer's place with the Thomas orchestra one season in Chi cago with Mr. Stock as concertmes and for 10 years I have played under MT. Zach with the St. Louis Sym phony.'
 T wish to tell you of the marvellous progress I have noticed in America mu- sically since I came here,' MT. Ok con- tinued. Tt Is astonishing the tremen- dous strides that have been made by artists and composers and I see no req son why America should not be one of the really great musical nations of the world some day. There should be some great composers for the violin among Americans; there is talent and tempera- ment and ambition besides, America Is so progressive alorg all lines of art"
 Asked what style of music he pre- ferred playing, Mir. Ok laughingly an- sWered:
 That Is very hard to say because some days I feel distinctly Russian in my makeup; again, I feel like an Italian; some days French temperament and in- clinations arise, and on each of these days love to play the music of these nationalities; so to say that any com poser is my favorite or any style of music, would be foolish. because it is never the same two days in succession"
 So much for genius, if you please.
 Of course, an interview would not be complete without some bromidic ques- ton, so the biggest bromide of them all loomed up in my simple mind, and promptly asked:
 What effect will rhe war nave on nusic?"
 T, shouldn't have any" Mr. OK an