The sudden death of Vadym Kholodenko's two young daughters forced the world-renowned pianist to cancel his performance with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Friday.
Despite his absence concertgoers came to Bass Performance Hall expecting a memorable performance.
"I don't know whether the Fort Worth Symphony will make any kind of announcement, but I'm sure the performance will be better than ever," said Mary Jane Harbison, a regular attendee of the symphony.
Kholodenko's daughters were found dead inside a Benbrook home Thursday. Their cause of death is unknown. Their mother was found with multiple stab wounds. She is being held for a psychological evaluation at a Fort Worth hospital.
Kholodenko is not a suspect.
In a statement to his supporters Friday Kholodenko told audience members to make Friday's performance about the music.
"That's amazing that he would say that because I know he's so distraught right now," Harbison said. "We will think of it as the music, but we'll always have him in our thoughts and prayers."
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Jennifer Lanter was hoping to see Kholodenko perform for the first time. She was saddened by the tragic news of his daughters' deaths.
"It's a confusing situation. It's a sad situation when you're talking about children's lives," she said.
Lanter came to the concert knowing the music would go on even though orchestra members would be playing with heavy hearts.
"I think that the symphony is a family and the family will come together and fulfill his wishes and let the music speak for itself," she said.
Friday's performance began with a moment of silence for Kholodenko and his family.
