​The Idaho sky on the morning the balloon ride was drop-dead gorgeous blue as Robert and Brandon stepped into the balloon basket. The crew (which included BBO Executive Director, Dave Everett) waited for the pilot’s command, “Long Burn.”  Laurie shouted the command to release the tethering ropes and the balloon lifted a couple inches off the ground.  Stephanie remembers Robert’s eyes, wide with wonder and filled with gratitude.  He felt, he told me, that her rare and wonderful gift of experience meant everything. 
 
He remembers the startling sensation of motion stopping.  There was no perception of wind, little, if any, perception of rising. No jolting take off. And sound: It carries so far into the air! He recalls that it felt like a magical adventure, a return to the incredible land of Oz. Brandon, a scientist, was intrigued by the physics of the flight and with Laurie’s expertise.  And the landing? Brandon said it was as soft as coming down upon a bed of 5,000 feathers.

By Yvonne McCoy

​We’ve all heard the aphorism “it takes a village,” more familiarly as to whether it takes one to raise a child.  It can also be applied to all that it takes to make beautiful, meaningful music, whether it’s during “the best of times or … the worst of times.”  The COVID-19 pandemic is surely the latter and has presented us with some unprecedented and unique challenges that require complicated logistics, expertise, and flexibility by the Boise Baroque Orchestra (“BBO”) in order to survive and continue bringing beautiful and meaningful music to our community. 
 
We, the BBO family, found ourselves having to postpone and perhaps even cancel the final concert of the season.  We can be grateful to so many people, businesses, and organizations that recognized all that it would take to put on that concert successfully during the pandemic.  They all stepped up to contribute to make that possible—to keep the music playing … safely … for us all.
 
Making music requires rehearsals with musicians working together (in addition to their many hours of private practicing); a venue for rehearsals and performances; special equipment to ensure the safety of musicians and staff; and agreement among our listeners about how and when they would like to receive the music.  The Boise Baroque Orchestra is grateful to have received from our community the support it needs to carry on … support given so generously and gladly. 

Financial stability has taken on even greater importance during this health crisis.  We are lucky to have a large group of financial supporters that includes our loyal season subscribers, some of whom donated the cost of their tickets for the final scheduled concert at the outbreak of the pandemic. 
 
Donors and sponsors continue to make generous contributions.  Three donors who moved to Boise from major Eastern cities about three to four years ago were used to all the performing arts that one gets in large cities.  Here they found the BBO and showed how much they enjoyed this family of musicians by supporting it in a variety of ways.
 
Linda Droker and Paul Dacher recently decided to sponsor Anna-Marie Vargas (Violin).  They also recently asked—unsolicited—if they could increase their donation.  “We know it’s a tough time for the arts, and we recognize that they need to be supported, especially here in a smaller city like Boise.  If we want to maintain the arts, we have to feed the arts.”  Linda and Paul recognize how much they enjoy the quality of the musicianship of BBO players.  “We’ve lived here for four years and have heard some excellent soloists.  Maybe it’s the intimacy of the venue and the small size of the orchestra.  We can talk with the musicians and other audience members that makes every concert and event special to us.”
 
Upon viewing the video of the “Haydn in Paris” concert, BBO supporter Kathryn Goria said, “What a bolt of joy you have brought into our lives.  Thank you for a beautiful repertoire, masterfully executed.  And how intimate to sit with Robert in that beautiful space and learn about the history of each piece!  The concert filled my heart.”  (Look for a future article detailing a way Kathryn supported the BBO that we might not have thought of before, i.e., by hiring one of the BBO small ensembles for an intimate, socially-distanced neighborhood street party.)
 
The Eagle Arts Commission supported the “Haydn in Paris” concert by awarding the BBO a grant to sponsor the annual Summer Dinner Party and Concert in Eagle.  However, due to the pandemic, it was not possible to hold the dinner.  Instead, they generously allowed us to repurpose the grant for the production of this on-line concert.  Jane Kramer (Chairman of the EAC) said, “the Commission has budgeted for many different programs this year, including grants for the arts.  Unfortunately, some of our grantees have had to delay events because of the COVID pandemic.  We don’t want to jeopardize their health, well-being, and comfort levels.  We’ve tried to be as flexible as possible when events are having to be delayed and to have the events go off with as much impact as they would have had they not been delayed.”
 
Because our patrons, sponsors, and grant organizations have stood by us and have been so very generous to us, the BBO is finishing our fiscal year in the black.
 
Our musicians founded the Boise Baroque Orchestra because they love making music, and they want to continue making music even during this difficult time … perhaps even more so because it is a difficult time.  We want to keep the orchestra and these musicians viable, so the BBO agreed to pay our musicians whether or not we performed this last concert of the season.  To help in that regard, Esther Simplot has allowed us to re-purpose a portion of the J.R. Simplot Foundation grant to pay the musicians for the rescheduled March season finale. ​

This concert was a tremendous amount of work by many people, and it might have been easier to simply cancel it.  So many performing arts organizations in the Treasure Valley have done just that.  But ours is a story of perseverance, love, and dedication.  To paraphrase the words of Charles Dickens, this might have been the “season of darkness,” but we’re turning it into the “season of light.”  It might have been the “winter of despair,” but we’re making it the “spring of hope.”  We—all of us—ensure that the Boise Baroque Orchestra, instead of nothing, has “everything before us.” ​

​​​By Ellie McKinnon For the Idaho Press

​There’s a moment of electric silence between the tuning of an orchestra’s instruments and the conductor’s signal to begin playing. Then with a flick of the baton, music spills into the air, notes shimmering and falling, filling the space and transporting the audience into a new realm of sound and imagination.
Have you felt that excitement and experienced the timeless magic in music that weaves performers and audience members into a tapestry of sound? The Boise Baroque Orchestra turns that tapestry into a magic carpet soaring through time and connecting contemporary audiences with the compositions of masters like Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart and Haydn whose music has ignited passion, sparked imagination, and touched the hearts of listeners since the 17th and 18th centuries. The Boise Baroque Orchestra, a finely tuned ensemble of professional Treasure Valley musicians, however came into existence far more recently in 2003.
The orchestra’s new artistic advisor, Robert Franz, is no stranger to Boise’s music scene. Formerly the music director of the Boise Philharmonic, Maestro Franz is an awarded educator, musician and sought-after conductor. In addition to his appointment as artistic advisor,  he is also conducting Canada’s Windsor Symphony and is the associate conductor of the Houston Symphony. There are reasons for his success: in addition to his musicianship, this is a man with vision, energy and the capacity to draw the very best from the musicians with whom he works.
Ever optimistic, he employs a highly positive, energizing approach when conducting that seems to draw the best from the musicians with whom he works. At a recent rehearsal, he paused the music and told the orchestra they were, “... just one hair shy of super exciting!” And, with renewed enthusiasm, the orchestra members moved forward working with him, shaping the tempo, shading the mood and articulating the notes. As they worked, he cheered their efforts frequently with exclamations of “Yes! Yes! Yes!” and “Bravo!”
Franz feels that each musician has something to say with his/her own musical voice and as conductor his task is to ”help refine and amplify and ultimately combine that voice with the other musicians in the ensemble.” Watching him conduct the orchestra’s combined voice seems to delight the audience — he seems part conductor and part dancer as he responds to the rhythms and feeling of the music.
His vision for the Boise Baroque includes presenting historically informed performances of the music of the baroque and early classical periods. Stringed instrument players are able to more genuinely replicate the interwoven melodies and musical ornamentation of these periods due to the use of an orchestral set of baroque bows. The bows, a gift from generous patrons, weigh less and are shorter than modern bows, have a convex shape and strings made of gut. Their use provides a light, soft sound that allows musicians to offer a glimpse of how orchestral performance of the 17th and 18th centuries might have sounded. Orchestra members have mastered techniques needed to effectively use the bows, but concertmaster Dawn Douthit hopes to learn much more. Supported by an Alexa Rose Foundation Grant, she will be studying Baroque techniques in depth with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Canada next year.
Eager to share rich musical experiences, the Boise Baroque Orchestra partnered with the Boise Philharmonic Master Chorale for the season-opening concert. In November, the orchestra and Opera Idaho will collaborate to present George Frideric Handel’s opera, Acis and Galatea.
Franz is reaching out to high school students as well. This year, talented student musicians from Boise High School will work with Franz and select students will be allowed to use a second set of baroque bows. On occasion, the students will perform with the orchestra. Students from other high schools will have similar opportunities in the future.
Other highlights coming in the 2019-2020 season: on Feb. 28, 2020, audience members will hear internationally acclaimed Baroque violinist Monica Huggett performing with the orchestra. And Franz has announced that the orchestra will be making its first commercial recording featuring the orchestra in concert with renowned oboist, Bhavani Kotha.
For performance locations and detailed information for the orchestra's current season, go to the website: boisebaroque.org.
You can also send questions via email to: info.boisebaroque@gmail.org.

by Dana Oland from the Idaho Statesman​

BOISE BAROQUE
​Robert Franz the new artistic advisor for Boise Baroque. Kyle Green KGREEN@IDAHOSTATESMAN.COMBoise’s chamber orchestra, under the leadership of Artistic Advisor Robert Franz, the former Boise Phil music director, opened its season on Sept. 15. This season the group is moving toward the roots of a traditional, self-directed chamber group, where artistic leadership is shared among the musicians. The music may also sound a bit different, too, because the musicians will be using baroque-style bows.

Dr. Daniel Stern, music director, conductor and until recently general manager of the Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra, has announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2018-19 season.
Stern has led the orchestra since the 2005-06 season, all but two years of its existence.
Boise Baroque is in its 15th season, having presented professional Baroque and classical music for the Treasure Valley since 2003. The orchestra performs 10 concerts a year at the Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise.
The next concert features Mozart’s Piano Concerto 22 with Boise pianist Del Parkinson as featured soloist on Feb.9 and 11.
Stern stated that by announcing his retirement now, a smooth transition will be assured, maintaining the orchestra’s growth into the future.
After several years of teaching, Stern came to Boise in 1974 as music director of the Boise Philharmonic, a post he held until 1987. He is credited with initiating steps that led to the Philharmonic’s becoming one of the foremost orchestras in the region.
​
Stern has also served on the faculties of Boise State University and The College of Idaho, conducted numerous performances with Opera Idaho and Ballet Idaho and guest conducted orchestras in the Northwest, Central America and New York.
In 2014, Stern was awarded the Governor’s Award in the Arts for lifetime achievement for his many contributions during his 40 years in Idaho. In 2015, he was honored in Rochester on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his graduation from the Eastman School of Music.

Rachel Barton Pine is know as one of the top violinists in the world. In Boise, you also can hear her play her viola d'amore with the Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra at Cathedral of the Rockies. BY DANA OLAND

Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the best violinists in the world play in an intimate venue. Rachel Barton Pine will perform with the Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra at three concerts this weekend. Pine is a true virtuoso, with a dazzling technique that allows her to soar on a classical concerto, and in turn shred on a piece by one of her favorite bands, Metallica. She plays with power and passion that will transport you. Pine will perform Locatelli’s Violin Concerto in D, and she also will bring her viola d’amore, a 14-stringed viol instrument that has a bright and rich sound, for Vivaldi’s Concerto for Viola D’amore.

By Dana Oland

Creativity can be difficult. In fact, it can be downright scary, especially when the material’s focus is the creative process itself. Just ask choreographer Daniel Ojeda, who is at work on a new ballet about the relationship between art and the artist.
“It’s the most personal thing I’ve made so far,” Ojeda says. “It’s about what I do. Putting personal things on stage is difficult. I relate to the artist character, her struggles — they are my own.” 
Now, add the fact that Ojeda is working with original music by Idaho composers Jeremy Stewart and Daniel Kerr, and the stakes go even higher. It’s the first time in memory that Ballet Idaho has commissioned original music for a new ballet. 
You can see and hear Ojeda’s “The Monster and the Gift” as part of Ballet Idaho’s Winter Repertory concert on Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Morrison Center.
Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra will play Stewart and Kerr’s score for the performance as well as Bach’s Concerto in D minor for Two Violins for a staging of Balanchine’s “Concerto Barocco.” 
The evening fulfills a promise Ballet Idaho Artistic Director Peter Anastos made when he took over the company in 2008: to regularly pair live music with dance. 

​By Dana Oland