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BBO News Blog

Celebrate Kay Hardy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts!

11/19/2020

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Our February Guest Artist, Monica Huggett, shares a laugh with Kay Hardy at the post-concert reception hosted by Dan & Edna Shochat.
 Monica Huggett (left), Fred Boelter (center), Kay Hardy (right) ​
​Governor Brad Little and First Lady Teresa Little have selected the recipients of the 2020 Governor’s Awards in the Arts. The biennial awards were established in 1970 by the Idaho Commission on the Arts and bring recognition to Idaho’s exceptional artists, arts organizations, and arts supporters. Awardees are Idaho residents who have made significant contributions to the cultural life of Idaho and to the arts through their creative accomplishments or distinguished service. Since 1970, the Lifetime Achievement Awards in the Arts have been presented only nine times. The last one awarded was to Maestro Daniel Stern in 2014. Now, six years later, we are thrilled that Kay Hardy has also been awarded this honor. Certainly, Kay has impacted the wide breadth of the arts in the Treasure Valley and beyond, but we at the Boise Baroque Orchestra (BBO) are especially appreciative of her contributions to our organization. Kay has a particular love for baroque music and has been a supporter of the BBO since its inception."It's been a pleasure serving with Kay as a member of the Boise Baroque's Strategic Advisory Council.  It's wonderful to see her receive this honor for her work to elevate the arts in the Treasure Valley." --Jeff Smith
“I am beyond thrilled that Kay Hardy has been recognized by the Governor for her enormous contribution to the arts community in Boise. Kay’s passion, drive, and positive “can-do” spirit are inspirations to all of us. We live in a richer community because she is such an active part. Bravo, Kay.” --Robert Franz
In these days of COVID-19, we need everyone to help keep our organization functioning. We appreciate our patrons’ willingness to adapt by subscribing and watching our Digital Concert Series. Almost all of our patrons watched “Haydn in Paris,” with some of you watching multiple times. Donations make up the majority of our funding, so we are especially grateful to those of you who continue to donate. To Kay Hardy, we say sincerely, “Thank you from the bottom of our heart” for providing us all with an example of how to support the arts in Idaho.”
Please congratulate Kay Hardy on her award and read more about it below.
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A Neighborhood Concert

9/24/2020

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with Dr. Del Parkinson (Professor, Boise State University)
By Helen Carter
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Dr. Del Parkinson
On Behalf of the Boise Baroque Orchestra, Dr. Del Parkinson, piano performance professor at Boise State University, donated a concert to be auctioned off at the BBO’s fundraising Winter Celebration event. I leapt at the opportunity to bid but quickly realized I had a die-hard competitor in Margaret Henderson. We bid back and forth, until Margaret graciously allowed me to win.
 
I followed up with Dr. Parkinson who was eager to perform the concert. We decided to have it in my living room, since we have a nice piano. We invited all of our neighbors to a potluck in early April. We set up everything, sent out the invitations, and then COVID-19 struck. Dr. Parkinson understood the need to delay and offered to perform whenever we felt it would be safe, even if it had to be delayed to 2021.
 
As the pandemic raged on, we came up with an alternative: we decided to have the concert outside on September 22nd, using a Roland digital piano and an amp. It was quite a shift for Dr. Parkinson from performing at the Morrison Center on the nine-foot Steinway, but he said he would make it work.

On the appointed date, neighbors gathered in our front yard with chairs and blankets. Ava Gaylord, who lives in the neighborhood and studies violin with Paula Stern, performed first. Her two pieces, “In the Style of Mozart” by Amy Barlowe, and "Salut d’ Amour" by Elgar, put everyone in the perfect frame of mind. Then Dr. Parkinson performed the following, preceding every selection with a unique and personal story:
 
  • Piano Concerto in A minor by Edvard Grieg
  • Minute Waltz by Frédéric Chopin
  • Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy
  • Selections from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
  • Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin​
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At the keyboard
​For Grieg’s "Piano Concerto in A minor", he talked about his trip to Grieg’s home in Bergen, Norway, where he was allowed to play on the composer’s piano!
 
The funniest story was his performance of Chopin’s "Minute Waltz" many years ago at Ricks College. The event was held in the gymnasium with the purpose of welcoming new students with a program spanning the gamut of studies at the College. Dr. Parkinson represented the School of Music. The administrators mandated his performance be one minute, and no more. He tried to explain that “minute” did not refer to the duration of the performance but rather to the dance. Because they insisted on one minute, he practiced over and over again to decrease the duration from 1:45 to exactly 1 minute, all the while worrying that the performance was going to be incomprehensible. During the actual performance, he was distracted when the audience seemed to get restless, but he kept going, faster and faster. As he played the last notes, he realized they were counting down 10-9-8 … as the clock ticked toward 60 seconds. He finished at 59 seconds when the gymnasium’s buzzer rang! They were quite serious about the one minute! For our neighborhood concert, Dr. Parkinson played at the normal, beautiful, dance tempo, and we were all relieved. However, we had to hold ourselves back from yelling 10-9-8 …!
 
To introduce "Claire de Lune", he told how he performed it in Mexico at an outdoor concert. In the middle of his performance, the lights went out. He knew the piece by heart, so that wasn’t an issue. He kept going, with the atmosphere magically enhanced by the rising of the full moon as he closed out the piece! We didn’t have a full moon for our outdoor performance, but at least a few people in the audience had tears in their eyes.
 
Dr. Parkinson’s medley of songs from "West Side Story" had people humming along.
 
The evening’s performance ended with Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue". We’ve all heard the United Airlines commercials, but Dr. Parkinson gave us a more expanded version of the piece that emphasized the jazz and ragtime aspects. His story of the creation of the piece inspired some of us to do research on the Aeolian Hall in New York City where it premiered on February 12, 1924. That performance was special, and we felt grateful to have had our own special rendition of Gershwin’s classic in our front yard.
 
It was such a gift to be able to enjoy a socially-distanced outdoor concert with Dr. Parkinson, an amazing musician and educator. And what a wonderful way to support our Boise Baroque Orchestra!
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Up, Up, and Away!

8/28/2020

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By Ellie McKinnon
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“I would love,” Robert Franz says in the intro to Stella, his video-based children’s book series, “to ride in a hot air balloon.”  A nice dream, but instead of going up, up and away himself, he sent Stella, the book’s main character on whimsical, musical balloon trips.  When Boise Baroque board member Stephanie Kennedy, once a balloon pilot herself, heard of his dream an idea was born. She wanted Robert to be up in the clouds before he headed to Canada, and she knew how to make that happen.

 And there were reasons to celebrate, like Robert’s decision to reverse commute and maintain his position as Artistic Director at Boise Baroque Orchestra even while living in Canada and working with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO). As he sees it, the commuting arrangement benefits everyone.  While living and working in Canada, he can acquire inspiration, information, and ideas that he will bring back to Boise to enliven his work and performances here.  Currently, he is acquiring valuable skills as the WSO inaugurates a 12-concert digital series. And he is used to commuting after spending much of his time in the air for the past ten years.  But of course, he flies on a commercial jet while commuting, never in the basket of a hot air balloon.  So, with reasons to celebrate and Robert’s move approaching, a hot air balloon ride for Robert and his husband, Brandon, seemed a perfect send-off.  

Kennedy knows the pleasure of floating in the quiet above the treetops, the adventure of not knowing exactly where you are headed, and pure joy that lets the imagination take flight.  Because of Franz’s total engagement and obvious delight while conducting, she knew that Franz understands joy, likes adventure and possesses a soaring imagination.  For Kennedy, hot air ballooning and rich musical engagement are parallel experiences.  And she knew just which balloon would be ideal for Robert’s ride—The Oz Ballon, a gorgeous piece of artistry gifted by the Disney Corporation to Laurie Spencer, owner of the Boise ballon company, Lighter than Air America.  Laurie agreed that the Oz balloon which she piloted in promotional pieces for the release of Disney’s film, Oz, the Great and Powerful, perfectly suited the occasion, and she offered to serve as pilot for Robert’s ride.  Spencer says she loves meeting people from all over the world while sharing the basket of her hot air balloon and giving her passengers, in her words, “memories that will last a lifetime.”
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​Fire In The Hole
​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.
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Lift Off
In Franz’s storybook, Stella peers over the edge of the balloon basket as it hovers over a river.  When Robert and Brandon’s balloon danced on the wind over the Boise River, Spencer says Robert burst into singing. Because he was totally wrapped up in the experience itself, Franz says he doesn’t remember that moment, and wonders if maybe it was Brandon’s voice that she heard. But on subsequent trips, Laurie says that while riding wind currents over water, she remembers that moment, and feels it was a gift. While many of her flights have been memorable, she counts the flight with Robert and Brandon among the most magical.
 
Grateful, Robert gave Laurie two additional gifts—one, a video of a performance where she could watch orchestral music being created.  The other, the promise of a seat at at Boise Baroque Orchestra performance when the orchestra is able to again perform before a live audience.  She will be there along with the musicians, and with Stephanie Kennedy, and with the BBO patrons, all of us riding on sweeping currents of sound.
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A Message from Robert!

8/20/2020

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I hope that you are having a safe and rewarding summer in these most unusual of times. I am reaching out to you to share with you a bit of news that is occurring in my life.
 
My family and I are moving to Canada! This plan has been in development for the past 12 months. Now that we have the opportunity to get in during a pandemic, we decided to take the leap. This move aligns with our family’s current situation and our future goals. In fact, for the past seven years, I have been travelling monthly between Boise and Windsor!
 
What does this mean for Boise Baroque Orchestra? Nothing! I will be continuing in my role as Artistic Director and have signed a longer-term contract. I have been working from home on a regular basis for the past six months already, as we all continue to develop our remote management communication skills.  Once we return to a normal season, I will continue with my regular schedule of conducting three weeks of concerts per season, plus will carry on with all of my other responsibilities as Artistic Director. I will be continuing with Idaho Orchestra Institute as well. That means I will return to my beloved Boise at least once a quarter. In effect, I will be reverse commuting!
 
So, for now we bid you adieu, but only until the orchestra and I make music together again. The BBO will be in touch in the next few weeks as our plans for the fall and beyond are formalized. I have a special place in my heart for you, our audience, and for the incredible musicians of the BBO. You aren’t going to get rid of me that easily! 
 
All the best,
Robert

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It Takes A Village

8/19/2020

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By Yvonne McCoy
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Anticipation
​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. 
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Helen Carter, Board of Directors President, Adjusting Air Filter
Producing the season finale concert presented many challenges:
  • A safe venue and other physical resources.  The venue must allow for safe distancing for the orchestra members during rehearsals and performances.  Susan and Foad Roghani, owners and operators of the very elegant Chateau des Fleurs, donated their spacious facilities for rehearsals and performances.  The musicians were able to spread out as needed to meet safe distancing suggestions by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  Board of Directors member Stephanie Kennedy lent us large air filters, an infrared thermometer, hand sanitizer, and masks.  Volunteer Sandy Everett made by hand concert-black masks for each musician.
  • Social distancing by the musicians made it more difficult for them to play together.  They needed to be able to hear and see each other clearly to stay together in tempo, with appropriate dynamics, and with simultaneous music entrances and cutoffs.  Usually the string musicians play in pairs, i.e., they share a music stand with another musician in their section.  One of them turns the pages for both of them.  Because of the COVID protocols, they must sit apart, requiring them to turn their own pages, the first time some musicians had done this in years.  The string sections had to coordinate who would turn which pages at what time, so they all didn’t stop playing and turn pages at the same time.   Musicians are so used to their stand mates and playing in close proximity that Brian Hodges (Principal Cello) said they are able to communicate  with each other without words, using eye contact and body language, and even breathing together.  Musicians must always concentrate to make the most of their rehearsals and performances, but social distancing makes concentration and focus even more important and more difficult. 
  • Wearing masks while performing is another significant challenge for the musicians, particularly the string players.  Dawn Douthit (Concertmaster) commented that this was much harder than she thought it would be.  Breathing is difficult and can be physically uncomfortable, and the subtle communication among the musicians that Brian talked about is more indiscernible.
  • Accommodating Wind & Brass Musicians.  Needless to say, wind and brass musicians cannot wear masks while performing, so other provisions must be made for them.  Who knew that flutes expel more air across the room than any other instrument?  Karlin Coolidge (Principal Flute) now plays behind a newly-purchased, large plexiglass screen originally designed for a drum kit.  In the spirit of cooperation between local arts organizations, the Boise Phil lent us the plexiglass screens used by their winds and brass.  In return, we'll lend them the drum kit screen whenever they need it!
  • Frequent Breaks.  Robert Franz (BBO Artistic Director) was aware of the myriad challenges of social distancing and mask wearing during rehearsals, so he scheduled additional breaks, enabling the musicians to get outside, take off their masks, and walk (six feet apart, of course) through the pastoral gardens of the Chateau. 
  • Safety Protocols.  All of these adaptations and accommodations enabled the musicians not just to be safe but also to feel safe.  Since the BBO had never experienced a health pandemic before, we needed to develop and implement special safety protocols.  We were lucky to have the expertise of Central District Health Project Manager Brandon Atkins to guide us.  David Everett (BBO Executive Director) was our protocol monitor.  He took the temperatures of everyone before entering the Chateau and sanitized all the equipment (including tables, chairs, music stands, etc.) before and after each rehearsal.  Dave is personally very proud of the efforts everyone, including Brian Vance (BBO Personnel Manager), made in ensuring this outcome … safe and healthy musicians, staff, and Chateau personnel.  We have had no infections of anyone involved with the project.                                                                                                      
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Rehearsal: Dave Everett, Executive Director, Explaining Protocol
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. 
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Ready To Rehearse
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.” ​
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Boise Baroque orchestra: music to the ears

10/6/2019

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​​​By Ellie McKinnon For the Idaho Press
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​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.
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Here’s what Boise’s performing arts groups have in store for the 2019-20 season

9/24/2019

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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.
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Boise Baroque Orchestra announces Robert Franz as new Artistic Advisor

3/20/2019

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The Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra has named Maestro Robert Franz, widely esteemed conductor, award winning educator, audience builder and former Music Director of the Boise Philharmonic (2008-16), for its Artistic Advisor in the 2019-20 season. Maestro Franz will assist the Boise Baroque in its transition from long-time Music Director, Daniel Stern.
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“I am thrilled to be joining Boise Baroque,” says Franz. “This talented group of musicians fills a very important niche in the Treasure Valley, and I look forward to creating historically informed performances of the great music of the 17th and 18th Centuries with them. I am very grateful for the dedicated and thoughtful work of my predecessors, Maestros Roller and Stern, who shepherded this ensemble to where it is today.”
Boise Baroque Board President Russ Buschert noted, “Over the years Dan Stern’s contribution to the classical music community in the Treasure Valley has been enormous. Those of us associated with the Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra are most grateful for his 14 years of leadership that has transformed the organization into a highly capable, very accomplished chamber orchestra.” He added, “We expect this reputation to continue and grow with the appointment of Maestro Robert Franz who has been collaborating with the musicians and staff to create a wonderful series of concerts for the upcoming season.”
Critics, composers and audiences of all ages acclaim Franz’s appeal as a first-rate conductor and enthusiastic award-winning educator. He currently serves as Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony and Founder and Music Director of the Idaho Orchestra Institute. In demand as a guest conductor, Franz has led some of the most prestigious orchestras in the U.S. and abroad, including The Cleveland Orchestra, the Baltimore, St. Louis and Phoenix Symphonies, and the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina in Italy.
The Boise Baroque Orchestra was formed in 2003 with the goal of bringing the best of the baroque and classical repertoire to the Treasure Valley. The musicians are professionals in the area, many of whom perform in the Boise Philharmonic, the Boise Philharmonic Master Chorale and Opera Idaho.
Still to come this season:
• Guest Conductor Yaniv Attar and violinist Denise Dillenbeck with the music of Biber, Bach and Mozart on March 15 and 17 at the Cathedral of the Rockies
• Music Director and Conductor Daniel Stern’s final performance before his retirement. Haydn’s The Creation featuring the Boise Phil Master Chorale, with soloists Michele Detwiler, Thomas Glenn, Daniel Scofield and Emily Workman on April 21 at the Egyptian Theatre.
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Boise Baroque Orchestra to kick off 2018 - 19 season

10/8/2018

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By IDAHO PRESS STAFF newsroom@idahopress.com ​
The Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra will open its 2018 — 19 season the night of Oct. 19.
This season marks the final one to feature Daniel Stern as the orchestra’s director, and will also feature violinist Geoffrey Trabichoff, according to a news release from Hugh Shaber, spokesman for the orchestra. Trabichoff is the former concertmaster of the BBC Scottish Symphony, and former of the Paragon Ensemble of Scotland. He has also served as the concertmaster of Germany’s Mannheim Chamber and Hanover State Orchestras, according to the release.
The season’s first two concerts will take place 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19, and 2 p.m. Oct. 21, both at the Cathedral of the Rockies, 717 N. 11th St. in Boise. The orchestra will perform “Sinfonia for Double Orchestra” by Johann Christian Bach, Violin Concerto No. 2, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and “Water Music” by George Frederic Handel, according to the release.
Tickets are available at the door, as well as at boisebaroque.org
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Noted Boise music director, conductor to reture

1/25/2018

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By IDAHO PRESS- TRIBUNE STAFF
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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.
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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.
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