Above the Staff   Notes from BFOM Vol. 2010 No.4 Did you know: One critic said that Aaron Kernis “has made it safe for music lovers to return to the concert hall and enjoy new music” The Haydn Cello Concerto was lost from the time of its composition in the 1760’s until 1961 when a copy was discovered in the Prague National Museum Tchaikovsky conducted the inaugural concert in Carnegie Hall by the New York Philharmonic in 1891.

3rd Concert on July 10: A cello virtuoso and 18th, 19th and 20th Century Variations

The 2010 Festival continues with a concert presenting returning superstar cellist, Josh Roman playing two staples of the cello reper-toire, Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, and Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme” and two much less familiar 20th century works, Alberto Geinestera’s “Variaciones Concertantes” and Aaron Kernis’ “Musica Celestis”.

Joshua Roman

All four of the works on the program involve variations and homages to early works.

Haydn's Cello Concerto No.1 is in the sonata form of the classical period but it has the orchestra more typical of a baroque con-certo: strings, two oboes and two horns . If Haydn’s work looks back from 18th century to the 17th, Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme” looks back form the 19th to the 18th with a typical 18th century orchestra and a theme in-spired by Mozart.

Contemporary composer, Aaron Kernis’ Musica Celestis looks back even farther, from the late 20th century back to the 12th century medieval music of Hildegard von Bingen. Kernis’ appreciation of the classical music tradition is why one critic acclaimed him as ”the most important traditional–minded com-poser of his generation.”

Alberto Ginestera, like Tchaikovsky, bases his “Variaciones” on an original theme but one that looks to captures the atmosphere of Argentina in a concerto for orchestra where various instruments take turns as soloists for each variation.

BFOM Receives NEA Award for second consecutive year! The Bellingham Festival of Music for second consecutive year has been given a substantial grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, one of only four musical organizations in Washington State to be so honored, a ringing endorsement of the quality of the Festival and its contribution to the performing arts community in Bellingham. Bravo!

Season Tickets still available for BFOM 2010 Season at WWU Box Office Tickets for all performances now on sale For the first time, parking passes can be purchased with your concert tickets. Call 360-650-6146 or www.tickets.wwu.edu