By Michael-Shawn Dugar
Mdugar@dnews.com
MOSCOW - In a celebration of Baroque music, the University of Idaho School of Music is presenting its fourth annual Bach Festival.
The three-day concert series - honoring the work of famed German composer Johann Sebastian Bach - begins today with a student concert in the Idaho Commons Rotunda and concludes Saturday night with performances at Haddock Performance Hall. The festival features of mixture of music students, faculty and professionals from the area performing everything from the flute and piano to string and vocal pieces.
The festival began as an outlet for students and faculty to display their music talents in addition to honoring the work of many musicians' favorite composer.
"Bach Week is one of the top events every year," said Miranda Wilson, co-artistic director of the festival.
For UI senior Jordan Asker, this will be his final performance at the festival, having played in the bass section of the orchestra since its inception. He called it a bittersweet feeling - he's excited for the opportunity to perform but at the same time wistful because it will probably never happen again.
"It's always been a blast," Asker said. "(Bach's) music is just great. The great part about the Bach Festival, besides being able to be immersed in Bach's music, is that they bring in world-renowned guest artists and really talented people that know a lot about Bach."
Asker, a double-bass performance major, plays with the wind ensemble in the university orchestra, the university jazz band, a jazz trio and the Washington/Idaho Symphony. This year, Asker will play in the bass section of the orchestra for the "Brandenburg Concerto," the "Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach Harpsichord Concerto" and the "Jesu, Meine Freude."
"The Bach Festival is unique because it's an annual thing and we all get together because we love music and donate our time for the music," Asker said. "All the other stuff is a little bit more established, and with the Bach Festival, we get together because we want to."
Asker said he considers Bach his favorite composer.
"There's just a level of complexity to his music and at the same time accessibility," he said. "He was really ahead of his time when he was around."
This year's Bach scholar is David Schulenberg, a famous author and harpsichord player. Wilson said she has long been a fan of Schulenberg's books, but she never thought she'd have to chance to meet him.
Schulenberg will perform some of Bach's work and will also play a harpsichord concerto written by one of Bach's sons on Friday and Saturday.
"I think people will be interested to know about Bach's fifth son - second to survive - Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach," said Michael Murphy, the festival's artistic co-director. "I think they will be surprised about what David has to say about his importance to music history. Sometimes he gets eclipsed by his father, but he's really important to our history of music, so to have access to David is incredible itself."
Bach Festival Schedule
THURSDAY
Bach-in-the-Round student concert, noon, UI Commons Rotunda
FRIDAY
Opening Festival Gala Concert, 7: 30 p.m., Haddock Performance Hall
Cost: Regular price $5, seniors and students $3
SATURDAY
Lecture and Performance Forum, 9:30 a.m., Haddock Performance Hall.
Festival Closing Concert, 7:30 p.m., Haddock Performance Hall
Cost: Regular price $5, seniors and students $3
