What kind of word is "blog" anyway? Pretty casual and rumpled to my ear. So I'll take a casual tone to tell you about our spring events. April Fool's Day (April 1 at 3:00 p.m.) brings a cello-licious concert by Efe Baltacigil with the talented Amy J. Yang on piano. Baltacigil flies in from his new home with the Seattle Symphony, returning to his old stomping grounds for a good dose of Beethoven Sonatas (No 2 and No 5) plus Ravel's Habanera for a different mood. Brahms Piano Quartet in C minor needs some more bows, so two Williams, Polk and Frampton come to the rescue with their violin and viola. To celebrate Mr. Baltacigil's Turkish nationality, MaBH will have a reception with Turkish specialties on the menu.
Next day, Baltacigil and Yang take their show on the road to Woodbury High School for an Outreach Concert to the Jr/Sr High School. The Greater Woodbury Arts Council partnered to bring this concert to the school.

Look for some nationalistic focus in the spring lineup for Music at Bunker Hill. Celebrate Efe Baltacigil's Turkish origin with a reception featuring some authentic Turkish treats on April 1. Then on April 15 when Jason Vieaux brings us The Romantic Spanish Guitar, taste some of Spain's traditional treats. The music, the artists, the food; all contribute to the experience that is Music at Bunker Hill.

 Music at Bunker Hill opened its fourth season on Oct. 16 with a concert by John Dalley and Peter Wiley, former members of the Guarneri Quartet, and pianist Anna Polonsky, who plays with such notable musicians as Michael Tree, Anthony McGill, Ida Kavafian, Arnold Steinhardt, and her husband, pianist Orion Weiss. Dalley and Wiley had performed the previous week in a benefit concert for Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, then they drove down following a NYC performance to play in South Jersey. Polonsky flew in from Chicago to perform, then enjoyed a few days at her home before jetting off to perform in Alabama and California.

The concert began with two Beethoven works: Variations in Eb for Piano Trio, Op 44, followed by Peter Wiley performing Cello Sonata in A Major, Op 69.  The performances were received with hearty applause and standing ovations. Audience members commented: “What a privilege to Wash. Twp. that you present such artists as Dalley, Wiley & Polonsky…”  “Marvelous ensemble playing.” “Lively and highly enjoyable.” “The music fills me with great joy- all else is forgotten.”

Artistic Director of Music at Bunker Hill William Frampton joined the group to perform Faure’s Piano Quartet in c minor as a rousing finale. During the pre-concert sound check, the performers revealed their admiration for the Faure’s melodies and musical construction, and the fact that it does not appear often on their programs. They enjoyed performing as much as the audience enjoyed listening and will perform this quartet again in April in NYC. A subscriber from Deptford, NJ commented, “Every concert is outstanding with absolute professional musicians.”

Sewell, NJ August 13, 2011— Music at Bunker Hill today announced a partnership with Target in recognition of its efforts in inspiring the next generation through passion and excellence in the arts. Providing outreach events is an important part of the mission of Music at Bunker Hill. This grant will be used to bring our performers to public school students in Woodbury High School (Efe Baltacigil cello recital)and Washington Township (Jason Vieaux guitar master class).
MaBH officers recently met with Mark Wittkorn, manager of the Mantua Target, to coordinate this partnership on the local level. Plans are afoot to focus on Target in one of the spring concerts, with Target volunteers on hand to usher and assist during the concert.
This grant is part of the ongoing efforts by Target to strengthen families and communities throughout the country. Since 1946, Target has given 5percent of its income to communtiies. Today, that giving equals more than $3 million every week.

There are some big names coming to our series this year: Dalley, Wiley, Polonsky, Meyer, Vieaux, Baltacigil, Yang, Kim, Phillips, Rosen, Frampton. Some will be familiar to audiences, others will be new and intriguing. We have grouped the concerts before and after the standard snowy months so we don't have slippery driving conditions to contend with.
Our audiences agree that the music is thrilling and the performers are superb. Our venue is comfortable and cozy.
The Board of Directors and volunteers are doing their best to get the word out, but we need people who know to tell their friends. Word of mouth is such an effective tool for sharing something that you love.
So what if your friends are not experts on classical music? They might learn a few facts as they let the music surround them. Our performers are not shy and they enjoy sharing interesting tidbits about composers or a particular piece. Please check out the Season Four concerts and invite your friends, too. Be generous in sharing this gem in South Jersey.

Sara Jakubiak and Ross Benoliel filled the church with their voices yesterday. It's so amazing how different all of our voices are. We have the same basic equipment, but with the right talent and years of training, it is amazing how much power and beauty these young singers produce. The audience was definitely under their spell as they sang and acted, walking down into the audience. Craig Ketter covered the piano parts (100 piece orchestra) without breaking a sweat. And he somehow kept up with the football playoff score. Jeffrey Golde told us all about each selection, some history, some anecdotes. Who was that audience member that had seen A Touch of Venus 52 times? Most of us had never heard of the show.
The regular attenders were happy to see the group of students from Woodstown High School. They said it was nice to see so many young people at our concert. Director Kahlil Gunther takes his students to a few concerts each year. In the fall, many of his students sang in the flash mob Hallelujah Chorus at Macy's in Philadelphia.

     When three musicians were stranded right before their pre-concert sound check, headliner CJ Chang didn't break a sweat. This was the third time that adjustments had to be made because of travel blips. First, violist William Frampton was stranded on a bus in New York, ending in a 7 hour trip that usually takes 2 hours. He arrived late to the Brandenburg rehearsal. Next, Jason Vieaux's flight was canceled and he had to change to a 7 hour road trip, causing a delay  in the Paganini Quartet rehearsal. Last, two cellists and a bassist were stranded by a cantankerous car and had to take the Speed Line just before the concert. Normally it's not a problem to pick up three people from the Speed Line, but when they're hauling two cellos and a bass, you have to bring two vehicles.
     The concert was super despite these little hitches. Violist Choong-Jin Chang and pianist Amy J. Yang started the night with Elegy by Glazunov, followed by the dramatic Rebecca Clarke Sonata. This was probably the first time that many had heard this piece and judging from the applause, it was a hit. An audience member commented that Clarke would enter competitions under a pseudonym because she didn't stand a chance entering as a woman.
     The Paganini Guitar Quartet no. 15 started the second half. Performers CJ Chang, Jason Vieaux, Efe Baltacigil and Josef Spacek had a blast with this piece. You could see the audience moving along with the music, and there were smiles all around each time the guys got carried away with the exuberance of the music.
     Brandenburg Concerto no. 6 concluded the concert with a full stage. Cellists Natalie Helm and Efe Baltacigil were on stage right, Amy J. Yang on piano in the center, cellist John Koen and bassist Joseph Conyers on stage left, and CJ Chang and William Frampton were front and center. The stage just barely held the musicians and this well-known Bach concerto for two violas was a real crowd-pleaser. The recurring themes make the music easy to follow and the solo lines were tossed all around the stage, giving the audience a good listen to the ensemble and the individual players as well. A standing ovation concluded the performance. Ah, Bach!
     We had the largest opening night audience in the series' three year history. If we had held a hand count, we would have seen a lot of violists, violinists and cellists in the audience. In addition, our regular subscribers were out in full force and many invited their friends through our new Share the Music program. Several newcomers commented on this newly-discovered gem of music in South Jersey. Everybody raved about the music itself and the talented performers. One person compared our concert to an excellent concert she had attended in Italy. From the engaged performers to the appreciative audience, it looked like we all had fun. As CJ remarked when he heard about the stranded players, "It's going to be a great concert, because in the face of adversity people always give even more energy." And it was and they did.