Bart Feller Raises the Bar…erm, Clef

By Janice Tieperman
SC Staff Writer

It’s not a daily occurrence for most avid music-lovers to be graced with the presence of someone who has taken an art, be it common or otherwise, and mastered it completely.

Last Sunday, the well-renowned classical flutist, Bart Feller, came to East Stroudsburg University to perform a solo recital in Celia S. Cohen Recital Hall for both the student community and the public.

Feller first pursued flute performance in Julliard’s PreCollege Division, which later led to an intense study at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Following this, he went even further to train in flute with premier musicians such as John Krell, Julius Baker, and Keith Underwood.

He has since become the lead flutist for the New York City Opera and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, with other featured appearances in many other notable groups, such as the New York Philharmonic as well as the Boston Symphony.

The audience’s attention was immediately drawn to a piano and string ensemble used to both accompany and complement the naturally delicate timbre of the flute.

This variety of sound not only welcomed a new listening experience, but also encouraged the audience to revisit what they may have traditionally believed to be “classical music.”

As Feller played both familiar and unfamiliar pieces for those experienced with the orchestral genre, there was room for discovery to those who had never listened to Feller’s work before, and room for exploration to those who had.

The unique and ranged demographic of concert-goers only furthered the point that each and every person in attendance was taking his or her own unique journey into an auditory endeavor.

As for me, I found my own mental and musical niche as I listened to Feller play. Although I have played musical instruments as a hobby, it never really occurred to me that in the right hands, an ornately carved piece of metal could be so much more than just that—a hobby.

To hear such music played by a man who has dedicated innumerous hours and years to perfecting an art that to some is simply an elementary extracurricular is truly astounding, and has inspired me to devote the same kind of time to the activities I enjoy—regardless of whether or not they involve sheet music.

Email Janice at:
jtieperman@live.esu.edu