In July 2022, Boise State Music Professor of cello and string pedagogy, Brian Hodges, played for the American Bach Society’s “Tiny Bach Concert” series. Founded in 1972, the American Bach Society supports the study, performance, and appreciation of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach in the United States and Canada.
In a truly special concert, Hodges performed J.C.F. Bach’s Cello Sonata in A Major on a 5-string Baroque piccolo cello called the violoncello piccolo. Smaller than a more traditional cello, the instrument’s additional string and more compact size allow for a more efficient playing technique and a middle-range sound. Despite having gone out of traditional use long ago, Hodges has been able to keep the instrument’s spirit alive thanks to a grant from the Alexa Rosa Foundation and the Boise State Professional Development fund. Performed on a 2016 Jay Haide Baroque replica featuring traditional gut strings, the purchase of this instrument allows Hodges to continue sharing the rich, classical history of stringed instruments with Boise State students through his passionate performances and teaching.