Cellist shares work of little-known musician Richard Stohr

Richard Stöhr is widely unknown in the musical world. His music sat in a box collecting dust in Vermont since 1838. But in 2011, cellist Stefan Koch brought the music back to life, and he shared a taste of it with Utah State University on Saturday evening.

Mike Bullock works at the Visitor’s Center in downtown Logan and has gotten to know Koch over the past ten years. He was thrilled that Koch performed the work of Stöhr in Logan.

“It’s unique, I think, to find an unknown composer,” Bullock said. “Richard Stöhr has wrote numerous pieces from symphonies to operas to chamber pieces. He is a very talented man and just unknown. So to hear something like that is a special treat.”

Koch took it on himself to get to know who Stöhr was so he could present his work.

“He discovered Stöhr’s treasure trove of music in a library and it hadn’t been performed for decades,” Bullock said. “Some of it may have never been performed. He has gotten to know Stöhr’s daughter and one of his grandsons and become quite the expert on the man himself and his history.”

Estelle Rhodes is a senior violin performance major and said it’s not common at a concert to get a historical presentation of the composer. But Stöhr is almost completely unknown to the much of the musical public as well as musicians, so some said the presentation on his life before the performance was helpful.

“Usually there’s not a presentation, but that was nice, especially since most of us don’t know anything about this composer,” Rhodes said.

The music and the presentation seemed to work. Rhodes said she liked his music so much she just might buy the CD.

“I loved how the cello and the piano were able to meld harmonically and just their colors and sounds were able to blend and become one,” Rhodes said. “I really like his work. It’s very peaceful and inviting and open.”

First time concert-goer Derek Henrick said he attended the concert because it was required for his Introduction to Music class. He said he enjoyed the music and even made a connection with material he learned in class.

“We learned about a few famous composers and conductors [in class], and one of those was Leonard Bernstein, who he talked about a little bit. That was cool to know who he was talking about,” Hendricks said.

Koch talked about Stöhr’s life and showed dozens of pictures. During the first performance, one picture appeared that he hadn’t planned on.

“When I started to play, I imagined a life-sized face at the back of the room and Richard Stöhr was looking back at me, bigger than life. That was the strongest experience like that I have ever had,” Koch said.

Anthony Lebaron, an undeclared freshman, had also never been to a concert before, but had hope of hearing something exciting. After the concert, he said wasn’t disappointed.

“It’s just exactly what I thought it was going to be, really nice,” Lebaron said. “I thought it was a really peaceful atmosphere and really soothing. It almost made me fall asleep. I liked it a lot.”

The crowd gave a double ovation after the last piece, and Stephan Koch thanked guests for listening to the music he had worked to find and perform. After the performance, he stood in the lobby and greeted guests as they lined up to talk with him.