Cellista will be performing excerpts from the Bach Cello Suites. Cellista is a cellist known for collaborating with artists across various media, as well as producing and performing events in unconventional spaces that incorporate elements of classical music, theater, improvisation and visual art across a range of genres including pop, hip-hop, classical and more. These performances often feature a carbon fiber cello and loop station.

Full progamme of the performances is available here:
https://www.conservatorioperosi.it/cms/it/albo-online-2/viewcategory/690-bach-in-the-subways-2018.html

3-19Dance Art Where Magical Realism meets dance by Beatriz E. Vasquez combines the language of Ballet, World Dance, Performance Art, Story telling, Music and Visual Art, to transport the audience to a different place in time. Beatriz creates works that bridge the gap between cultures, gender, and the lines that so often divide humanity. 3-19 Dance Art has performed at Mix and Match Dance Festival, LA Day of the Dead Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2011 to present), UCLA, Highways Performance Art Space, USC, Grand Performances, Festival De La Calle Ocho (2014 to present), Human Resources Art Gallery, Union Station, San Pedro Arts Festival, The Pico Rivera Sports Arena, Bach in the Subways (2014-present), Encuentro de Las Americas 2017.
3-19 Dance Art has received 2 awards, one by Festival De La Calle 8 “The Excellence Award” for bringing classical dance and performance to the Latin community of Los Angeles. And The Gustavo VII International Award for the contributions to the arts by a Latin choreographer .

“I chose numbers to define my work as my work has no ethnicity, I swim in the waters of each culture as if it was my own. We live in a global world and I choose to be inclusive of everyone and everything as opposed to delineate boundaries.”

I love to create and choreograph for BITS Marathon because is not only a celebration of one of the greatest in classical music, but also a free event which exposes, promotes, and cultivates the love for classical music. My beginnings as a dancer were in classical dance, I love to move to classical music, I love the textures, the tones, the diversity of moods that can be present in just one composition, I want people to experience that, a lot of times people haven’t been exposed to classical music, they are intimidated and afraid, they think that in order to enjoy classical music, dance or art a lot of money is required, but it is not. Sadly a lot of concerts and performances are costly for the average family, but BITS is free, anyone can attend, all you have to do is show up! So for me its a privilege and honor to create something where the audience will not only enjoy audibly but visually as well. The last 3 years have been so amazing with so many kids running up after us to take photos and say “I didn’t know you could dance to classical music”. This will be the 2nd year where we will be collaborating with the Clover string Quartet, they will be playing live while we dance. Something not to be missed.

The trio includes Kathy Scarborough on violin and viola, Steven Lovinger on violin, and Jennifer Hermann on piano. We are based in Olympia. Kathy moved to the area from New York and still performs there and in Washington, D.C. Steven is a soloist and orchestral player in the south sound area. Jennifer is a professor at South Puget Sound Community College and General Manager of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra. She will be performing with the South Puget Sound Orchestra in March.

Bachground: My name is Roger Lebow. I grew up in LA, and have been playing the cello since I was 10—nearly 60 years. I made my living as a cellist, playing in string quartets, for movie soundtracks, record albums, solo concerts, and enjoyed 30 years in the pit with LA Opera.

Thinking Bach: Now that I’m “retired” (cellists don’t stop playing; they just stop showing up for work), nearly every day I take my cello out of its case, sit down and play music from the Bach solo suites—the music I first began working on in 1962. It doesn’t get old. I’m tempted to think it keeps me young. It certainly keeps me modest. Whether it’s Bach’s rhythmic groove, his spiritual core, or the clockwork precision of the intricate package it’s wrapped in, something in his music reaches to embrace the listener, regardless of their musical background. I have friends who only listen to death metal, to Broadway show tunes, to classic rock, to C & W or jazz—but play Bach for them and immediately they’re into it, swept away, grooving. 



BitS LA Impact: This year will be the third I’ve joined the throngs for Bach in the Subways. I love sharing the music that has remained so special to me. There is also something that really appeals to me about the hundreds of streams of people traveling through Union Station, many of whom have never seen a cello, much less heard one live, randomly passing by and perhaps stopping for a moment or two to listen. When I’ve played at Union Station in the past, many people take a moment to speak with me afterwards, and I realize then how much we all need what is contained in this music, and how remarkable it is to participate in this experience.