Another Astoria Music Festival tidbit: SERGEY ANTONOV, pictured above, is a Russian cellist who played in a concert at the Liberty Theater during the festival. PATRICK WEBB, editor of THE DAILY ASTORIAN, wrote a rave review of the performance that appeared online at www.dailyastorian.com before it was actually published in the newspaper. LEENA RIKER, festival board president, takes the story from here:

Antonov’s “mother obviously Googled him during the night when the review went on the Web site and sent the link to Sergey, who then sent it to KEITH CLARK, the artistic director and conductor of that concert.” So before anyone local even knew about the review, Riker said, “it was discovered in Moscow by the soloist’s mother!” If that doesn’t convince you what a small world we have become, the Ear doesn’t know what will.