Cellofourte, a local all-cello rock group, saw its improbable run in a worldwide battle-of-the-bands competition end over the weekend in Cleveland. The concert was the regional final of the Emergenza Music Festival that will culminate in Germany with concerts and a record deal for the winner. Cellofourte, which had advanced through several rounds to this point, came in a close second at Peabody's Down Under Saturday night. The quartet of former and current Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne university students won't advance in the competition but will take plenty from the experience. "We had a chance to play a lot of great halls and had a lot of fun," said founder Tate Olsen.

(Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette classical music critic)