Bach festival

Bach festival in 1950

A Bach festival is a music festival held to celebrate the memory of the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750). Various locations throughout the world hold festivals dedicated to Bach. Notable Bach festivals include those held by Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, put on by the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park in Winter Park, Florida, and the Bachfest Bolivia, celebrated yearly in Cochabamba each March since 2008. Bachfest Bolivia commemorates Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday and is organized by Bolivian director and pianist Elizabeth Schwimmer.

Historical festivals

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem was organized in 1898 to study Bach's Mass in B minor. The choir performed the American premiere of the complete Mass on March 27, 1900, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, though there is evidence that parts of the Mass had been performed in the United States as early as 1870.[1] Bruce Carey was the chorus's director from 1933 until 1938, William Ifor Jones from 1939 until 1969.

Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival

The Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music at Baldwin Wallace University is home to the BW Bach Festival, the oldest collegiate Bach festival in the nation as well as the second-oldest Bach festival in the nation. The festival was founded in 1932 by Professor Albert Riemenschneider (longtime Director of the College Conservatory) and his wife, Selma. The then Baldwin-Wallace Festival Choir and Orchestra presented the first Bach Festival in June 1933 and has continued since then.[2][3] The oldest Bach Festival, The Bethlehem, and Baldwin Wallace performed together for BW's 75th anniversary of the festival.[4][5][6][7]

Winter Park Bach Festival

Since 1935, the Winter Park Bach Festival, the third-oldest continuously operating Bach festival in the United States.[8][9] It brings together a lineup of international[10][11] classical performers to campus,[12] for a two-week event.[13] The 150-voice[13] Bach Festival Society is regarded as one of the olderoratorio societies in America.[9][14]

List of Bach festivals

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bach festivals.

References

  1. ↑ Butt, John (1991). Bach: Mass in B Minor. Cambridge Music Handbooks. Cambridge University Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-521-38716-3.
  2. ↑ Rosenberg (April 17, 2011). "B-W Bach Festival serves up inspiration on intimate and grand scales". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Bach Festival History". BW history conservatory. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  4. ↑ Oestreich (May 7, 2007). "Bach's Captains and Foot Soldiers of Musical Industry". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Oldest Bach Festivals Combine for Anniversary Celebration". PR newswire. July 2007. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "The Bach Choir of Bethlehem". The Bach Choir of Bethlehem history. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Gehman (July 9, 2006). "America's oldest Bach choirs joining to make history [Second Edition]". Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania). Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "2011 Winter Park Bach Festival". Orlando-Florida.net. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Bach Festival Society Commissions New Work by Jaron Lanier". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  10. ↑ "Bach Festival Society ends Fred Rogers series". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  11. ↑ "Top Picks:Bach-analia". Orlando Magazine. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  12. ↑ "Orlando Art & Culture Activities: Symphony". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Just for Fun". Rollins College. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  14. ↑ "Bach Festival Society Announces Their Summer Music Academy". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
  15. ↑ Arizona Bach Festival
  16. ↑ Bach Festival of Philadelphia
  17. ↑ Bach Festival Society of Winter Park
  18. ↑ Bachfest Ankara
  19. ↑ Bachfest Bolivia
  20. ↑ Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival
  21. ↑ Montreal Bach Festival

External links