Festival Calendar for 2005/06

The Opening Night of the 30^th Anniversary Season features Johann Sebastian Bach's opus 1 with internationally renowned Bach specialist Jeremy Denk. Enjoy the six partitas for piano solo also known as German suites with internationally renowned Bach expert Jeremy Denk at the Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square. With this concert and a prolonged cocktail reception for invited guests and the first 30 season pass holders only the Bach Festival expresses its gratitude to all those who have been part of it during the past 30 years contributing their labor, money, spirit, and love. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

The joyous Italian concerto and the rarely performed French overture form the 2^nd part of Bach's keyboard exercise. Dr. Eric Fung from Hong Kong, second prize winner at the prestigious Bach competition in Leipzig 2002 will perform and lecture on these treasures. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

The glorious and powerful Prelude and Fugue in Eb Major frames the twenty one chorale preludes and four duets of the monumental Organ Mass. Limburg Cathedral's organist and music director Markus Eichenlaub stops in Philadelphia during his tour through the U.S. to perform the third part of the Clavir Ubung at the new Mander organ of the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

"Dear Goldberg, do play me one of my variations" is what Count Keyserlink said to his court musician when he had one of his sleepless nights and longed to hear this most famous of Bach's oeuvre. The Goldberg Variations, the fourth and final part of the Clavir Ubung, will be performed by harpsichordist Jory Vinikour at the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel right after his Carnegie Hall debut. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

A prodigy with Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, and Leonard Rose among his mentors, Israeli artist Matt Haimovitz is highly recognized for his revolutionary interpretation of the cello suites. At the Bach Festival he will perform the suites #1, 3, 5, and 6. Enjoy these pearls surrounded by artwork at the Woodmere Art Museum. Since seating capacity is quite limited and preferentially given to season pass holders, you should order tickets for this event soon. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

For the 20^th Anniversary in 1995, Paul Galbraith performed the world premiere of his transcription of Bach's violin solo sonatas at the Bach Festival of Philadelphia. Now he returns to the Bach Festival for the second concert featuring Bach's cello suites #2 and 4 in addition to French Suite #2. Let yourself be flown to cloud nine by his miraculous 8-string guitar-da-gamba playing. The oldest building of Chestnut Hill, the Baptist Church on the top of the hill with its cozy atmosphere will host the evening. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

Dr. Romanaux will present her "Greatest Organ Hits through 1750" with Preludes and Toccatas by J.S. Bach, Frescobaldi, Buxtehude and the Biblical Sonata, "The Battle of David and Goliath" by Bach's predecessor as cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig, Johann Kuhnau. Dr. Romanaux is Artist-in-Residence and Principal Organist at the historic St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia, where she plays for services and presents an annual series of concerts on the church's majestic E.M. Skinner organ.[Tickets] [directions] [Top]

The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra "Apollo's Fire" under Jeannette Sorrell will open the festival week at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, a well-known venue to longtime visitors of the Bach Festival with marvelous acoustics now that large scale renovations are completed. They will present Bach's delightful Brandenburg concertos #3 and 4 and his Overture #2 and its famous Badinerie together with Vivaldi's "Summer" (see program), with Baritone Sumner Thompson they will perform Bach's Cantata No. 82 'Ich habe genug'. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

Our own Philadelphia Bach Festival Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Jonathan Sternberg will thrill you with Bach's violin concertos, the Orchestral Suite #5, and the two harpsichord concertos BWV 1055 and 1056, at the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia (see program). Soloists Jason DePue and Solomiya Ivakhiv of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra respectively have fascinated the Bach Festival audience already last year with works for violin solo. Francesca dePasquale and Bonnie Fix-Keller will join in as soloists. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

The second concert of the Philadelphia Bach Festival's own orchestra under the baton of Maestro Jonathan Sternberg will present the most colorful Brandenburg concertos #1 and 6 as well as the double violin concerto and the triple concerto for flute, violin, and harpsichord in the Church of the Holy Trinity with its stained glass Tiffany windows on Rittenhouse Square. The soloists of the evening will be Caeli Veronica Smith, Prema Kesselman, Jason DePue, Bonnie Fix-Keller, and Luigi Mazocchi (see program). [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

Prema Kesselman

We will celebrate Bach's 321^st birthday with a Surprise Birthday Party at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Aimed at children and their families, the afternoon will feature musical demonstrations, games, coloring books, cakes and ice cream, and a visit from Mr. Bach himself! This annual Bach Birthday Party has been a great success and a lot of fun in past years. It once again promises to outdo itself. [Tickets] [directions] [Top]

On the occasion of Johann Sebastian Bach's 321^st birthday, the Bach Festival will hold a fundraising dinner and concert with Gary Graffman performing JS Bach's Chaconne in the transcription of J. Brahms for the left hand alone at the private residence of one of our patrons. While there are generally no tickets sold for this event, the first thirty who order a Festival Pass will be invited to join our house concert. [Top]

Enjoy the most beautiful of JS Bach's arias and Lieder sung by future vocal stars. Ten candidates from India, Chile, Russia, Canada, and the U.S. have been chosen to battle for glory at the International JS Bach Vocal Competition. The winners will be awarded up to $1,000 and an engagement as soloist in a major production of the Bach Festival during the 2006/07 season. Each of the finalists will perform that night in concert two arias from Bach's cantatas or major choral works such as the St. Matthew's Passion, the St. John's Passion, and the Mass in B Minor or from Bach's Liederbooks. For more information on the contestants click here.

The most honorable judges for the competition are Maestro Jonathan Sternberg (Artistic Director of the Bach Festival), Dr. Julianne Baird (soprano, Rutgers University), Michael Caruso (music critic), Suzanne DuPlantis (mezzo soprano, Lyric Fest), Harold Evans (Sylvan Opera Festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, The Virginia Opera), Marietta Simpson (mezzo soprano, Indiana University), and Vera Wilson (Astral Artists).

The Bach Festival of Philadelphia is a proud member of the Philadelphia Tourism Network, supporting Tourism in the Greater Philadelphia Region. [Top]