Newswise — Building on the momentum from its diamond jubilee, the Bach Festival at Baldwin-Wallace College (the oldest collegiate Bach Festival in the country), will celebrate its 76th annual festival with an expanded series of concerts April 18-20. The featured work this year is the St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244.
"Bach's significance to the world of music cannot be overestimated," said Peter Landgren, director of the B-W Conservatory. "Our annual Bach Festival not only provides important learning opportunities for our students, but also has inspired audiences through several generations. Its longevity underscores the pleasure it brings to our audiences year after year."
The Friday and Saturday schedule follows tradition with two Friday concerts (4 p.m. and 8 p.m.) and two Saturday concerts (1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.). All of these concerts will be presented in Kulas Musical Arts Building, 96 Front St., Berea. On Sunday, a fifth concert has been added at 2:30 p.m. Organist Joan Lippincott will perform Bach's Art of Fugue, BWV 1080, on the Rudolf Janke tracker organ at the United Methodist Church of Berea, 170 Seminary St. All of these concerts are ticketed events.
Two Bach services also have been added to this year's schedule. There will be a preview event Sunday, April 13, 11:00 a.m., at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2747 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights. On Sunday, April 20 at 11:15 a.m. the United Methodist Church of Berea will host a Bach service. There is no charge for either of these services.The featured work for both services is the Bach cantata, Es is euch gut, dass ich hingehe, BWV 108. Featured soloists are faculty member Sandra Ross, contralto and B-W Conservatory students Cory Tuck, tenor, a sophomore from Anniston, Alabama; and Ryan Vallo, baritone, a junior from Vandalia, Ohio.
"We regularly employ the talents of the B-W students who perform in the chorus and orchestra for Bach Festival," Landgren said, "but I am pleased to highlight our student soloists in the Bach Cantata performances and hope to continue this tradition with equally talented students in the future."
Guest soloists this year include B-W Bach Festival veterans Christine Abraham, mezzo-soprano; Frederick Urrey, tenor; and Kevin Deas, bass-baritone. New to the Festival are Nancy Argenta, soprano; Frank Kelley, tenor and Curtis Streetman, bass. Also new to the Festival this year is the trio of John Holloway, violin; Jaap ter Linden, cello and Lars Ulrik Mortensen, harpsichord. The three artists are considered to be among the foremost Baroque instrumentalists performing today. They will be featured in Friday evening's concert, "Madcap, Red Priest and Angel" (a reference to composers Veracini, Vivaldi and Corelli).
Dwight Oltman is in his 33rd year as music director of the Festival. Stuart Raleigh, who has been the choral director since 1974, will serve in that role for the final time this year as he is retiring in the spring. In appreciation for his many years of fine work, this year's Bach Festival will be dedicated to him. Melvin Unger, director of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute at B-W, also directs the B-W Singers, who will perform in the Bach Services. John Brndiar is the director of the Festival Brass.
"Bach Festival concerts at B-W usually sell out quickly," Landgren said. "We encourage patrons to reserve their tickets early."
Festival tickets range between $75 - $125 for all five concerts (depending on seating). Subscription tickets are currently available. Individual concert tickets will be available after March 15, 2008. For detailed ticket information go to http://www.bw.edu/bachfest and select "tickets and subscriptions" or call 440-826-2207.
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