About the Festival & Symposium

The UMass Amherst Bach Festival and Symposium was launched in April 2015.  The biennial event attracts exceptional musicians and scholars of international stature to UMass Amherst, connects them to our students, alumni and faculty, and through robust collaboration, creates an event of artistic and academic excellence that enriches all who come in contact with it.

April 25-27, 2025 at UMass Amherst and Grace Church in Amherst

FESTIVAL WEEKEND PERFORMANCES

OPENING CONCERT
Friday, April 25, 4:00 pm
Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass Amherst
Free Admission

  • J.S. Bach: “Goldberg Variations”, BWV 988
    Steven Beck, piano
Andrew Megill, guest conductor
Andrew Megill, Guest Conductor

FEATURE CONCERTS
Saturday, April 26, 7:30 pm
Sunday, April 27, 3:00 pm
Grace Episcopal Church, 14 Boltwood Ave, Amherst
Tickets on sale Feb.1 online or at Box Office, 413-545-2511
$25 general; Free for students w/ ID & children under 18

  • J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, BWV 1050.2
    Steven Beck, harpsichord; Cobus du Toit, flute; Elizabeth Chang, violin
  • J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio 1-3, BWV 248
    Andrew Megill, guest conductor; Lindsay Pope, chorus master
    UMass Bach Festival Orchestra & Chorus
    Jamie-Rose Guarrine, soprano; Ifeanyi Epum, countertenor;
    Jonas Budris, tenor & Dana Whiteside, bass

COFFEE CANTATA
Sunday, April 27, 12:00 pm
Amherst Coffee, 28 Amity St., Amherst
Free Admission. Please note: Space is limited.

  • J.S. Bach: Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211
    Corrine Byrne, soprano; Brendan Buckley, tenor; John Salvi, baritone
    With alumni singers and instrumentalists in an informal setting

See the Festival Concerts  and Prelude Events pages for further details. All programs are subject to change.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

SCHOLARLY SYMPOSIUM

Daniel Melamed
Daniel R. Melamed, Keynote Speaker

PANEL DISCUSSION
Friday, April 25, 7:30 pm
Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass Amherst
Free Admission. Please note: Space is limited.

  • “J.S. Bach and the 21st Century Canon”
    Moderated by Ernest May (UMass Amherst)
    Panelists: Walter Frisch (Columbia University), Wendy Heller (Princeton University), Christoph Wolff (Harvard University), Daniel R. Melamed (Indiana University), Evan MacCarthy (UMass Amherst)

SCHOLARLY SYMPOSIUM & KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass Amherst
Saturday, April 26, 8:30 am – 6:30 pm
Saturday Symposium fee: $25 in-person attendees; $5 students (lunch included); cash or check accepted at the event. Free for Remote participants. Registration form

  • “Why Bach?: Navigating 21st Century Scholarship, Performance, and Pedagogy”
    Contemporary critiques of the Western musical canon, and renewed calls for its expansion, deconstruction, reimagination, or abrogation, invite reflection upon the functions, meanings, and value of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music in the twenty-first century. Evolving aesthetic and cultural ideals reflecting efforts to promote a global perspective in classical music invite dialogue about Bach’s continued significance today, including with regard to performance repertoire, scholarly methodologies, and pedagogical practices. This symposium seeks to reflect upon the continuing contributions of Bach’s life and works in twenty-first century culture.

Description
Schedule
Presenters/Moderators

 

_______________________________________________________________

Media Sponsor: New England Public Media, www.nepm.org



Skip to toolbar