Back To News/PR Index
|

|
Carmel Bach Festival Announces
“Bach, Bohemia and Beyond” 78th Annual Season
|

The program, created by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Paul Goodwin, will highlight Bach’s connections to the Eastern European region known as Bohemia and areas eastwards to Hungary and beyond. During Bach’s time, the Bohemian region was home to the Holy Roman Empire, centered on Prague, and included part of today’s Czech Republic.

“In our 2015 Bach Festival, we endeavor to mold together all of the elements that Bohemia brings to mind. Bohemia evokes a free style of living with flourishing arts and a love of life, which is a spirit traditionally rooted in the Carmel area,” said Goodwin. “Bach himself was also greatly influenced by the folk music and lively playing that sprang from the geography of Bohemia during his lifetime. From Haydn’s Esterhazy to Mozart’s Prague, we will honor that rich tradition throughout the program this summer.”

The 2015 Festival will include a world premiere by composer/conductor Benjamin Wallfisch, who was nominated for the prestigious annual Ivor Novello Award and has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra among other accolades. His original work will be featured between movements of Bach’s first Brandenburg Concerto, one of six concertos considered some of the most renowned works from the Baroque era that will all be performed in the Festival.

Additional program highlights include a performance of the St. John Passion, the oldest of Bach’s passions, known to be extremely expressive, yet at times also extremely intimate. The work features a virtuosic chamber choir and a focus on the interplay between woodwinds and solo voices.

The 78th season will also feature soprano vocalist Dominique Labelle, who achieved international prominence as Donna Anna in Peter Sellar’s production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and is recognized for her Handel, Mozart, and Bach interpretations, and tenor vocalist Thomas Cooley, a returning Carmel Bach Festival performer known for previous parts in the St. John and St. Matthew Passions. The festival line-up will emphasize other outstanding choral works with a full-length performance of Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute.” Additional program information will be announced in the coming months.

A number of pre-fest activities will help kick off the festival, including a gala on July 17, 2015 at Carmel Valley Ranch.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 1, 2015 on www.bachfestival.org. Prices range from $10 -- $115. Visit the festival website today for information about air travel and hotel partners.

About Carmel Bach Festival
The Carmel Bach Festival celebrates the works, inspiration, and ongoing influence of J.S. Bach worldwide by immersing audiences in a festival experience integrating music, education and ideas, and by meaningful community engagement throughout the year. The world-class festival of music and ideas provides fresh musical contexts that spark the imagination, stimulate the mind and enrich people’s lives in multi-faceted ways. Paul Goodwin is now in his fifth season as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, and is known for his background as a professional oboist, Grammy nominee, and winner of the prestigious Handel Prize. Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous founded the Carmel Bach Festival in 1935 on the premise that Carmel-by-the-Sea should become the epicenter of world-class music, art and cultural expression. The 78th annual season will take place July 18 through August 1, 2015. For more information regarding Carmel Bach Festival events: www.bachfestival.org.

Contact:
Jill Kipnis
AMF Media Group
925-790-2635