Bach in the City to Present BACH'S MUSICAL WORLD at DePaul University's Allen Recital Hall

Bach in the City, Chicago's newest Baroque period-instrument organization, will present "Bach's Musical World," a chamber concert of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries at 3 p.m. Sunday, January 11, 2026, at Allen Recital Hall in DePaul University's Holtschneider Performance Center.

Curated by harpsichordist Jason Moy, Bach in the City's associate music director, the program places Bach's music in the context of works by some of his most illustrious friends and acquaintances and one of his greatest influences.

Listeners will hear two of George Phillipp Telemann's "Paris Quartets" for flute and strings, plus trios by Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, and George Frideric Handel.

The program opens and closes with Telemann's "Paris Quartets," written for and performed by his Parisian musician friends. The Concerto No. 1 in G Major, TWV 43:G1, and Quatuor No. 6 in E Minor, TWV 43:e4, are scored for the unusual combination of flute, violin, cello, and viola da gamba, with harpsichord.

Bach greatly admired the elder, esteemed Danish-German organist and composer Buxtehude. The latter's Trio Sonata in C Minor, Op. 2, No. 4, BuxWV 262, offers a rich and varied experience as the work moves from intricate counterpoint to rhythmic, dance-inspired passages, with lively interplay between instruments.

Each movement of Handel's Trio Sonata in B Minor, Op. 2, No. 1, HWV 386b, offers its own mood and character. Of special note are the witty, vibrant "conversations" between the flute and violin.

Bach's Violin Sonata in E Minor, BWV 1023, scored for violin and continuo (harpsichord and viola da gamba), reflects Bach's embrace of the trendsetting, virtuosic Italian violin style combined with his signature rich harmonies and buoyant counterpoint. (Note: This piece replaces the previously announced Bach Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord, BWV 1014.)

Concert artists are Taya König-Tarasevich, baroque flute; Amelia Sie, baroque violin; Anna Steinhoff, viola da gamba; Ana Kim, baroque cello; and harpsichordist Moy.

Making her Bach in the City debut is Siberian-born flutist König-Tarasevich, co-founder and artistic director of Verità Baroque, an ensemble of elite soloists dedicated to reimagining Baroque chamber music for modern audiences. Her international career has included high-profile engagements with ensembles such as Utopia and Les Arts Florissants. A Juilliard graduate, she is on the early-music teaching faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Based in Chicago, violinist and violist Sie performs on both baroque and modern instruments. As a historical performer, she has appeared on stage with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Les Arts Florissants, and Carmel Bach Festival, among others.

Steinhoff, a Chicago early-music stalwart, specializes in the baroque cello and viola da gamba. She performs with the Haymarket Opera Company, Apollo's Fire, and Bella Voce Sinfonia, among others, and made memorable appearances with Bach in the City's predecessor, the Bach Week Festival in Evanston. This will be her Bach in the City debut.

Indiana native Kim is a cellist who performs on modern and period instruments. She is a member of Chicago's Lyric Opera Orchestra and plays with ensembles including Philharmonia Baroque, Teatro Nuovo, and Trinity Baroque Orchestras. She also performs in festivals such as Oregon Bach, Yellow Barn, Verbier Academy, and Music@Menlo.