J. S. Bach News

The 42nd annual edition of the Chicago area's Bach Week Festival will feature all six of J. S. Bach's beloved 'Brandenburg' Concertos, performed in the course of concerts April 10 at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston and May 1 and 3 at Anderson Chapel at North Park University on Chicago's North Side. The festival is a collaboration between Bach Week and North Park's School of Music. This will be the first Bach Week Festival to present the complete 'Brandenburg' Concerto cycle. Two of the concertos will anchor each principal concert program, alongside other Bach compositions. An intimate, late-evening Candlelight Concert in Evanston on April 10 will offer music for recorder and theorbo, another festival first.

Classical sacred music foundation Soli Deo Gloria, Inc.'s 2015 Chicago Bach Project features J. S. Bach's dramatic St. John Passion, BWV 245, with Grammy Award-winner John Nelson conducting an international cast of soloists and the Chicago Bach Choir and Orchestra. The one-night-only performance will be at 7:30 p.m. tonight, March 20, 2015, at the Harris Theater at Millennium Park in downtown Chicago.

Following the acclaimed Strauss Festival that wrapped up its winter season, the San AntonioSymphony is closing out its year with a stellar series of musical performances ranging from the always popular Pops series featuring ARRIVAL from Sweden performing The Music of ABBA, a musical tribute the John Williams to an exploration of Baroque, with Handel's Messiah.

Following the acclaimed Strauss Festival that wrapped up its winter season, the San AntonioSymphony is closing out its year with a stellar series of musical performances ranging from the always popular Pops series featuring ARRIVAL from Sweden performing The Music of ABBA, a musical tribute the John Williams to an exploration of Baroque, with Handel's Messiah.

Tonight, February 26, 2015 at 7:30pm, violinist and artistic director Gil Morgenstern's acclaimed Reflections Series International will present its third concert of the 2014-2015 season, 'Coupled Perceptions,' at Avenues: The World School (259 Tenth Ave.).

Today, February 24, Avital will release Vivaldi, his third album on DG that returns the instrument to its origins-the Venetian Baroque and master composer Antonio Vivaldi. On this release, Avital captures the mystical spirit of Venice, shedding new light on Vivaldi's musical genius by performing his own transcriptions of the composer's works, demonstrating the rock star status that he cultivated in his own time.

Park Avenue Armory has commissioned dance pioneer Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray and visionary director Peter Sellars to create a performance piece that evolves the tradition of flex, the Brooklyn-born street dance. Characterized by sharp, rhythmic contortion, pausing, snapping, gliding, bone-breaking, and animated showmanship, the flex form evolved from the Jamaican bruk-up style popular in the dance halls and reggae clubs of Brooklyn in the 1990s. Opening March 25 and marking the first major presentation of the Armory's 2015 artistic season, FLEXN transforms the dance from its individual, combative style to create a collaborative work of social commentary inspired by both personal experience and current events. A series of public discussions and education initiatives complement the presentation.

Centaur Records has released the third volume of pianist Jeni Slotchiver's CD series devoted to the music of one of history's greatest composer/pianists, Ferruccio Busoni. Busoni the Visionary III (CRC 3396) offers a cross-section of works from his mature period, plus one of his monumental transcriptions of the organ music of J.S. Bach.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts welcomes organist Renée Anne Louprette as accompanist to the Philadelphia premiere of LA Dance Project'sMoving Parts in Verizon Hall on Sunday, February 22 at 8 p.m.

On February 24, Avital will release Vivaldi, his third album on DG that returns the instrument to its origins-the Venetian Baroque and master composer Antonio Vivaldi. On this release, Avital captures the mystical spirit of Venice, shedding new light on Vivaldi's musical genius by performing his own transcriptions of the composer's works, demonstrating the rock star status that he cultivated in his own time.

On Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 7:30pm, violinist and artistic director Gil Morgenstern's acclaimed Reflections Series International will present its third concert of the 2014-2015 season, 'Coupled Perceptions,' at Avenues: The World School (259 Tenth Ave.).

After a dazzling debut at Lincoln Center on March 2014 in which its sound was described by The New York Times as "quite terrific," Cameron Carpenter brings his revolutionary International Touring Organ (ITO) to the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, PA on Friday, January 23 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $34-$46; call 717-337-8200 or visit gettysburgmajestic.org to purchase.

The University of Hartford's Hartt School is pleased to announce its performances for December.

Make Music New York has announced the fourth annual Make Music Winter, taking place on Sunday, December 21, 2014, the shortest day of the year. From The Bronx to Williamsburg, thirteen participatory musical parades will enliven streets, parks, and other public spaces throughout four of the city's five boroughs.

Cameron Carpenter is “one of the rare musicians who changes the game of his instrument – he is a smasher of cultural and classical music taboos” (The Los Angeles Times). This maverick organist – who blends brilliant playing technique with the heart of a rock star – returns to Texas Performing Arts to perform on his visionary new International Touring Organ.

The University of Hartford's Hartt School is pleased to announce its performances for December.

Met Museum Presents has announced its November 2014 lineup, featuring artist Cory Arcangel; Salzburg Marionette Theatre with pianist Orion Weiss; and Kaushiki Chakrabarty in a rare New York performance. Details below!

Met Museum Presents has announced its November 2014 lineup, featuring artist Cory Arcangel; Salzburg Marionette Theatre with pianist Orion Weiss; and Kaushiki Chakrabarty in a rare New York performance. Details below!

Five Boroughs Music Festival's 2014-2015 Season continues in late October with baroque specialists AERIS (www.aerismusic.com), to be presented in three different boroughs over three days.