Schedule Announced for 2017 Arizona Bach Festival

Since its first concert in 2009, the Arizona Bach Festival has become a premiere event showcasing top artists and instrumentalists performing the rich music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

The Arizona Bach Festival announces its schedule for its 2017 concerts, held over three weekends in January at venues on Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix.
Tickets for the Arizona Bach Festival are on sale now at arizonabachfestival.org.
Festival Pass (good for all four concerts): $80; Single Concert Tickets: $23 in advance/$25 at the door. Student Tickets: $15 at the door with valid HS/College ID)
The Arizona Bach Festival is led by Founder and Artistic Director Scott Youngs with support from a dedicated Board of Directors and corps of volunteers.

SATURDAY JANUARY 14, 2017 7:30 PM GRAMMY-WINNING GUITARIST JASON VIEAUX IN RECITAL
Central United Methodist Church 1875 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
Hot on the heels of last year's GRAMMY win for Best Classical Instrument - Solo, guitarist Jason Vieaux opens the 2017 Arizona Bach Festival with a stirring performance of Bach's beloved lute and cello suites. With a global reputation as one of the finest guitarists in the world, Vieaux has been featured at every major guitar series on the international scene including Ravinia Festival, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Argentina's Teatro Colon, and performances as a guest soloist with over 100 symphony orchestras.
Vieaux brings his expressive and nuanced style to perform J.S. Bach's masterpieces -Lute Suite #1 BWV 996 and Lute Suite # 3 BWV 995, Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro BWV 998 and the Cello Suite #1 BWV 1007

SUNDAY JANUARY 15, 2017 3:00 PM ORGANIST MICHAEL HEY IN RECITAL
All Saints' Episcopal Church 6300 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
Within one year of his graduation from Juilliard, Michael Hay became the Assistant Director of Music and Organist of the famed St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, where one of his first major tasks was to perform for Masses at St. Patrick's Cathedral and Madison Square Garden for the first U.S. visit of Pope Francis.
With a virtuosity that is thrilling audiences, this young concert organist enjoys a widely varied career, including noted appearances at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center as well as collaborations with New York City Ballet and the Paul Taylor Dance Company at Lincoln Center.

He comes to the Arizona Bach Festival to perform a delightful afternoon program of J.S. Bach, including Toccata and Fugue in E major, BWV 566 , the Organ Concerto in D minor, BWV 596 and Trio Sonata No. 4 in E minor, BWV 528, showing audiences why critics describe his performances as "vivid, flashy, and exciting."

SUNDAY JANUARY 22, 2017 3:00 PM PIANIST KIMIKO ISHIZAKA IN RECITAL
Central United Methodist Church 1875 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
International sensation Kimiko Ishizaka returns to the Arizona Bach Festival following her thrilling appearance here in 2014. Known for her dazzling interpretation of J.S. Bach, Ishizaka received worldwide attention for her 2012 "Kickstarter" campaign, which enabled her to record Bach's "Goldberg Variations. " She released the spectacular recording immediately into the public domain, allowing as many people as possible to experience the piece at no charge.

Ishizaka's interpretations of Bach are "characterized by straightforward musicianship, immaculate technical aplomb" (Gramophone Magazine) with "fleet fingers to speed through the virtuoso variations with compelling clarity and sensitivity." (Fanfare Magazine)

Her performance at the Arizona Bach Festival will be a highlight of the month-long event as she performs Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Volume 2.

SUNDAY JANUARY 29, 2017 3:00 PM LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA QUARTET "THE ART OF THE FUGUE"
ALL SAINTS' EPISCOPAL CHURCH 6300 N. CENTRAL AVE., PHOENIX

Known internationally as one of the premiere Chamber Orchestras in the United States, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Quartet comes to the Arizona to perform the finale for the 2017 Bach Festival. The Quartet, comprised of Sarah Thornblade (violin), Robert Brophy (viola), Trevor Handy (cello) and Tereza Stanislav (violin) will perform Bach's "Art of the Fugue," one of the composer's final works, left unfinished upon his death in 1750. Admired for his "limitless creativity of experimenting with a single theme," Bach began work on "The Art of the Fugue" nearly a decade before his death, leaving no instrumentation for the piece. However, due to its structure as a four-part score, it has naturally become a tradition for string quartets to perform.
In the gifted hands of the LACO Quartet, "The Art of the Fugue" is sure to enthrall audiences and will be an ethereal and rousing conclusion to the 2017 Arizona Bach Festival.

For more information on The Arizona Bach Festival, please visit arizonabachfestival.org.

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