Jennifer Koh Performs Bach's Complete Sonatas and Partitas At The Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater

Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh, Artistic Director of Fortas Chamber Music Concerts at the Kennedy Center, will perform all six of J.S. Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin—a feat long regarded as the ultimate test of a violinist's mastery—at the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center on Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.  

Performing Bach's complete Sonatas and Partitas—a demanding program lasting over two hours—is a rare and formidable undertaking, tackled by few violinists. A cornerstone of Koh's repertoire, these works present both a physical and emotional challenge, showcasing the full depth of her artistry. As The New York Times wrote, “Bach's monumental set is less a peak to be surmounted than a journey that warrants return excursions and encourages consideration of manifold paths. Jennifer Koh, a superbly gifted violinist, has proved to be a steadfast and sure surveyor of this terrain.”

Koh's relationship to Bach's Sonatas and Partitas spans decades and she continually returns to the works with a fresh perspective. Just as she is celebrated for her bold advocacy of contemporary composers and new music, Koh brings that same spirit of inquiry and renewal to Bach. Her performances reflect a belief that these works, while rooted in the 18th century, remain open to reinvention and in dialogue with the present. Koh said, “Bach's Six Sonatas and Partitas have long been considered definitive works written for solo violin. These works were never commissioned, nor are they known to have been performed publicly in Bach's lifetime. I have come to understand them as an intensely personal and intimate musical journal that Bach was compelled to write over seventeen years, simply out of a pure need to create. They are a musical expression of his life, his birth, and development as an artist.”

This performance caps Koh's first full season as Artistic Director of the Fortas Chamber Music Concerts series. Earlier this season she curated Sounds of US, an ambitious all-day new music festival that showcased a wide range of musical styles and voices, including over 40 commissioned works from composers such as Rafiq Bhatia, Anthony Cheung, Inti Figgis-Vizueta, David Ludwig, Vijay Iyer, Angélica Negrón, Carlos Simon, and Nina C. Young. Many of these works were commissioned through ARCO Collaborative, Koh's artist-driven nonprofit organization. The festival also served as a platform for emerging composers and Juilliard student musicians, providing them opportunities to work alongside their mentors. This commitment to fostering the next generation of artists was a key component of the festival's mission.