Artelize - Bach-Inspired Concerts Across the Bay Area to Enchant Music Lovers

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Bach-Inspired Concerts Across the Bay Area to Enchant Music Lovers

Bay Area music enthusiasts, get ready for a thrilling series of concerts featuring the timeless genius of Johann Sebastian Bach! From the intricate 'Contrapunctus XIV' to the festive 'Christmas Oratorio,' these events span across San Francisco, Berkeley, and Stanford, promising a musical journey like no other. Highlights include the Baroque extravaganza 'Concert Program I Baroque Tableau' in San Francisco, George Crumb's 'Black Angels' in Berkeley, and the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Baroque-inspired Piano Concerto. Mark your calendars for this exhilarating celebration of Bach and beyond!

Jun 20, 2024

1. Concert Program I Baroque Tableau

The golden age of the Baroque saw musical explosions of invention across Europe; mathematical precision in Germany contrasted French flights of fancy in Versailles. In this opening program, J. S. Bach’s classic double concerto for oboe and violin is followed by a dramatic shift in style from French luminaries François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau, with Jean-Féry Rebel’s Les Élémens providing a provocative and lively finale.

Jul 20, 2024

Music@Menlo

San Francisco, CA · Menlo School Campus

2. Concert Program Vii Renascence

With the passage of time, artists can disappear into obscurity while some emerge as immortal. The American George Crumb, who passed away in 2022, is undoubtedly in the pantheon of composers whose legacies are eternal. In this program, his cataclysmic Black Angels, a passionately anti-war statement for amplified string quartet, balances Olivier Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time), a devoutly spiritual, mystical work composed in a prisoner of war camp. And to open, J. S. Bach consecrates the concert hall with two of his most deeply felt, final works.

8 - 10 Aug, 2024

Music@Menlo

Berkeley, CA · Stent Family Hall + 1 other locations

3. Salonen Conducts Nico Muhly

The world premiere of Nico Muhly’s new Baroque-inspired Piano Concerto is surrounded by three other unmissable and underrated works of time-hopping, genre-swapping proto-postmodernism: the cerebral mischief of Paul Hindemith’s raucous Ragtime, based on a theme by J.S. Bach; Edward Elgar’s inventive transcription of Bach’s Fantasia & Fugue in C minor; and Hindemith’s Symphony Mathis der Maler. The last takes a 16th-century artist’s struggles against repression as the basis for a majestic symphonic triptych.

27 - 28 Sep, 2024

San Francisco Symphony

San Francisco, CA · Davies Symphony Hall

4. Gunn Theater At Legion Of Honor

Delight in every turn of phrase as SF Symphony musicians perform together within the intimate realm of chamber music.

Oct 27, 2024

San Francisco Symphony

San Francisco, CA · Legion of Honor

5. PC Morning Recital

Nov 4, 2024

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

San Francisco, CA · San Francisco Conservatory of Music

6. A Bach Christmas

The rich harmonies and musical invention of Bach are just perfect for the holiday season, and in this concert you’ll hear two of his Advent cantatas, including the famous Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (Heart and mouth and deed and life). You’ll certainly recognize its beautiful and gentle melodies. Alongside the music of Bach are two works by his contemporary Graupner, music of great grace and elegance.

11 - 13 Dec, 2024

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale

Berkeley, CA · First Congregational Church of Berkeley + 2 other locations

7. A Baroque Christmas

What could be better than a concert that features Part One of Bach's scintillating "Christmas Oratorio" and the Christmas portion of Handel's timeless Messiah, all within a perfect program for family and friends? The finely tuned voices of the American Bach Choir and the polished sheen of sonorities brought by American Bach's period-instrument orchestra soar within the majestic interior of San Francisco’s Nob Hill landmark.

Dec 12, 2024

American Bach Soloists

San Francisco, CA · Grace Cathedral

8. Gunn Theater At Legion Of Honor

Delight in every turn of phrase as SF Symphony musicians perform together within the intimate realm of chamber music.

Mar 23, 2025

San Francisco Symphony

San Francisco, CA · Legion of Honor

9. Anne-sophie Mutter Violin Recital

Settle in as the world’s most electrifying artists and ensembles converge at Davies Symphony Hall. Effortlessly elegant violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter takes the stage with her longtime collaborator, pianist Lambert Orkis, in a recital of works by W. A. Mozart, Franz Schubert, Clara Schumann, and Ottorino Respighi.

Apr 6, 2025

San Francisco Symphony

San Francisco, CA · Davies Symphony Hall

10. Tout de Suite

Join us for a night of Baroque dance classics! After Jean-Féry Rebel’s “characters of the dance” teaches us the full emotional range of Baroque dance, the concert dives into some of the era’s most unforgettable music by Bach (including his ‘Air on a G String’), and Handel. Then, we’re back to the theater with more rousing dance and dramatic music by Rameau, full of rhythm and verve.

10 - 12 Apr, 2025

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale

First United Methodist Church-Palo + 2 other locations

Conclusion

Whether you're a lifelong Bach aficionado or new to classical music, these Bay Area concerts offer something special for everyone. From intimate chamber performances to grand symphonic works, each event provides a unique opportunity to experience the magic of Bach's legacy. Don't miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary musical journey. See you at the concerts!

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