Bach’s Easter Oratorio opens with a festive movement featuring trumpets and drums joyfully heralding an Easter celebration.

This triumphant liturgical work portrays a dramatized biblical story through four characters: Maria Jacobi (soprano), Mary Magdalene (mezzo-soprano), and the apostles Peter (tenor) and John (bass). Surprisingly, this masterwork, first written as a cantata for Easter Sunday’s mass, is a reimagined expansion on a birthday cantata he wrote for Duke Christian von Sachsen-Weißenfels just two weeks before the Oratorio’s premiere. He continued to refine and embellish the Easter Oratorio up to the final few years of his life, adding arias and a four-part opening chorus, as well as altering instrument choices for select solos. The result is a superior example of Bach’s artistry and skill.

Bach’s Easter Oratorio invites the listener to indulge in intimate serenades. Solos and duets throughout the piece each offer their own charm, utilizing the unique character of an instrument to illustrate another component of the story. One duet between baroque flute and soprano paints Maria Jacobi (soprano) in dialogue with her own feelings or thoughts portrayed by the flute’s weaving melodic lines.

This performance will feature vocal soloists Clara Rottsolk (soprano), Meg Bragle (mezzo-soprano), Thomas Cooley (tenor), and Dashon Burton (bass-baritone).

Rameau’s Suite from Dardanus includes fourteen delightful musical vignettes. It opens in the spirit of a festive Renaissance dance highlighted by tambourin jingles and rhythmic drumming. The second and fourth movements star the baroque flutes’ floating melodies and luscious oboe lines. Movement five, Rigaudon, boasts captivating rhythmic undercurrents performed by the low strings. The final movement, Chaconne, features the warmth of the woodwind section, bright fanfares in the brass, and virtuosic passages in the strings leading to a satisfying, peaceful close.

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Easter Oratorio

Sunset Center Theater

Four emerging vocal stars from our VBA Masterclass program perform Baroque masterpieces with members of the Festival Orchestra.

The Carmel Bach Festival 36th annual Vocal Masterclass is comprised of Morgan Balfour, soprano; Kristen Dubenion-Smith, mezzo-soprano; Jacob Perry, tenor; and Ryne Cherry, baritone.

In a typical season, the VBA quartet comes to Carmel in July to train with Festival artists, and explore ways to communicate Baroque repertoire more vividly. In a light-hearted atmosphere of discovery, the VBA Master Class participants experience a wealth of vocal music and examine all aspects of style, technique, communication, language, performance skills, and artistry.

The Master Classes are held at the Carmel Presbyterian Church and are free and open to the public.


The Adams Masterclass is distinguished by the Festival’s master teachers. Conductor and harpsichordist MICHAEL BEATTIE is Masterclass Director. Sessions are also led by Festival Associate Conductor ANDREW MEGILL (Director of Choral Activities at the Univ. of Illinois) and by Festival vocal soloists from the US and UK.

Virginia Best Adams Showcase Concert

Carmel Presbyterian Church

Four string musicians from our Baroque & Classical Academy Quartet perform Baroque and Classical masterworks.

This Festival Baroque & Classical Academy will provide training from internationally acclaimed Bach Festival musicians and learning opportunities at the Carmel Bach Festival. BCA musicians will have a full rehearsal schedule, including guided sessions with mentors, in preparation for the Baroque & Classical Academy Quartet Showcase Concert. Throughout July, BCA musicians will learn how to curate programs, create socially conscious programs, develop audiences, build donor relationships, and more. Musicians will attend educational workshops with Festival musician mentors, film composers, board members, and others to learn skills to help them succeed as professional classical musicians.

Baroque & Classical Academy Showcase Concert

Ricercar from the Musical Offering is a creative remastering, combining the work of two musical geniuses, two centuries apart. Webern writes music to fill in the blanks in Bach’s work, evoking a conversation between the two great composers, as if they’re discussing their divergent composition methods, each arguing their side with reciprocal respect and admiration. Webern presents a kaleidoscopic, 20th Century view of the Baroque in this arrangement. He was originally attracted to the idea of orchestrating this piece because Bach did not indicate on what instruments Bach wished the music to be performed.  Haydn’s Symphony No. 103 is nicknamed “Drum Roll” after the bold timpani solo which opens and concludes the first movement. The Romantic quality of Haydn’s later symphonies is showcased in the opening movement which takes the listener on a heroic journey complete with a full-orchestra fanfare at its close. The second movement depicts varied personalities in conversation, beginning with a discussion between low and high strings, each proposing their unique ideas and struggling to agree. They’re joined by the woodwinds and brass before a violin soloist takes the reins. The final movement returns to the joyful and triumphant spirit of the first movement for a satisfying full-circle conclusion. The Drum Roll was Haydn’s penultimate symphony and exemplifies his complete mastery of the form, yet also demonstrating that he was continuing to try new ideas.  Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, referred to as the “Unfinished Symphony,” is comprised of just two movements but has the magnitude of any full-length symphony. Composed six years before his death, this piece exemplifies Schubert’s imaginative and rebellious spirit as well as the depths of his emotional experience. The first movement contains a wealth of catchy, singable melodies that bloom with zest and power. In true Schubertian fashion, the spirit of the music can transform quickly, moving seamlessly from carefree to deeply passionate while harnessing the original melody to bind the movement together. The second movement highlights woodwind soloists in gorgeous displays of musical color before descending into flashes of intensity complete with powerful timpani. This piece offers a glimpse into Schubert’s soul as he bent the rules to fulfill his musical vision. The poignant first movement and sentimental second are as well integrated as any of Beethoven’s masterpieces.

Haydn and Schubert

This concert celebrates the unparalleled beauty of Bach’s choral masterpieces.

O Jesu, Christ, Meins Lebens (or Oh Jesus, Christ, Light of my Life) is a sacred work in which Bach seems to speak to Jesus himself. With lyrical human voices, triumphant brass fanfares, and floating woodwind melodies, he sends a grateful prayer toward the heavens.

Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis (or I had much grief) “Sinfonia” is an introspective piece featuring the Festival Orchestra. “Sinfonia” – the first movement of 11– features a soulful oboe line intertwined with distant echoes played by the violin.

Bach’s Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (or Sing unto the Lord a New Song) is a double motet — which features the Festival Chorale and Chorus — impressed Mozart, who was so taken with the eight-part choral showcase that he rose from his seat at the conclusion to declare, “Now, there is something one can learn from!” A high compliment from one musical genius to another. The piece is a flurry of expertly interlocking melodies, serving as a beautiful example of the intricate composition style known as counterpoint for which Bach is most celebrated.

Grete Pedersen, a native of Norway, is known for bringing folk music to new settings. During this concert, she will share some of this gorgeous music with Carmel Bach Festival audiences.

The glorious Wir danken dir, Gott (or We Thank you, God) features the Festival Chorale, Festival Orchestra, and organ. The Cantata, scored for a festival celebration, is brimming with delightful moments, from trumpet fanfares to virtuosic violin and vocal solos.

Light of My Life

Edwin Huizinga, violin, and William Coulter, guitar, (Fire & Grace) return with special guest artists from their musical family, continuing their tradition of wildly popular, sold-out concerts with a program entitled “Pangea: One World.” This unique duo explores the connective musical elements of classical, folk, and contemporary traditions from around the world. Fire & Grace’s repertoire is vast, ranging from Bach to Vivaldi, tango to Celtic tunes, traditional Bulgarian to American fiddle tunes and waltzes, all played with a sense of discovery and commitment to the elements of passion and virtuosity — fire and grace — found in these diverse traditions.

“Pangea: One World.” 

Beethoven’s tuneful Seventh Symphony was called “the apotheosis of the dance” by Richard Wagner. The work’s dance-like elements, energy, and sense of joy are conveyed through rhythm.  After a slow introduction, the first movement is ignited by a dancing, dotted 6/8 rhythm that propels the entire Vivace.  The symphony’s second movement departs briefly from the other rhythmically charged movements. Perhaps the work’s best-known movement, the melody is dramatic and memorable for its simplicity. The composer Robert Schumann likened the movement to a “rustic wedding.”  The third movement, perhaps the most overtly dance-like movement, has a middle section in which one pitch is sustained with little variation, first in the violins then the trumpets. It is rhythm that drives this movement, contributing to its joyful spirit.  The finale is full of energy and exuberance, charging toward a triumphant and fulfilling conclusion at a breakneck pace. British musicologist Donald Tovey called the movement a “triumph of Bacchic fury.” The magic of this work is incessant and captivating rhythmic drive.  Charles Ives’ music imagines a powerful link between nature and the human spirit, and the journey that creates depth and adds substance to human life. The Unanswered Question, which opens this program, has been described as a piece of philosophy expressed in music. Ives writes in the score’s forward about how the composition considers humanity’s “perennial question of existence.” Three distinct groups – a solo trumpet (in many performances played offstage), four flutes, and strings express a probing and meditative quest for the answer.  Additional works on the program include excerpts from Biber’s Battalia, an evocative set for string orchestra in the tradition of vocal descriptions of a battle. Innovative techniques are called for, especially for the work’s time (1673), including col legno, in which the players use the wood of their bows to beat the strings of their instruments or a percussive pizzicato to imitate cannon shots.

Beethoven Seven

Quartets in the Forest

Church in the Forest

The Festival returns to the magnificent Carmel Mission Basilica presenting the exceptional Bach Festival Chorale in a program entitled “Cathedral Echoes.”  “This program is an emotional journey through time. It features music from 500 years of great British sacred choral music,” said Associate Conductor Andrew Megill. “From the energetic and otherworldly medieval carols through the sublime polyphony of Byrd and Tallis in the late 16th century, to the beautiful 20th century works inspired by this unique and profound tradition.”  One of the glories of Great Britain is its extraordinary choral tradition. For centuries, many of the world’s greatest choirs have come from England, due in large part to an extraordinary network of Cathedral choirs which required significant music every week.  Highlights include excerpts from Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices, originally sung during clandestine services in private homes, and the 20thcentury masterpiece inspired by Byrd’s Mass, Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor, as well as Tallis’ profound Lamentations of Jeremiah, and the gorgeous motets by Stanford, Harris, MacMillan, and Britten which are some of the most loved choral works of all time, for singers and listeners and alike.  “The magic of the concert at the Mission is the way it incorporates the aesthetic and the beauty of the building itself,” said Andrew Megill.

Cathedral Echoes

Carmel Mission Basilica

Concertmaster Peter Hanson presents an evening of intimate musical conversations, including six Baroque favorites featuring multiple soloists ending with Pachelbel’s famous Canon in D.  “Think of this program as an evening of brilliant soloists trading melodic ideas in an extended dialogue,” said Peter Hanson.  The centerpiece of the program is Bach’s beautiful Concerto for Two Violins, performed by Peter Hanson and Cynthia Roberts, principal 2nd violin and one of America’s leading period instrument violinists. The “Bach Double” features a second movement that ranks as some of the composer’s most beautiful instrumental music.  Pachelbel’s Canon is joyful and mesmerizing. The piece presents three solo violins and continuo repeating the same bass line 28 times while the three solo violins perform a canon (or round) on top. The work’s harmonic progression has been used by countless pop stars, making Pachelbel’s piece one of the most influential to modern times from the Baroque era.  Other featured soloists with Peter Hanson include violinists Edwin Huizinga and Johanna Novom and principal oboist Gonzalo X. Ruiz.

Double Concertos

Bach’s Passions are deeply embedded in the Carmel Bach Festival tradition, and the Festival is proud to continue the tradition by presenting St. John Passion in 2022.  The St. John Passion is more dramatic and expressive than the St. Matthew Passion. Because it is shorter, the narrative of the St. John Passion is relentless, visceral, and intense. In fact, this work might be the closest thing to an opera Bach composed.  The oratorio Passion—comprised of Biblical texts enhanced by lyrical arias and chorales—was a relatively new form when Bach created the St. John Passion in 1724. The Passion begins with one of Bach’s finest choruses, “Herr unser Herrscher.” The New Yorker’s Alex Ross has said regarding this chorus: “Whatever images come to mind, the craft that went into the making of the scene—the melodic inspiration, the contrapuntal rigor, the immaculate demonstration of the rules, the insolent breaking of them—is as astounding now as it must have been on that day in 1724 (when St. John Passion premiered). One notable fact about the St. John Passion…is that we have no eyewitness account of the première. If the good people of Leipzig understood that they were in the presence of the most stupendous talent in musical history, they gave no sign.”  These performances will utilize period instruments at Baroque pitch, offering Carmel audiences a similar experience as the congregants in 1724 at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, and will be directed by Associate Conductor Andrew Megill.  “The themes the St. John Passion explores go beyond the walls of any specific church or denomination,” said Andrew Megill. Light versus darkness, truth versus falsehood, how we are constrained by and transcend the bonds of time, and the good and evil that lie within the human heart.”

St. John Passion


Brahms’ Requiem is the composer’s largest and most extravagantly scored work.

The Requiem also features some of the most beautiful choral/orchestral music in the repertoire. The opening chorus, “Blessed are they” exquisitely sets the tone for an evening of comfort, solace, and peace.

Brahms might have called the work a “Human Requiem,” as the composer’s empathetic sensibility and generous heart permeate all seven movements. Four movements are scored for chorus and orchestra while the third features a baritone soloist. The fourth movement is a peaceful pastorale, contemplative and serene. This music is exceptionally beautiful.

The fifth movement is a transcendent soprano solo accompanied by woodwinds, horns, muted strings, and the choir. The baritone soloist in the third movement sings of grief and doubt; the soprano’s text is of maternal consolation.

The moving final section is a delicate recapitulation of music from the beginning, and the Requiem reaches its peaceful conclusion with the same word with which it began: “Blessed.”

Brahms’ Requiem—unlike the requiems of Verdi, Berlioz, or Mozart—avoids fire and fury, instead offering comfort to the living. The seven movements use text from the Old and New Testaments to highlight timeless qualities of hope, rather than fear.

From its debut on Good Friday 1868, the German Requiem was instantly acknowledged as a masterpiece, and established Brahms’ reputation as a composer of international stature.

A Human Requiem

The Adventures of Leonard & Rasmus returns with a fun and entertaining show that will delight audiences of all ages. Auntie Lulu takes Leonard & Rasmus on a road trip across America to explore and celebrate the many genres of music found across our land including classical, jazz, Dixieland, folk, R & B, and many more. Some of the composers to be featured include Florence Price, Aaron Copland, Scott Joplin, Gabriela Lena Frank, Ruth Crawford Seeger, George Walker, Woody Guthrie, and Bobby Troup. “Get Your Kicks” at our Family Concert!

Family Concert

Dinis Sousa conducts Brahms’ monumental German Requiem and a program of Baroque classics concluding with Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite. Sousa has worked closely with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his ensembles — the English Baroque Soloists, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, and the Monteverdi Choir — culminating in Sousa’s appointment as the Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra’s Assistant Conductor. He was appointed Principal Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in March 2021 and is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Orquestra XXI.  In recognition of his work with Orquestra XXI, Sousa was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Prince Henry by the President of the Portuguese Republic.

Carmel Bach Festival

Jul 30, 2022

Easter Oratorio

Jul 30, 2022

Virginia Best Adams Showcase Concert

Jul 29, 2022

Baroque & Classical Academy Showcase Concert

Jul 28, 2022

Haydn and Schubert

Jul 23, 2022

Light of My Life

Carmel Bach Festival

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