Poster Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach at the organ
Wikimedia Commons

A Before Bach's Birthday Bash

On Saturday, March 19, 2016, we'll celebrate the 331st birthday of Baroque master, Johann Sebastian Bach, with a day-long Before Bach's Birthday Bash!

A series of five hour-long concerts will be presented by members and friends of the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, in collaboration with Minnesota Public Radio, the Bach Society of Minnesota, and the Twin Cities Early Music Festival. All concerts are free and you are invited!

Kicking things off from 9 to 10 a.m. will be a concert of Bach and Reger solo organ works, along with Bach chamber and vocal pieces. The concert takes place at St. Mary's Chapel of the St. Paul Seminary (2160 Summit Avenue) and features performances from Christopher Ganza, David P. Jenkins, Gabriel Quenneville-Bélair, Lindsay Schlemmer, Paul Boehnke, Donald Livingston, Minnesota Bach Society and Twin Cities Early Music Festival ensembles. If you can't be there in person, tune in to our live Classical MPR broadcast.

Only that first hour will be broadcast, but our bash continues through the morning and afternoon, with our next event from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the University of St. Thomas Chapel (Cleveland Avenue North at Ashland Avenues). This concert features Bach and Reger solo organ repertoire and the Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, with performances by Kalle Akkerman, Joanne Rodland, Sharon Kleckner, Adrian Volovets, Joel Kumro and the Twin Cities Early Music Festival Ensemble.

Then, after a lunch break, from 1 to 2 p.m., we'll reconvene at the Episcopal Church of St. Clement (901 Portland Avenue) for more Bach and Reger solo organ and chamber works, and performances by Nils Halker, Cynthia Rapacke, Hanna Peterson-Green, Joseph Trucano, David Fienen and Julie Yoonjeong Kim.

From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., we'll visit the Unity Unitarian Church (732 Holly Avenue) for a concert featuring Bach and Reger organ, cello and piano solos; Bruce Jacobs, Fan Ya Lin, Lindsay Schlemmer, Tom Ferry, and Andrew Hackett.

Finally, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the House of Hope Presbyterian Church (797 Summit Avenue), there will be organ and piano solos by Bach and Reger, with performances by Noah Klein, Joel Kumro, Chun-Han (Sophia) Lin, and Aaron David Miller.

Listen to the radio broadcast of the first hour, or attend any or all of the free daytime concerts, presented in churches on or near Summit Avenue in Saint Paul.

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