Festival Bach Montréal

Despite the uncertain times in which we are living, Festival Bach Montréal has nevertheless made the decision to announce its 14th annual festival edition. Alongside this season announcement, Festival Bach Montréal has also announced the launch of a new specialist digital platform, Québec Baroque.

Festival Bach Montréal will take place from November 19 to December 6, with a prelude on November 7. A number of concerts will also be available to watch live on Québec Baroque. Tickets for Festival Bach Montréal 2020 will be available to purchase as of 10am on Monday 2 November. Now in its 14th season, Festival Bach Montréal has established itself as the premiere North American destination for the performance of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries. Last year, the festival attracted more than 20,000 people, with a further 1000 attending its new Off-Festival Bach venue in downtown Montreal.

Festival Bach Montréal

Filippo Gorini, will perform on Québec Baroque directly from the National Museum of Cinema in Turin, Italy

Highlights of this year’s festival include:

– The launch of Québec Baroque, a brand-new specialist classical music streaming platform entirely conceptualized, devised and run by Bach-Académie de Montréal. The first live streamed concert will be available on the platform on November 19.

– An exclusive Festival Bach Montréal-produced performance from critically-acclaimed young Italian pianist Filippo Gorini, presented to audiences on Québec Baroque directly from the National Museum of Cinema in Turin, Italy.

– Orchestre Métropolitain to make their Festival Bach Montréal debut, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Seguin. This concert will also be made available to audiences on Québec Baroque.

– Montreal ensemble Orchestre de L’Agora will be joined by solo violist Marina Thibeault, conducted by Nicholas Ellis.

Off-Festival Bach to return to its downtown Montreal hub for the second consecutive year, with a series of recitals offered entirely free of charge.

– Orchestre Festival Bach Montréal returns for its third consecutive season, led by Jean-Claude Picard and joined by soloists Anna-Sophie Neher (soprano) and Stephen Hegedus (bass) for a program of Bach Cantatas)

Artists

Festival Bach Montréal will feature a series of concerts from the very best Québec artists and ensembles.

Acclaimed young violinist Kerson Leong will be making his Festival Bach Montreal debut (November 25, Salle Bourgie). This year’s festival will also feature recitals from Montreal-based pianists Anna Saradjian and Serhiy Salov, who will perform recitals on November 24 and December 2 respectively, both also at Salle Bourgie. The young Québec cellist Stéphane Tétreault will perform Bach’s complete Cello Suites over two late-night concerts at Festival Bach’s Montréal’s ‘Off-Festival Bach’ venue in downtown Montréal (November 30 and December 1). Orchestre Festival Bach Montréal will be returning for its third consecutive season for a programme of Bach Cantatas under conductor Jean-Claude Picard, and featuring soloists Anna-Sophie Neher (soprano) and Stephen Hegedus (bass).

The 2020 Festival will begin with a prelude on November 7 by Quebec Chamber Orchestra Les Violons du Roy at Maison Symphonique, conducted by Bernard Labadie. A special gala concert will open the festival on November 19 at Oratoire St-Joseph du Mont-Royal, featuring four local organists: Luc Beauséjour, Vincent Boucher, Hans-Ola Ericsson and Jonathan Oldengarm.

In addition to the December 5 and 6 performances by Montréal’s Orchestre Métropolitain under Yannick Nézet-Séguin at Maison Symphonique, other concerts include; Autour de la Flûte (November 20, Salle Bourgie), Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal (November 21, Salle Bourgie), Clavecin en concert (November 22, Chapelle Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours) and Les Voix Humaines (December 3, Salle Bourgie), Les Violons du Roy (November 28, Salle Bourgie), and Orchestre de l’Agora under dynamic young conductor Nicolas Ellis (November 23, Salle Bourgie) will also perform.

For more information and tickets, please visit www.FestivalBachMontreal.com or call: 438-380-4888.

A word from Alexandra Scheiber

Festival Bach Montréal’s Executive and Artistic Director Alexandra Scheibler said: “The announcement of the 14th edition of Festival Bach Montréal should be seen as a symbol of hope for the performing arts sector, as we believe in a society that values arts and culture. The restrictions on cultural life in Québec and abroad are a heavy burden, and a challenge that the Festival accepts without hesitation. In these precarious times, we at the Festival feel it is more important than ever to celebrate Bach’s inspiring music. Culture, and especially music, is not a luxury which can be discarded at a whim. It is the spiritual foundation of our inner fortitude and without it we are lost. This is why it means so much to experience concerts together.”