113th Bethlehem Bach Festival

113th Bethlehem Bach Festival | May 14 - 15, 2021

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem's largest event of the year will take place virtually for its 113th year. The Festival is a glorious tradition treasured by thousands of people from throughout the United States and beyond since the American premiere of Bach’s monumental Mass at the first Bethlehem Bach Festival in 1900. The Festival will be presented over one weekend in May, and includes guest artists-in-residence, featured young musicians, lectures and chorale sings with the audience.

Schedule: (All events live streamed with limited in-person audience as allowed.)

Friday, May 14:
2 p.m. -  Distinguished Scholar Lecture: Lecturer to be announced.
4 p.m. - Bach Outdoors Chamber Music

• Chamber Music by Bach and other composers including Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, featuring Elizabeth Field, concertmaster as the violin soloist with one instrument to a part.

Saturday, May 15:
10:30 a.m. - Ifor Jones Chamber Music Concert

• Paul Taylor Dance Company: Bach’s Brandenburgs Opus No. 88 and Esplanade Opus No. 61, performed with recorded music.
• Bach Flute Sonata: Robin Kani, flute and Greg Funfgeld, keyboard

7:30 p.m. - “Blessings and Benediction” Concert

• Choir, Orchestra, and featured soloists. Repertoire to be announced.

Tickets:

• The Choir staff will contact all patrons currently holding tickets to the 2021 Bethlehem Bach Festival, and offer options for their tickets. Ticket holders may also contact the Choir by calling 610-866-4382 x 115 or x 110.
• Tickets to the live-streamed events (and possibly a limited number of in-person tickets) are expected to be available online in April.
• Should an audience be allowed:
• priority in-person tickets will be made available to the Choir’s Guarantors before being offered to the public.
• audience members will be seated according to the COVID-19 distancing protocol being followed in May. There will be no reserved seats.

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem performs the works of Bach and promotes appreciation of the aesthetic
and spiritual value of Bach’s music while striving for musical excellence. The choir engages its audience –
locally, nationally, and internationally – through education, performance, and the programs of its Bel
Canto Youth Chorus.

Please note: all plans outlined in this release are subject to change as COVID-19 restrictions require.