ONLINE: Bach Around the Clock

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Bach Around the Clock

The Brandenburg Players during recording for the 2021 Bach Around the Clock festival closing concert (left to right): Derek Reeves, Marika Fisher Hoyt, John Chappell Stowe, Anton TenWolde, Marilyn Fung, Charlie Rasmussen, Eric Miller.

This annual celebration of the March 21 birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach has traditionally been a day-long event featuring regional players performing the composer's works. For this virtual edition, Bach Around the Clock expands to a 10-day schedule of performances submitted by local performers, with new music posted at 8 a.m. daily; following its premiere, all content will remain available for the length of the festival. Still to come in the evening is a master class by Kreutzer String Quartet violist Clifton Harrison (7 p.m., March 24) and the grand finale concert featuring the Brandenburg Players (7 p.m., March 26), an ensemble including BATC artistic director Marika Fischer Hoyt, Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble founding member Anton TenWolde, Fort Wayne Philharmonic principal violist Derek Reeves, and others. Find the streaming content at bachclock.com.

press release: Bach Around The Clock is Madison, Wisconsin’s annual celebration of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Held every March in honor of Bach’s birthday (March 21), it offers all members of the musical community, from young students to seasoned professionals, the opportunity to perform selections by this sublime composer, to an appreciative audience. This year, the festival will be virtual; prerecorded performances will be presented online in daily segments from March 17-26.

Our theme for this year’s festival is “Building Bridges Through Bach”,  highlighting the many ways that Bach’s music is enjoyed by performers and audiences from our diverse community.

Performances have been submitted by over 60 local professional and amateur musicians of all ages. You’ll hear Bach performed on traditional instruments like violin, viola, cello, oboe, bassoon, piano, and organ, as well as more unusual instruments like clavichord, 6-string electric bass, marimba, and saxophone quartet! We are so grateful to all the participants who have volunteered to share their talents.

Daily performances will continue to be available on our website throughout the entire festival so that viewers can watch at their convenience.

Donate here to support this unique community festival! Or you can make a check out to Bach Around The Clock and mail it to: Bach Around The Clock, 2802 Arbor Drive #2, Madison, WI 53704

Mark your calendars for these special programs (*premiere times):

• Wednesday, March 17, 8AM* Opening Day! Sonata à Quattro performs the Brandenburg Concerto #3 and more! 7PM Join the performers for a Meet and Greet via Zoom
• Thursday, March 18, 7PM*   Jonathan Øverby, distinguished Wisconsin Public Radio host of  The Road to Higher Ground,  will discuss building The Bridge To and Through Bach with BATC Artistic Director Marika Fischer Hoyt
• Friday, March 19, 7PM*   A concert of music of Bach performed by Bruce Bengtson, organ, and Marc Fink, oboe & oboe d’amore.
• Saturday, March 20, 7PM*    Trevor Stephenson, artistic director of Madison Bach Musicians, will discuss the Eternal Return in Bach’s Goldberg Variations, followed by Q&A via Zoom.
• Monday, March 22, 7PM*   Lawrence Quinnett, on the piano faculty of Livingstone College, will give a talk about Bach’s French Suites and ornamentation, followed by his performance of the Suite I, and a Q&A session.  
• Wednesday, March 24, 7PM*    Clifton Harrison, violist in the Kreutzer String Quartet, in residence at Oxford University, will present a master class for 3 Madison-area pre-college performers.
• Friday, March 26, 7PM* Grand Finale!   The Brandenburg Players perform the Brandenburg Concerto #6 and more! The performance will be followed by a Meet & Greet with the artists via Zoom.