Boulder Bach Festival

Background Statement

Boulder Bach Festival (BBF) began in 1981, celebrating the life and music of J.S. Bach. Since that first season, BBF has evolved from a weekend of concerts to a full season of diverse concert programs, an array of free outreach activities, lecture presentations, in-school events, and collaborative events at a variety of venues in Boulder, Denver, Longmont, Broomfield and elsewhere on the Front Range.

Unique among Colorado's performing arts organizations and worldwide, BBF's CORE ensemble navigates the waters of music history with the music of J.S. Bach as a compass. In addition to presenting internationally-acclaimed soloists in collaboration with CORE artists in extraordinary performances of baroque music, recent seasons have also featured new work by living composers alongside resurrected music of forgotten composers—across time and cultures. This dialogue expands our mission such that Bach-in-context is part of a larger vision, an inclusive musical celebration that examines history, literature, and instrumental/vocal technical/stylistic developments, looking from Bach to centuries earlier, and from Bach to the present day.

BBF has a zero-debt history and is driven and monitored by a strategic plan that reflects the commitment and interests of its stakeholders. It is a six-member, mission-driven board that is focused on the strategic plan, updated every three years. For the past three years, BBF has been raising funds for a Sustainability Reserves Account, with the goal of stabilizing the organization and its resident vocal & instrumental ensemble, Compass Resonance, further.

Bringing Colorado's musicians together with those from across the nation—and beyond, results in a rich conversation between the artists, further fulfilling their lives as well as contributing to the richness of the concert presentation. University graduate students and young professionals develop their skills in a variety of experiences offered, in part due to the artists BBF brings to the Front Range: students and graduates perform alongside these acclaimed musicians.

Recent projects include performing and recording video with one of the world's leading classical soloists, violinist Vadim Gluzman. He now plans to record the Bach violin concertos with BBF's CORE ensemble in 2025.

In February of 2024, BBF co-directors Mina Gajic and Zachary Carrettin presented a program of works by J.S. Bach in alternation with new work by women composers of Iceland, offering our audiences a unique perspective on feeling and form in music across the ages. All of the composers chosen for this project are environmentally-focused, bringing worlds together in music creation and performance. We honor J.S. Bach by investing in the living composers of our own time.

In the current 2024/2025 season we present a multitude of women composers of the baroque—on International Women's Day, a host of lesser-known visionary composers of the baroque and beyond, imaginative orchestral music of Ernest Bloch, concert arias by Maria Teresa Agnesi, virtuosic and sublime instrumental and vocal chamber music, J.S. Bach's famous Brandenburg Concerto #5, and a new work composed during the pandemic by BBF's music director.

All of the main season concerts, outreach presentations, and education events feature contextualization of the music via stories and historical anecdotes that are meaningful to the artists performing the work.

BBF's vocalist and instrumentalist fellows enjoy the opportunity of coaching with respected guest artists in addition to BBF's expert local CORE musicians. This season such mentors include a vocal coach who served on the faculty at Oxford, a harpsichordist who is the artistic director of one of our nation's early music societies, a concertmaster of a respected symphony orchestra in Asia, and a renowned New York-based strings pedagogue.

Our Fellowship Artist Vocal Ensemble will teach as guests at high school choral programs in the region, and will perform in a variety of styles and contexts—including a concert on the Longmont Museum's concert series. Fellows are always remunerated fully for every service (rehearsal and performance). BBF's commitment to remunerating every artist for every service—regardless of whether they are renowned soloists, local faculty, freelancers, or current graduate students—is one of the many ways that we are contributing to the art music landscape in our region. By investing in (music) experts, the way we all do when we see a dentist or an attorney, we are ensuring a nuanced and fascinating dialogue; we are offering audiences the highest level esthetic experience, presented by inspired experts in the field. This can only continue with your support.