The Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) is an annual celebration of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and his musical legacy, held in Eugene, Oregon, United States, in late June and early July. The artistic director is German organist and conductor Helmuth Rilling and the Executive Director is John Evans, formerly of the BBC.

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About the festival

The festival's programming is three-fold. It presents a diverse slate of concerts and guest artists, which in recent years has included non-Bach-related programs by Garrison Keillor, Bobby McFerrin, and Frederica von Stade; it maintains a focus on choral-orchestral repertoire, including commissions and premieres; and it undertakes extensive educational activities, most famously a conducting master class that draws participants from around the world ^[1] as well as a Youth Choral Academy directed by conductor Anton Armstrong of St. Olaf College. The Wall Street Journal has called the OBF "one of the world’s leading music festivals". ^[2]

The Oregon Bach Festival is a donor-supported program of the University of Oregon. The activities of the festival are concentrated at Eugene's Hult Center for the Performing Arts and at the University of Oregon's School of Music & Dance, primarily at Beall Hall.

History

The festival was founded in 1970 by German conductor Helmuth Rilling and the former president of the American Choral Directors Association, Royce Saltzman, in 1970 as an informal series of classes and concerts at the University of Oregon. By the late 1970s, the roster had expanded to include full-scale choral-orchestral performances. Although originally inspired by the music of Bach, the festival quickly moved beyond a strict boundary of repertoire. ^[3] Bach, however, remains a centerpiece of the festival via Helmuth Rilling's conducting master class, which leads students through Cantatas, Masses, Passions, and other such choral works. Additionally, the festival frequently performs the largest Bach works with full forces; for example, in the 300th-anniversary year of Bach's birth in 1985, the festival performed the St. John Passion , St. Matthew Passion , B-minor Mass , and all six Brandenburg Concertos , culminating in an appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. The success of the Bach Festival model and structure led Helmuth Rilling to create the Bachacademie Stuttgart and several other Bach Academies around the world.

In addition to the leadership of Helmuth Rilling, many other musicians have developed long-term relationships with the OBF. Conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane has been performing at the festival for over 20 years, ^[4] and musicologist Robert Levin has also been a frequent participant. Baritone Thomas Quasthoff made his American debut at the OBF in 1995 ^[5] and has returned several times since. Recent appearances have also been made by Midori, Sarah Chang, the Kronos Quartet, The Five Browns, and a variety of other classical stars. The festival also hosts "cross-over" or popular acts like Garrison Keillor, Savion Glover, On Ensemble Taiko, and PDQ Bach.

The festival in the 21st century

Royce Saltzman retired in 2006 and was replaced as Executive Director by John Evans, a former BBC producer and published Benjamin Britten scholar. ^[6] Since Evans's arrival in 2007, the festival has expanded to include concerts throughout Oregon, including at Portland's Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and Bend's Tower Theatre. Recent seasons have also included collaborations with other regional arts organizations, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Eugene Ballet. ^[7] The Festival has also undertaken its first endowment campaign.

The 2010 festival, billed as a 40th-anniversary gala year, ^{[8] [9]} is scheduled to include appearances by Quasthoff, Bobby McFerrin, Robert Levin and Ya-Fei Chuang, and the Portland Baroque Orchestra. It will also feature a Bernstein celebration featuring a residency by Jamie Bernstein.

Milestones

The festival has commissioned, co-commissioned, or presented premieres of numerous musical works, including:

• Felix Mendelssohn, The Uncle from Boston (world premiere of rediscovered manuscript) ^{[10] [11]}
• Stephen Paulus, Symphony for Strings (world premiere) ^[12]
• Arvo Part, Litany (world premiere) ^[13]
• Osvaldo Golijov, Oceana (world premiere) ^[14]
• Krzyztof Penderecki, Credo (world premiere) ^[15]
• Tan Dun, Water Passion (American premiere) ^[16]
• Sven-David Sandström, Messiah (world premiere) ^[17]

The festival has also released or participated in 12 commercial recordings since 1990, with the recording of Penderecki's Credo winning the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance. ^[18] The festival has also initiated a media partnership with Minnesota Public Radio that provides for the syndication and worldwide broadcast of live concert recordings.

References

1. East Europeans to come West for Bach Festival
2. Press room
3. Helmuth Rilling
4. Jeffrey Kahane, Music Director
5. Biografisches
6. John Evans, Executive Director
7. Summer Guide Top Picks
8. Oregon Bach Festival Reaches Largest Audience
9. OBF 2010 Press Release
10. Mendelssohn's long lost "Uncle"
11. Mendelssohn's long lost "Uncle" (full reprint)
12. New World Records liner notes
13. 30 voices, 50 years
14. Oceanea (official website)
15. Grammy Nominees have ties to Eugene
16. Passion and Resurrection, Writ in Water and Light
17. Makeover for the Messiah
18. Steely Dan, U2, Eminem, Macy Gray Winners of the 2001 Grammy Awards