Music

The Baltimore Chamber Jazz Society (BCJS) will continue its 30th anniversary season with another first for the nonprofit and the City of Baltimore. All-female jazz supergroup, ARTEMIS will give its inaugural Charm City performance.

The Bach in Baltimore Choir and Orchestra is pleased to present Brahms German Requiem, a grand and moving work for chorus, orchestra, soprano soloist, and baritone soloist. It is unique in music history. Unlike other Requiems, Brahms German Requiem is not a liturgical piece at all. It forgoes the use of both the Roman Catholic burial liturgy as well as the Protestant liturgy as found in the Lutheran lectionary. Instead, Brahms chose 15 citations from 11 books in the Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocrypha.

Treasured Bach in Baltimore friend, oboist Leslie Starr passed away on February 12, 2021. Since graduating from Peabody, Leslie specialized in Baroque music, and she shared her love and skill as an oboist with Bach in Baltimore for almost 25 years. Additionally, she played with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Leslie often told friends and colleagues that playing Bach was one of her favorite musical things to do.

Under the direction of T. Herbert Dimmock, four talented soloists–Elissa Edwards, Soprano; Kristen Dubenion-Smith, Alto; Ben Ellerin, Tenor; and Carl DuPont, Bass–the full Bach in Baltimore Choir & Orchestra bring the Hebrew Biblical story of the prophet Elijah to life.  Elijah, Mendelssohn’s most famous oratorio, was heavily inspired by the cantatas of J.S. Bach. Mendelssohn’s keen musicological recovery and revival efforts throughout the nineteenth century resurrected the music of J.S. Bach back into the public psyche.

Join T. Herbert Dimmock, four superb vocal soloists, and the Bach in Baltimore Choir and Orchestra in the performance of Bach’s magnum opus, the B Minor Mass. This work represents Bach’s lifelong and tireless artistry as a composer and musician of the highest caliber. It is a grand synthesis of his every musical innovation and contribution. Bach began the B Minor Mass early in his career and didn’t finish it until the end of his life when he had already gone blind.

Keep the holidays alive with an uplifting program including Handel’s Chandos Anthem: Oh Be Joyful in the Lord, from Psalm 100 and selections from Bach’s Cantata 32: Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen (Dearest Jesus, my desire). The concert concludes with arias from Bach’s most celebrated and eternal song, Cantata 140: Wachet Auf (Sleepers Awake! A Voice is Calling). Featured soloists include Ellie Yeonjung Kim, soprano; Eric F. Carey, tenor; and Brian Ming Chu, bass. In-person and live-streaming tickets are available.