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Bach Festivals & Cantata Series
Bach Festival of Winter Park

Name:

Bach Festival of Winter Park

Location:

Winter Park, Florida, USA

Venues:

Knowles Memorial Chapel on the Rollins College Campus - 1000 Holt Avenue

Years:

Since 1935 (Annual Festival)

Months:

February-March

Artistic Director:

President: Isabelle Sprague-Smith (1935-1950)
Artistic Directors:
Christopher O. Honaas (1935-1949)
Harvey L. Woodruff (1949-1952)
Robert Hufstader (1952-1966)
Ward Woodbury (1966-1985)
Murray Somerville (1985-1990)
John V. Sinclair (1990-Present)

Ensembles:

Bach Festival Choir

Website:

Bach Festival Society of Winter Park
Bach Festival Society of Winter Park on Facebook

History & Mission:

The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park has the distinction of being the third-oldest continuously operating Bach Festival in the United States, as well as being Central Florida’s oldest operating performing arts organization.
The Bach Festival Society, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1935 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of J.S. Bach’s birth by presenting the composer’s orchestral and choral music to the public for “its enlightenment, education, pleasure, and enjoyment.” Mrs. Isabelle Sprague-Smith, a former New York artist and school principal, was the president and driving force behind the Bach Festival from 1935 until her death in 1950. During her tenure, the Bach Festival Choir grew to become a true community choir, and the Festival was expanded to include instrumental music. At Mrs. Sprague-Smith’s death, the future of the Bach Festival was uncertain. Rollins President Hugh McKean asked John M. Tiedtke, the treasurer of the College, to fulfill the obligation and he accepted. Mr. Tiedtke served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees until his death in December 2004. Eric Ravndal III currently serves as President.
The Bach Festival Society is well known internationally and has enjoyed a long tradition of bringing world-class talent to Central Florida. Since its inception in 1935, the Society has expanded its offerings to include the annual Winter Park Bach Festival, Visiting Artist Concert Series, Choral Masterworks Concert Series, Fred Rogers Family Series, and a variety of educational and community outreach programs to encourage youth participation in music at all levels.
Artistic Director and Conductor John V. Sinclair has led the Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra since Fall 1990, presenting the music of a wide variety of composers, including the first Florida performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, and world premieres created for the Bach Festival Choir. As the 160-voice Choir has matured, its reputation for quality and excellence has spread, resulting in invitations to perform outside the Festival with other organizations. The Choir has performed with other groups, such as The Bach Choir of London, Bournemouth (England) Symphony Chorus, and Orlando’s Southern Ballet Theatre. The Bach Festival Choir performed L.v. Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra at its invitation in the summer of 2007.
Winter Park Bach Festival has a two-volume history of the festival and organization, including performance history in Vol 2. See: Vol. 1 + Vol. 2

Recent Festivals:

58th Festival: Feb 25-28, 1993

75th Festival: Feb 20-Mar 7, 2010
76th Festival: Feb 12-Mar 25, 2011
77th Festival: Feb 17-Mar 4, 2012
78th Festival: Feb 15-Mar 3, 2013
79th Festival: Feb 14-Mar 2, 2014
80th Festival: Feb 13-Mar 1, 2015

81st Festival: Feb 12-28, 2016

Logo:


2nd Festival - 1936

58th Festival - 2093

     
     

72nd Festival - 2007

74th Festival - 2009 -1

74th Festival - 2009 -2

75th Festival - 2010

 

77th Festival - 2012

 79th Festival - 2014 [1]

79th Festival - 2014 [2]

79th Festival - 2014 [3]

 

2011-2012 [1] 2011-2012 [2]  81st Festival - 2016    
   

Source: Web; Zac Alfson (September-October 2014)

Prepared by Aryeh Oron (October 2009 - March 2016)


Bach Festivals & Cantata Series: Main Page: Countries A-I | Page 2: Countries J-Z | Schedule of Concerts of Bach's Vocal Works
Links to Bach Festivals | Links to Bach Organizations & Societies | Discussions of Bach Festivals & Cantata Concerts
Major Bach Events: Year 2020 | Year 2019 | Year 2018 | Year 2017 | Year 2016 | Year 2015 | Year 2014 | Year 2013 | Year 2012 | Year 2011 | Year 2010 | Year 2009




 

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Last update: Friday, February 22, 2019 13:51