Bach Festivals & Cantata Series
Bach in Rokoko

Name:

Bach in Rokoko

Location:

Augsburg / Günzburg, Bavaria, Germany

Venues:

Venues: The concerts were almost exclusively hosted in the Frauenkirche Günzburg, a masterfully designed church created by the renowned Rococo architect Dominikus Zimmermann.

Years:

2003-2018 (Annual Festival)

Months:

September

Artistic Director:

Reinhard Kammler

Ensembles:

The Augsburger Domsingknaben (Augsburg Cathedral Boys' Choir) anchored the performances, regularly collaborating with the Residenz-Münchener Kammerorchester.

Website:

Augsburger Domsingknaben: Bach in Rokoko (Official Website) [German]

History & Mission:

"Bach in Rokoko" was an annual classical music festival in Günzburg, Germany, founded in 2003 by Reinhard Kammler and the Augsburger Domsingknaben. The festival's mission was to celebrate and preserve the sacred and secular choral works of J.S. Bach by performing them in the historically intimate, resonant, ornate setting of the Rococo-style Frauenkirche Günzburg.
History
The festival was established in 2003 by Domkapellmeister Reinhard Kammler to showcase the brilliant polyphony and emotional depth of J.S. Bach's music. For 15 years, it served as a major cultural staple in the Swabian region of Bavaria.
Conclusion: The festival successfully ran annually every September until concluding its final iterations around 2018-2019, culminating in large-scale choral farewells under Reinhard Kammler's leadership.
The festival was retired when Reinhard Kammler ended his tenure as director.
Mission & Musical Philosophy
The core mission of "Bach in Rokoko" was the intersection of Baroque music and Rococo visual aesthetics.
Historical Symbiosis: The festival aimed to align the acoustic and decorative sensibilities of the Rococo era with J.S. Bach's intricate compositions. Organizers emphasized how the light, ornamental, and elegant architecture provided a harmonious complement to the mathematical rigor and grandeur of J.S. Bach's choral and orchestral pieces.
Educational & Cultural Enrichment: The festival brought world-class historically informed performances to the local community in Günzburg. By featuring a boys' choir, the festival carried on the centuries-old European tradition of training young voices to master the most technically demanding religious vocal repertoires, such as J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248.

Recent Festivals:

1^st Festival: Sep 27-28, 2003
2^nd Festival: Oct 2-3, 2004
3^rd Festival: Oct 28-29, 2005
4^th Festival: Sep 30-Oct 1, 2006.
5^th Festival: Sep 29-30, 2007
6^h Festival: Sep 27-28, 2008
7^th Festival: Sep 26-27, 2009
8^th Festival: Sep 25-26, 2010
9^th Festival: Sep 24-25, 2011
10^th Festival: Sep 29-30, 2012

11^th Festival: Sep 27-29, 2013
12^th Festival: Sep 26-28, 2014
13^th Festival: Sep 25-27, 2015
14^th Festival: Sep 23-25, 2016
15^th Festival: Sep 29-Oct 1, 2017
16^th Festival: Sep 28-30, 2018
The Festival is no longer active

Logo: