Go on a journey set to music this summer with Chamber Music Northwest!
Be enthralled. Be captivated. Be uplifted. It only takes a couple of hours.
You’ll be glad you did.

Echoes of Bach inspiring through time…FIVE WEEKS, CITYWIDE!

June 28-July 27

Come along for a Bach-inspired Summer Festival that features a few of his most dazzling works alongside dozens of other masterpieces by composers from Bach’s era to today—all echoing his timeless brilliance! We will feature more than 70 of the most exceptional chamber musicians from our region and around the world—from piano and strings to voice, and even electronics.

Our 55th Summer Festival, Echoes of Bach, illuminates how the music of yesterday and today has continually drawn inspiration from and built upon Bach’s revolutionary ideas and sound—from Mozart and Brahms, Mendelssohn and Messiaen, to composers creating today’s chamber music. This summer, we’ll spotlight how virtually every composer has continued to explore and experiment with Bach’s groundbreaking musical forms and innovations—including the living composers we hear today in contemporary romantic and classical to jazz and popular music.

From solos, art songs, and small ensembles, to Bach’s Mass, this summer we will explore elements of Bach’s artistry that have inspired composers ever since. Let’s take a quick walk through the thematic five weeks ahead…

Week 1 ● SOUND The inventive instrumentation in Bach’s evergreen Brandenburg Concertos produces an astonishing freshness of sounds that are undiminished by time; indeed, his concertos masterfully weave together different combinations of winds, brass, strings, and harpsichord to express a vivid joy of life.

Week 2 ● COLORS In intimate works such as his Musical Offering and the Goldberg Variations, Bach highlights the unique timbre of each instrument to construct colorful sonic tapestries.

Week 3 ● VOICE The divine quality in all of Bach’s music, including in his vocal writing, will be on full display with Oregon Bach Festival’s performance of the great B Minor Mass. Bach’s influence lives on as the voices of composers Franck, David Schiff, and Kian Ravaei will pay homage to their respective spiritual backgrounds.

Week 4 ● LEGACY Just as Bach revolutionized the future of music, CMNW’s Protégé Project is fostering growth in the music world of the 21st century. Current Protégé Artists and alumni perform masterpieces by Messiaen, Mendelssohn, and Olli Mustonen in what promises to be the most thrilling week of the summer.

Week 5 ● COUNTERPOINT Bach mastered the art of intertwining independent musical lines, creating a perfect balance that composers have sought ever since. Few came closer than Brahms, and we close the summer with his two string sextets that are among the most beloved works in chamber music.

AND THERE’S MORE! 

Be In the Room When It Happens! Take your seat to be among the first listeners for the music of the moment—and the artists of the future. We'll premiere three newly commissioned works and explore the music of emerging and leading composers of today, including: Alistair Coleman, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, Kian Ravaei, David Schiff, Caroline Shaw, Sean Shepherd, and Gabriella Smith.

NEW@NIGHT! The casual Wednesday evening contemporary music series at The Old Church features some of today’s most innovative and creative composers in four concerts this summer. These roughly one-hour concerts of new music are designed to be more casual and interactive: come with a pre-concert conversation with composers and a post-performance artist mingle!

Plus, there are MANY free concerts and events to enjoy, and four outdoor concerts in Milwaukie, Newberg, Portland, and Vancouver! Please consider yourself warmly invited to come celebrate the diversity of classical music with us this summer—let us enliven and expand your musical palette!

Your Summer Adventure in Music Awaits…
SOUND, COLORS, VOICE, COUNTERPOINT & LEGACY | JUNE 28 to JULY 27
70+ Artists | 67 Pieces of Music | 4 World Premieres | 5 CMNW Commissions | 40+ Events

EXPLORE THE FESTIVAL at cmnw.org!