(Image | Courtesy of Oregon Bach Festival)
Tune into KWAX-FM to hear five decades of previously archived LIVE and studio recordings to replace this year’s in-person festival due to COVID-19. Highlights from the Radio Festival include Bach’s St. Matthew Passion conducted by Helmuth Rilling, MacMillan’sA European Requiem, Krzysztof Penderecki’sCredo (for which OBF received its Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Choral Performance), Thomas Quastoff’s solo recital and more.
The Grammy Award-winning Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) announces a commemorative Radio Festival, featuring a lineup of historic recordings from some of the world’s top classical musicians, and the rare opportunity for audiences to enjoy previously archived LIVE and studio recordings throughout the past five decades.
Hosted by Peter van de Graaff, the Radio Festival will be broadcast live on KWAX-FM from June 26-July 10, 2020. Best known as the host of the Beethoven Satellite Network (BSN) overnight classical music service, which is carried on over approximately 150 radio stations across the USA, Peter van de Graaff is a celebrated radio personality and will be giving spoken introductions to each broadcast.
- June 26 – J. S. Bach: St. Matthew Passion (2000 recording)
- June 29 – Mozart: Mass in C minor (1979), J. S. Bach: Cantata 202 (1979), Handel: The Messiah (1997)
- June 30 – Verdi: Messa da requiem (2014), C. P. E. Bach: Selections from Magnificat (2014), Ralph M. Johnson: This House of Peace (2008, OBF Commission)
- July 1 – Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine (2014), J. S. Bach: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225 (2013)
- July 2 – Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1993), Schubert: Mass in A-flat Major (1996)
- July 3 – J. S. Bach: St. John Passion with James Taylor and Thomas Quasthoff (1995)
- July 6 – J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (1994), Concerto in C Major for Two Harpsichords (1999)
- July 7 – J. S. Bach: Magnificat (2016), Macmillan: A European Requiem (world premiere 2016) and Alleluia, Beethoven: Choral Fantasy in C minor
- July 8 – Baritone Thomas Quasthoff: Recital (1998), Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major featuring Jeffery Kahane, piano and conductor
- July 9 – Three World Premieres. Penderecki: Credo, Danielpour: Selections from The Passion of Yeshua, Sven-David Sandström: Selections from Messiah
- July 10 – J. S. Bach: Mass in B minor (2016, period instruments)
Numerous critically acclaimed musicians are featured throughout the Radio Festival. German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff is especially beloved by OBF audiences. He made his festival debut in 1995, and will be featured five times in this series of OBF broadcasts.
A favorite of Oregon Bach Festival, Tamara Wilson made her OBF debut as a last-minute replacement soloist in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem under Helmuth Rilling for the opening of OBF’s 40th Anniversary season in 2010. The June 30 Radio Festival broadcast features her role reprisal in the 2014 performance, conducted by Matthew Halls.
P. E. Bach’s Magnificat features an outstanding cast of soloists with the Festival Choir and OBF Berwick Academy Orchestra, it is a broadcast not to be missed (June 30). The Berwick Academy is one of a handful of educational performance opportunities in the U.S. that exclusively features period performance for emerging professional musicians.
Other highlights include Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Blessed Virgin (July 1), Sir James MacMillan’s A European Requiem (July 7), Krzysztof Penderecki’s Credo (July 9) and performances featuring celebrated artists including Maria Jette (July 3), Jeffrey Kahane (July 6), Robert Levin (July 7), Thomas Quasthoff (July 8) and more.
This Radio Festival is broadcasted once and will not be archived for playback. For national or international listeners, tune into KWAX’s website. For local listeners, tune in on the radio. A list of local stations can be found online.
A forthcoming listening guide and additional information will be announced on oregonbachfestival.org. Check OBF’s social media for additional updates.
Radio Festival Schedule
Friday, June 26 (10am)
St. Matthew Passion
S. Bach: St. Matthew Passion
(July 2, 2000, Silva Concert Hall)
Juliane Banse, soprano
Ingeborg Danz, alto
Lothar Odinius, tenor
Thomas Quasthoff, bass
Eric Owens, bass
Temple University Children’s Choir
Festival YCA
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Monday, June 29 (10am)
Soprano Arleen Augér
Mozart: Mass in C minor, K. 427 – Kyrie only
(July 6, 1979, Beall Hall)
Arleen Augér, soprano
OBF Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
S. Bach: Wedding Cantata, BWV 202
(July 12, 1979, Beall Hall)
Arleen Augér, soprano
OBF Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Handel: The Messiah
(July 12, 1997, Silva Concert Hall)
Sibylla Rubens, soprano
Ingeborg Danz, alto
James Taylor, tenor
Thomas Quasthoff, bass
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Guy Few, trumpet
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Tuesday, June 30 (2pm)
Verdi Requiem
Verdi: Messa da requiem
(July 13, 2014, Silva Hall)
Tamara Wilson, soprano
Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano
Russell Thomas, tenor
Shenyang, bass
Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Matthew Halls, conductor
Selections from C. P. E. Bach: Magnificat
(July 9, 2019, Beall Hall)
Movements 7, 8, & 9
Julia Sophie Wagner, soprano
Sarah Mesko, alto
Colin Ainsworth, tenor
Kenneth Overton, bass
OBF Chorus
Berwick Academy Orchestra
John Butt, conductor
Ralph M. Johnson: This House of Peace
(July 3, 2008, Silva Hall)
Maria Jette, soprano
Allan Vogel, oboe
OBF Orchestra
Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy
Anton Armstrong, conductor
Wednesday, July 1 (10am)
Monteverdi Vespers
Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine
(Vespers for the Blessed Virgin)
(June 26, 2014, Silva Concert Hall)
Yulia Van Doren, Agnes Zsigovics, sopranos
Reginald Mobley, alto
Nicholas Phan, Lawrence Wiliford, Dann Coakwell, tenors
Dashon Burton, Tyler Duncan, basses
OBF Chorus
OBF Baroque Orchestra
His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts
Matthew Halls, conductor
S. Bach: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225
(July 8, 2013, Silva Concert Hall)
Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy
OBF Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Thursday, July 2 (2pm)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Mendelssohn: Incidental Music to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(July 6, 1993, Silva Concert Hall)
Commercially released on the Hänssler Classic label
Christine Schafer, soprano
Ingeborg Danz, alto
OBF Women’s Chorus
OBF Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Schubert: Mass in A-flat Major
(July 6, 1996, Silva Concert Hall)
Commercially released on the Hänssler Classic label
Donna Brown, soprano
James Taylor, tenor
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
OBF Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Friday, July 3 (10am)
St. John Passion
S. Bach: St. John Passion
(June 23, 1995, Silva Concert Hall)
Maria Jette, soprano
Ingeborg Danz, alto
James Taylor, tenor
Mattias Gorne, baritone
Thomas Quasthoff, baritone
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Monday, July 6 (10am)
Bach’s Instrumental Concertos
S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos
(July 5, 1994, Silva Concert Hall)
OBF Chamber Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
S. Bach: Concerto in C Major for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1061
(July 8, 1999, Silva Concert Hall)
Spoken intro by Robert Levin
Jeffrey Kahane, harpsichord
Robert Levin, harpsichord
OBF Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Tuesday, July 7 (2pm)
A European Requiem
S. Bach: Magnificat
(July 2, 2016, Silva Concert Hall)
Amanda Forsythe, soprano
Sherezade Panthaki, soprano
Christopher Ainslie, countertenor
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Morgan Smith, baritone
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Matthew Halls, conductor
Macmillan: A European Requiem
(July 2, 2016, Silva Concert Hall)
Christopher Ainslie, countertenor
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Morgan Smith, baritone
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Matthew Halls, conductor
MacMillan: Alleluia
(July 2, 2016, Silva Concert Hall)
OBF Chorus
Matthew Halls, conductor
Beethoven: Choral Fantasy in C minor, Op. 80
(July 3, 2010, Silva Concert Hall)
Robert Levin, piano
Elizabeth Keusch, Linh Kaufmann, sopranos
Roxana Constantinescu, mezzo-soprano
Dann Coakwell, James Taylor, tenors
Thomas Quasthoff, bass
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Wednesday, July 8-10am
Thomas Quasthoff Recital
(July 8, 1998, Beall Concert Hall)
Schumann: Dichterliebe
Liszt: Tre Sonneti di Petrarca
Brahms: Vier Ernste Gesange
Liszt: Es muss ein wunderbares sein
Traditional: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Thomas Quasthoff, baritone
Justus Zeyen, piano
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
(June 28, 2000, Silva Concert Hall)
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor & pianist
OBF Orchestra
Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem
How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place
(July 3, 2010)
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Thursday, July 9-2pm
OBF’s Legacy
Krzysztof Penderecki: Credo
(July 11, 1998, Silva Concert Hall)
Juliane Banse, soprano
Milagro Vargas, mezzo-soprano
Marietta Simpson, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Randel, tenor
Thomas Quasthoff, bass
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
OBF Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Selections from Richard Danielpour: Passion of Yeshua
(July 8, 2018, Silva Concert Hall)
Part I:
Prologue
Interlude
Part II:
Behold the Man
Via Doloroso
Darkness Over the Land
Epilogue
Sarah Shafer, soprano
J’Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Timothy Fallon, tenor
Matthew Worth, baritone (Narrator)
Kenneth Overton, bass-baritone (Yeshua)
Edmund Milly, bass (Kayafa)
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Selections from Sven-David Sandström: Messiah
(July 9, 2009, Silva Concert Hall)
Behold the Lamb of God
He Shall Feed His Flock
His Yoke Is Easy
Robin Johannsen, soprano
Roxana Constantinescu, alto
OBF Chorus & Orchestra
Helmuth Rilling, conductor
Friday, July 10 (10am)
Bach and OBF’s Legacy: Mass in B minor
S. Bach: Mass in B minor
(June 23, 2016, Silva Concert Hall)
Amanda Forsythe, Sherezade Panthaki, soprano
Christopher Ainslie, countertenor
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Morgan Smith, baritone
OBF Chorus
OBF Baroque Orchestra
Matthew Halls, conductor
Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) has presented the masterworks of J. S. Bach, and composers inspired by his work, to audiences in Eugene and throughout the State of Oregon for nearly five decades. The annual event began as a collaboration between German conductor and organist, Helmuth Rilling and former associate dean of the University of Oregon School of Music, Royce Saltzman. In addition to traditional choral-orchestral masterworks, the Festival also presents internationally renowned guest artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Midori, Pink Martini and Joshua Bell, and offers educational opportunities, programming for children and families, and community events.
University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon’s flagship public university. The UO School of Music and Dance presents more than 250 concerts and events during the academic year featuring scholars, guest artists, faculty artists and student ensembles. The incredible wealth of concert material ranges from contemporary dance to African dance, early and classical music to contemporary music, world music, and jazz.