Did you miss Before Bach's Birthday Bash on Saturday with ‘Pipedreams’ host Michael Barone? This year's celebration included five free hourlong concerts at venues in St. Paul. Watch the first concert now!
Bach's birthday comes around every year on March 21. The occasion calls for a celebration of this most remarkable of musical talents, and Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Barone (host of Pipedreams) decided that Johann Sebastian Bach deserved something special. A number of years ago, he and colleagues from the Twin Cities chapter of the American Guild of Organists arranged a Bach's Birthday Bash, and the idea blossomed.
When Bach's birthday doesn't fall on a Saturday, such as this year, the celebration is held early and becomes Before Bach's Birthday Bash. The event has become something of a local tradition, with enthusiasts from all parts of the state participating or just listening.
This year's activities featured five free hourlong public concerts of Bach's music, presented at five venues and churches in St. Paul during the morning and afternoon of Saturday, March 16.
Co-sponsors included the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and YourClassical MPR.
9 a.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (700 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul): The first concert was aired live by YourClassical MPR. You can watch it now using the player above. Performers include organists Nils Halker, Timothy Strand and Samuel Backman; pianists Koki Sato, Ines Guanchez and Osip Nikiforov; violinists Brenda and David Mickens; and cellist Charles Asch.
Other concerts followed in St. Paul:
10:30-11:30 a.m. at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church (1900 Stanford Ave., St. Paul): Performers included organists Catherine Rodland, Stacie Lightner and Wolfgang Rübsam; violinist Charlotte Yan Ming Lee; and flutist Donna Hryniewicki.
1-2 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church (60 Kent St., St. Paul): Performers included organists Richard Gray, Emily Roth and Bill Wilson; pianist Sehee Jeong; soprano Katie Boardman; and trombonist Zachariah Mandell.
2:30-3:30 p.m. at Unity Unitarian Church (733 Portland Ave. St. Paul): Performers included organists Mark Overman, David Jenkins and Thomas Ferry; and pianists Rouchen Xi and Ruizhi Gabrielle Wang.
4-5 p.m. at House Hope Presbyterian Church (797 Summit Ave., St. Paul): Performers included organists Michael Barone, Kathrine Handford and Ju Young Lee; and pianist Hyein Choi.
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