Up-coming: ABS Festival & Academy

American Bach Soloists begins its 6th summer Festival & Academy this Friday, running August 7th to 16th, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The festival presents ABS musicians, guest artists & students in performances, master classes & lectures. Many of the events are free. This year's theme is “Versailles & The Parisian Baroque,” & the festival opens with a 2-concert survey of French music, including Jean-Féry Rebel's ballet music for Les Élémens, which depicts the emergence of order out of chaos. Vocal works by André Campra & Quirinus van Blankenburg feature in the 2nd evening.

A 2-day Baroque Marathon, August 10th & 11th, includes French motets & chamber music by Zelenka, Telemann & others of the German Baroque. There will be plenty of Bach vocal works too, & a complete performance of cantata BWV 131, Aus der Tiefen ruf ich, Herr, zu dir. The Distinguished Artist Series concert spotlights Baroque trumpeter John Thiessen in a program of Italian & English works, along with soprano Kathryn Mueller.

The festival is proudly touting their concert version of Marin Marais’s 1709 opera of Sémélé as the 1st complete performance outside of Europe. Demand for tickets was so high that an additional performance has been added for August 13th. We also get the traditional 2 performances of Bach's Mass in B Minor, which are frequent sell-outs as well.

§ American Bach Soloists Festival & Academy
Versailles & The Parisian Baroque
August 7 - 16, 2015
San Francisco Conservatory of Music

§ Festival Website | Schedule | Tickets

§ 2015 ABS Summer Festival at a Glance
August  7, 5:00 pm | Opening Night Gala Dinner: Dobbs Ferry of San Francisco
August  7, 8:00 pm | Versailles & The Parisian Baroque - Part I
August  8, 2:30 pm | Public Colloquium - "The Culture of Versailles" (FREE)
August  8, 8:00 pm | Versailles & The Parisian Baroque - Part II
August  9, 7:00 pm | Bach's Mass in B Minor
August 10, 3:00 pm | Academy-in-Action "Baroque Marathon" Concert I
August 10, 8:00 pm | Academy-in-Action "Baroque Marathon" Concert II
August 11, 3:00 pm | Master Class: Harpsichord (FREE)
August 11, 5:00 pm | Lecture: Kenneth Slowik (FREE)
August 11, 8:00 pm | Academy-in-Action "Baroque Marathon" Concert III
August 12, 3:00 pm | Master Class: Violin & Viola (FREE)
August 12, 5:00 pm | Lecture: Robert Mealy (FREE)
August 13, 3:00 pm | Master Class: Violoncello, Viola da gamba, Violone, Contrabass (FREE)
August 13, 5:00 pm | Lecture: Corey Jamason (FREE)
August 13, 8:00 pm | Marais's Sémélé (Added performance)
August 14, 3:00 pm | Master Class: Winds & Brass (FREE)
August 14, 5:00 pm | Lecture: Judith Malafronte (FREE)
August 14, 8:00 pm | Marais's Sémélé
August 15, 3:00 pm | Master Class: Voice  (FREE)
August 15, 5:00 pm | Lecture: Debra Nagy (FREE)
August 15, 8:00 pm | Distinguished Artist: John Thiessen, Baroque trumpet
August 16, 2:00 pm | Bach's Mass in B Minor