May 7-10, 2026
The 118th Bethlehem Bach Festival is the culminating celebration of our season – a cherished homecoming that brings audiences together in the heart of historic Bethlehem. Continuing the new four-day Festival format we introduced last year, this expanded celebration marks the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding by honoring the Moravian musical heritage that helped shape the Bach Choir. With performances of music from the Moravian archives, insights from distinguished scholars, and collaborations with Moravian partners both in the Lehigh Valley and abroad, this year’s Festival invites us to reflect on where we came from and why it matters. With all beloved traditions – plus a few exciting new additions – this milestone Festival offers a powerful tribute to legacy, community, and the enduring joy of Bach.
SAT MAY 9
Ifor Jones Memorial Chamber Music Concert
10:30am
Location: Baker Hall, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University
The Musical Offering – One of the most remarkable stories in Bach’s life occurred in 1747, when, despite his declining health, he traveled to visit Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. The King, knowing of Bach’s legendary skills at improvisation, presented to Bach an infamous fugue theme and asked him to compose a three-part setting of the theme on the spot. Not only did Bach excel in that moment, he then took the theme home and created a monumental offering to Frederick, setting the theme in creative canons and various musical puzzles, culminating in a massive six-part fugue.
This tremendous display of compositional skill forms the backbone of our Ifor Jones concert. Joined by the period wind and brass musicians of SYNNET and the Bach Festival Orchestra, we explore this incredible masterwork and intersperse it with other instrumental gems of the Baroque era. Come witness Bach in one of his finest displays of genius.
The Bel Canto Youth Chorus
11:45am
Location: Lobby, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University
Talented Bel Canto Youth Chorus singers showcase season accomplishments for Festival audiences directly following the conclusion of the Ifor Jones concert.
Festival Luncheon
12:30pm
Location: Butz Lobby, Zoellner Arts Center
Gather with fellow music lovers for a midday pause filled with food and festival spirit. This Festival Luncheon offers a respite to reflect on the morning’s performances and meet up with friends old and new.
This event is sold out.
Chorale Sing
2pm
Location: Outside of Packer Memorial Church
Friends and choral enthusiasts gather outdoors near Packer Memorial Church to sing Bach chorales for 20 minutes with Conductor Christopher Jackson and members of the Bach Choir, accompanied by the Festival Brass Choir. Join us in this beloved tradition!
Mass in B Minor
Part 1 – 2:30pm | Part 2 – 4:30pm
Location: Packer Memorial Church
In performing a work that transcends time and place, the Bach Choir continues its century-long tradition offering Bach’s monumental Mass in B Minor. For some, it’s a cherished reunion with old friends and familiar faces; for others, it’s a first encounter with soul-stirring music that fills Packer Memorial Church with awe and wonder. Whether you come from across the street or across the ocean, we invite you to be a part of this extraordinary and time-honored experience.
Purchasers of the livestream will be available to the concert throughout May 2026.
Zimmerman’s Coffee House
7pm
Location: Peter Hall, Moravian University
The legendary Zimmermann’s Coffee House comes to life with an evening of Baroque chamber music inspired by the Leipzig cafe where Bach and his contemporaries once gathered. Set in the intimate Peter Hall with cafe-style seating, hear vibrant performances by talented young musicians chosen by audition in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Light refreshments will be available for sale.
SUN MAY 10
Moravian Lovefeast
9am
Location: Old Chapel, Church Street
The Moravian Lovefeast traces its origins to the Greek word “agape” in the early Christian Church. It was revived under the leadership of Count Zinzendorf, 18th century leader of the renewed Moravian Church, after a deeply moving service on August 13, 1727, in which members of the community felt the power of the Holy Spirit forging them into a common identity and purpose.
Lovefeast is a simple fellowship meal, often a bun and coffee (and gluten-free options), not a sacrament and intentionally welcomes everyone to join, while singing hymns based on the theme of the service. They celebrate special occasions in the life of the church or congregation. Often special music is shared while all eat together or conversations are encouraged.
Free event, no tickets required!
Chamber Music in the Saal
11am
Location: Saal of the Moravian Museum, Church Street
J.S. Bach wrote for the viola da gamba throughout his career, using the instrument’s unique sound to elevate moments in his cantatas and passions. But what music shaped Bach’s conception of the instruments? Viol virtuoso and music researcher Loren Ludwig offers a program of music that imagines how Bach might have heard the viol, including works by J.S. Bach, Carl Frederich Abel, Marin Marais, Georg Philipp Telemann, and more.
Moravian Lovefeast
11am
Location: Central Moravian Church, Church Street
The Moravian Lovefeast traces its origins to the Greek word “agape” in the early Christian Church. It was revived under the leadership of Count Zinzendorf, 18th century leader of the renewed Moravian Church, after a deeply moving service on August 13, 1727, in which members of the community felt the power of the Holy Spirit forging them into a common identity and purpose.
Lovefeast is a simple fellowship meal, often a bun and coffee (and gluten-free options), not a sacrament and intentionally welcomes everyone to join, while singing hymns based on the theme of the service. They celebrate special occasions in the life of the church or congregation. Often special music is shared while all eat together or conversations are encouraged.
Free event, no tickets required!
The Testament to Freedom
2:30pm
Location: Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks
In a landmark collaboration for America’s Semiquincentennial, two of the Lehigh Valley’s most storied musical institutions – the Allentown Band, under the direction of Ron Demkee, and the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, under the direction of Conductor Christopher Jackson, join forces for a powerful musical tribute to freedom, heritage, and service.
Featuring Randall Thompson’s stirring The Testament to Freedom, inspired by the words of Thomas Jefferson and other significant American texts, the program also includes selections from Bethlehem’s Moravian musical tradition – curated by the Moravian Music Foundation – which anchor the concert in the Lehigh Valley’s own rich musical legacy. Presented outdoors at the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks, this program invites audiences to rejoice in the music that gives voice to the American spirit as we close out our 118th Festival.
Free performance, no tickets required!
