One Festival. Four Days. Unforgettable Music.
May 8-11, 2025
Revel in the joy of Bach at the 117th Bethlehem Bach Festival this May! Our new one-weekend celebration will feature captivating performances throughout picturesque Lehigh University and Historic Bethlehem. Hear renowned violinist Rachell Ellen Wong, explore musical worlds with our new Outside the Bachs series, or experience the timeless splendor of Bach’s Mass in B Minor. The Bethlehem Bach Festival – where music comes alive!
A New Festival Format!
We are thrilled to launch our new Festival experience, now transformed into one unforgettable four-day weekend. This year’s programming kicks off on Thursday, and the music continues Friday and Saturday with our traditional lineup. Celebrations conclude on Sunday in the heart of the newly inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site across the grounds of the Moravian Church Settlements – Bethlehem. Join us for this special immersive musical experience as we celebrate Bach’s music and influence, renew old friendships, and forge new bonds.
Click Below for Our 2025 Festival Handbook!
Shuttle schedules, parking info, and more!
New Programming
This year marks the launch of our innovative Outside the Bachs series, featuring flamenco dancer Fanny Ara, guitarist William Coulter, and violinist Edwin Huizinga of Fire & Grace. Blending classical, folk, and contemporary traditions, this interdisciplinary program explores Bach’s legacy through bold, unexpected lenses. For those seeking deeper insight into Bach’s sacred music, Dr. Daniel R. Melamed offers our new Cantata in Context program – a guided journey through Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, exploring its layered meanings through repeated performance and discussion.
Festival Favorites
At the heart of the Festival, the beloved Mass in B Minor anchors Saturday afternoon’s performance at Packer Memorial Church – a tradition spanning more than a century. Join Festival Artist-in-Residence Rachell Ellen Wong and concert master Elizabeth Field on Friday afternoon in a journey into the world of virtuosic string playing at the acoustically exquisite Incarnation of Our Lord Church for Bach at 4. Immerse yourself in the exceptional power of the Bach Festival Orchestra, the Bach Choir, soloists, and the Artist-in-Residence as they join forces for Bach at 8 on Friday evening. End your weekend on a high note with Chamber Music in the Saal Saturday morning with a delightful concert featuring Andrew Gonzalez playing the rare violoncello da spalla.
Artist-in-Residence
Recipient of a prestigious 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant – the only baroque artist in the respected program’s history – and Grand Prize winner of the inaugural Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, violinist Rachell Ellen Wong is a star on both the modern and historical performance violin stages. She is a sought-after collaborator, and her reputation as one of the top historical performers of her generation has resulted in appearances with such respected ensembles as The Academy of Ancient Music, Bach Collegium Japan, Les Arts Florissants, and others. In 2020, she made her conducting debut leading Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the Seattle Symphony. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Rachell performs on a baroque violin from the school of Joachim Tielke, and on a modern violin by Carlo de March. For more information, please visit www.rachellwong.com.
Soloists
Returning Festival favorites include tenor Dann Coakwell, celebrated for his role as Evangelist on our St. Matthew Passion recording, mezzo-soprano Meg Bragle, and soprano Sherezade Panthaki. We also welcome bass-baritone Jonathan Woody in his Festival debut.
Join in at Home!
With grateful hearts, the Choir has offered Bach’s magnificent Mass in B Minor for more than a century. Now, wherever you are in the world, you can experience this treasured tradition through our livestream. Gather with friends and family at home and feel transported by the timeless beauty of Bach’s monumental masterpiece. Purchase your streaming pass today and join our global community in celebrating this extraordinary musical journey.
