The Bach Institute
Pamela Dellal, Director
Ryan Turner, Associate Director
The Bach Institute, with public events throughout each performance season, provides engagement with Bach’s music through presentations and participatory activities. We are creating and sharing a trove of resources specific to the varied interests of music professionals, amateurs, aficionados, and anyone curious about what Bach’s music may offer to today’s listeners.
January Intensive 2026: Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose - Bach's Parody Works
January 7-18, 2026
For the 2026 January Intensive of the Bach Institute, we will explore Bach's creative approach to his own compositions, specifically how he reworks material created in one context for new and sometimes startlingly different results. Bach's parody technique raises provocative questions about the message inherent in the music; is it intimately tied to the words, or does it speak its own truth? During our 12-day intensive, we will invite an auditioned group of young musicians for coaching sessions, lectures, masterclasses, and performances.
During our 12-day intensive, we will invite an auditioned group of young musicians for coaching sessions, lectures, masterclasses, and performances with our ensemble. Our living laboratory for Bach will be inspired by the master's own experiments; come hear the Bach remix!
Events
All listed events free and open to the public
Cantata Open Rehearsal
Saturday January 10 at 11:30am
Ryan Turner rehearses BWV 37 followed by a 1:00pm conversation where Ryan Turner and Pamela Dellal discuss BWV 37 (in person only)
Cantata BWV 37
Sunday January 11 at 10:00am
Cantata BWV 37, Ryan Turner conducting (in person and live streamed)
Speaker Presentation
Monday January 12 at 7:00pm
George Stauffer, distinguished Professor of Music History at Rutgers University, presents: Old Works, New Contexts: Bach’s Reimagining of His Own Music. (in person and live streamed)
Conversation
Wednesday January 14 at 7:00pm
Rev. Pamela Werntz and Pamela Dellal discuss parody texts and mistranslation (in person and live streamed)
Masterclass
Thursday January 15 at 7:00pm
A masterclass featuring the Bach Institute 2026 Fellows (in person and live streamed)
Cantata Open Rehearsal
Saturday January 17 at 11:30am
Ryan Turner rehearses BWV 236, Mass in G major followed by a 1:00pm conversation where Ryan Turner and Pamela Dellal discuss BWV 236 (in person only)
Cantata BWV 236
Sunday January 18 at 10:00am
Ryan Turner conducts BWV 236, featuring the Bach Institute 2026 Fellows (in person and live streamed)
Showcase Concert
Sunday January 18 at 7:00pm
A showcase concert featuring the Bach Institute 2026 Fellows
(in person and live streamed)
(in person and live streamed)
