Early Music Vancouver Announces 2024 “Bach Untamed” Festival

Early Music Vancouver (EMV) has unveiled its 2024 summer festival “Bach Untamed.”

“We are thrilled to offer audiences an adventurous program of some of Bach’s signature works, but with a twist,” said Suzie LeBlanc, EMV’s Artistic and Executive Director. “From traditional compositions reworked for unique instruments, such as the mandolin and oud, to the introduction of vocal improvisation, inspired by Bach’s own practice of instrumental improvisation, ‘“Bach Untamed” invites listeners to seek new perspectives on Bach’s well-known and beloved classics.

Here’s a preview of the vocal performances on offer.

Jazz singer Shruti Ramani and tenor Charles Daniel mix and blend musical styles in “Vocal Landscapes of India and Italy.”

Date of performance: July 30, 2024

Monteverdi’s “Vespers of 1610” is presented at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

Date of performance: August 1, 2024

Three tenors take on “Banned from the Concert Hall: A Comedy Night.” The program focuses on 17th-century drinking songs.

Date of performance: August 2, 2024

“Bach Motets: Vanish! Spirits of Gloom” will feature a program of motets by Bach and his predecessors. Also on the program will be a series of ornamentations of classical Indian and Middle Eastern styles juxtaposed by Shruti Ramani and Haitham Hadar.

Date of performance: August 6, 2024

Baritone Hans Grunwald headlines “EMV: The Next Generation – A Tribute to Music,” which features a wide repertoire.

Date of performance: August 8, 2024