The Arts

BACH FESTIVAL

Every July, Grace welcomes Bach lovers to its historic church. The Washington Post noted that “…set quietly back from Wisconsin Avenue and a hairbreadth from the Potomac…the church offers one of Washington’s supreme concert series, its annual Bach Festival.” The festival was created in 1993 as a way to share, through a series of innovative and integrated programs, the incomparable music of J.S. Bach as well as compositions by his contemporaries and those he influenced. The acoustics of Grace Church are well suited to chamber ensembles, and the A. David Moore Organ (1981) is a fine partner for performances of the music of Bach and his contemporaries. Organist/choirmaster Francine Maté has directed the festival since 2000.

Saturday, July 17 at 7:30 pm

Grace Church Organist/Choirmaster and Director of the Bach Festival at Grace Church, Dr. Francine Maté, performs works by JS Bach, Nicolaus Bruhns, and Dieterich Buxtehude on the Grace Church A. David Moore organ. The program concludes with the famous JS Bach Toccata and Fugue in d minor, BWV 565.

Our grounds and gardens continue to bloom thanks to the hundreds of volunteer hours provided by Grace parishioners and friends

 

Sunday, July 18 at 1:30 pm 

Organist Dr. Michał Szostak plays works by JS Bach and Dieterich Buxtehude on various organs in Europe including Saint-Eustache, Paris, France, and Legnica, Poland.

Friday, July 23 at 7:30 pm

Organist Salvatore Pronestì presents a program of his improvisations titled “An Italian Concert Organist/Organ Builder from Leipzig to Atlantic City: Improvisations from Both Sides of the Pond.”

Saturday, July 24 at 7:30 pm

Shaughn Dowd and Martha Molinaro, flutes, Erika Sato, violin, Grace Molinaro, cello, and Larry Molinaro, harpsichord perform a program featuring trio sonatas by Quantz and J.S. Bach as well as Bach’s sublime Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034 for flute and continuo.

Sunday, July 25 at 1:30 pm

Organist Michael Koenig performs an all JS Bach recital on the St. George’s Hannover Square, London, England, American organ built by Richards, Fowkes, & Co.

Friday, July 30 at 7:30 pm

Soo Young Chrisfield, soprano, Regino Madrid, violin, Fatma Daglar, oboe d’amore, Charlie Powers, cello, and Larry Molinaro, harpsichord, perform movements from Bach cantata, BWV 210, and organ music performed by Larry Molinaro on the Grace Church A. David Moore Organ.

27th Grace Church “Virtual” Bach Festival

This year, Grace Church will once again welcome all music lovers to enjoy performances of some of the greatest music ever written in its first Virtual Bach Festival.  All concerts will be streamed via video links and the links to each concert will be first available at the time specified in the schedule below. Following the initial release, each concert will be available for later viewing.  All times are US Eastern Daylight Time.

Music on the Lawn

Grace Church offers concerts on the lawn on Thursdays in September, from 6 to 7:30 pm, and two or three times a year after a Sunday service. It is expected to return in 2022.

Arts & Literature Club

This group organizes outings to various cultural events, including concerts at the National Cathedral, plays and movies of interest, and other performances. Often a shared meal and conversation follow the principal event. Contact the Arts and Literature Club leader: arts@gracedc.org.