{"id":124278,"date":"2026-05-14T11:55:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T15:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=124278"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:55:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T15:55:24","slug":"interview-artistic-director-john-abberger-takes-us-toronto-bach-festival-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/05\/14\/interview-artistic-director-john-abberger-takes-us-toronto-bach-festival-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Artistic Director John Abberger Takes Us Through Toronto Bach Festival 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_124281\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-124281\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-124281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T115351.754.jpg\" alt=\"L: Toronto Bach Festival Artistic Director John Abberger; Composer J.S. Bach (Public domain) \" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T115351.754.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T115351.754-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T115351.754-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T115351.754-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-124281\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L: Toronto Bach Festival Artistic Director John Abberger; Composer J.S. Bach (Public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This year\u2019s Toronto Bach Festival features four concerts and a lecture in a celebration of the iconic Baroque composer. It takes place from May 22 to 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs Beethoven famously said, the profound beauty of Bach\u2019s music is an inexhaustible source that we return to again and again. Particularly when the world around us seems out of control, the calm order of his art can be a solace to us, enriching our lives,\u201d says Artistic Director John Abberger in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis year we will hear some of Bach\u2019s most well-known and indelible works alongside some of his lesser known but equally moving creations. From familiar classics to new discoveries, I invite you to join us in experiencing the breadth and depth of Bach\u2019s deeply moving art. Our record audience numbers last year prove that there continues to be an eager and growing appetite for our festival. I look forward to welcoming you to our concerts, and invite you to join us on our journey exploring the profound beauty of this extraordinary composer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>LV caught up with Abberger to talk about this year\u2019s lineup.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xLygde-c42I?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>John Abberger: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI guess the guiding theme is chorale cantatas,\u201d Abberger says. \u201cIt&#8217;s not clear to me how much that term resonates [with] the public.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bach wrote a large body of hymns and chorales for use in liturgical service. \u201cBach was a very staunch Lutheran,\u201d he notes. Once he got to Leipzig in 1723, and was hired as Thomaskantor, church music director of the city of Leipzig, a position which made him responsible for the music of four city churches and the St. Thomas School, he produced about 45 pieces per year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe wrote a lot of new pieces when he got to Leipzig, and he recycled a lot of works.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of 1724, Bach composed a series of works based on Lutheran chorales. \u201cWe&#8217;ve chosen four cantatas from that set,\u201d John explains.<\/p>\n<p>They include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91<\/li>\n<li>Herr Jesu Christ, wahr\u2019 Mensch und Gott, BWV 127<\/li>\n<li>Wer nur den lieben Gott l\u00e4\u00dft walten, BWV 93<\/li>\n<li>Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They\u2019ll be featured in the closing concert of the Festival, Voices Lifted: Bach\u2019s Celebrated Cantatas, performed by Abberger as director, <strong>Sherezade Panthaki<\/strong> and <strong>Jane Fingler<\/strong>, sopranos, <strong>Nicholas Burns<\/strong> and <strong>Peter Koniers<\/strong>, altos, <strong>Asitha Tennekoon<\/strong> and <strong>William Salinas-Crosby<\/strong>, tenors, <strong>Stephen Hegedus<\/strong> and <strong>Martin Gomes<\/strong>, basses, along with <strong>The Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are extraordinary works,\u201d he says. \u201cIt&#8217;s so incredibly inventive how he takes material and refashions it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He mentions Cantata 140, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme. \u201cIt&#8217;s got this gorgeous opening movement which is based on the chorale text.\u201d The central movement features a setting for the tenor to sing in unision with the strings. Both the arias are duets. \u201cThey feature the soul and Jesus as the bridegroom. \u201cIt&#8217;s a beautifully constructed cantata, very symmetrical,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are a lot of cantatas throughout this. This is a really important part of Bach&#8217;s output.\u201d As he points out, many scholars consider them among Bach\u2019s most significant bodies of work, even though most concert programs in general focus on the composer\u2019s instrumental works. \u201cThey&#8217;re just as important,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe great thing about having a Bach festival, is that we get to perform a lot of Bach,\u201d he laughs. That includes both well and lesser known works. \u201c70% of people haven&#8217;t heard 70% of Bach&#8217;s music,\u201d he states.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere&#8217;s so much depth to his music, you can&#8217;t get tired of hearing about Bach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra performs the &#8220;Italian Concerto&#8221; in F Major for oboe and strings, after BWV 971: 1st movement:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sP6w8JB1FSA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Bach\u2019s Double Concertos<\/h3>\n<p>Partners in Brilliance: Bach\u2019s Double Concertos takes place on the Friday evening, featuring John Abberger, director and oboe, violinists <strong>Julia Wedman<\/strong>, <strong>Patricia Ahern<\/strong>, <strong>Cristina Zacharias<\/strong>, and <strong>Cristina Prats-Costa<\/strong>, harpsichordists <strong>Christopher Bagan<\/strong> and <strong>Louise Hung<\/strong>, and <strong>The Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Select Repertoire includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Brandenburg Concerto No. 11, Concerto for Oboe and Harpsichord, arranged by Haynes and Napper<\/li>\n<li>Concerto for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1061<\/li>\n<li>Concerto for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060<\/li>\n<li>Concerto for Two Violins, TWV 52:G2, by G.P. Telemann<\/li>\n<li>Concerto for Two Violins, BWV 1043<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cI think of it as its companion piece, the Concerto for Violin and Oboe\u201d Abberger says. \u201cWe&#8217;ve been exploring these extra Brandenburg concertos that were devised by <strong>Bruce and Susie Napper<\/strong>. They loved Bach so much that they decided there should be more concertos,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<p>That includes their Brandenburg Concerto No. 11, Concerto for Oboe and Harpsichord. \u201cIt&#8217;s based on a fragment [that Bach wrote],\u201d Abberger explains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI try to think of a great instrumental program; [&#8230;] our bigest seller is always the instrumental music,\u201d he says. Abberger points out that Bach\u2019s instrumental music is actually the smallest segment of his output; he composed much more vocal and keyboard music.<\/p>\n<h3>Organ Recital<\/h3>\n<p>The Festival\u2019s Organ Recital features <strong>John Oldengarm<\/strong>, and the magnificent Karl Wilhelm organ at St. Andrew\u2019s Presbyterian Church.<\/p>\n<p>Select Repertoire includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532<\/li>\n<li>Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565<\/li>\n<li>Select Chorales<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cHe&#8217;s going to be playing some of these chorale transcriptions,\u201d John notes. Bach created his Sch\u00fcbler Chorales, BWV 645\u2013650, a set of six pieces he intended to be performed on the organ. \u201cHe took these movements from cantatas,\u201d he explains, \u201cone is from a cantata that we don\u2019t have anymore. It\u2019s a fragment from history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oldengarm will also play Cantatas 140 and 193, along with a few others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have had good success with our organ recitals,\u201d Abberger notes. The venerable pipe organ is enjoying a new wave of interest in recent years. \u201cI&#8217;d like to think we&#8217;ve had a hand in that,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have always had organ recitals. I&#8217;m really glad that we are a part of this movement. It can be an unbelievably powerful experience,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;ve stuck with St. Andrews, which has a beautiful, beautiful organ.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kof--ie-TOo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Kaffeehaus Concerts<\/h3>\n<p>The popular Kaffeehaus concerts return, featuring Bach\u2019s music in an informal atmosphere that the composer himself would have enjoyed. The two performances feature <strong>R.H. Thomson<\/strong>, as Herr Zimmerman, proprietor of Bach\u2019s favourite coffee house, with performers <strong>Sherezade Panthaki<\/strong>, soprano, <strong>Nicholas Burns<\/strong>, alto, <strong>Asitha Tennekoon<\/strong>, tenor, <strong>Martin Gomes<\/strong>, bass, <strong>The Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra<\/strong>, and students from the <strong>Collegium Musicum<\/strong>, University of Toronto.<\/p>\n<p>The format puts Bach\u2019s secular music back into its original context \u2014outside the formal concert hall.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis has been from the very beginning one of my pet projects, to try and contextualize the secular vocal music, and the instrumental music.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The concerts take place in the Church of the Holy Trinity. \u201cI think it&#8217;s a really excellent space acoustically and atmospherically.\u201d He notes that, with its wood wainscotting, it somewhat resembles a traditional 18th century German coffee house. \u201cI think it&#8217;s an excellent space for that event,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll have the great R.H. Thomson embodying the great Gottfried Zimmerman,\u201d John adds. Audiences can expect a lighthearted mood, with a few gags along the way. \u201cHe&#8217;s very good at working in current events,\u201d he notes, all while maintaining a historical atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>The ensemble will be performing one of Bach\u2019s secular cantatas: Hercules at the Crossroads, BWV 213.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBach wrote a number of these pieces,\u201d Abberger says, noting that Bach also recycled some of the material into his Christmas Oratorio.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s fascinating to hear it with a different text and a different context.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The program will also include other instrumental pieces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImagine yourself in 18th century Leipzig with this cranky proprietor of the coffee house,\u201d Abberger says. Audiences have loved the Kaffeehaus format concerts. \u201cWe&#8217;ve seen a lot of good uptake from the public for that. That&#8217;s why we do it twice.\u201d The church seats about 200, and the same program will be performed for both time slots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe holy grail for classical music is attracting younger audiences. I&#8221;d love it if people drink too much and get rowdy,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n<h3>The Lecture<\/h3>\n<p>The Festival\u2019s Annual Public Lecture is titled The Most Ambitious Project of Bach\u2019s Life, his Cycle of Chorale Cantatas, presented by <strong>Michael Marissen<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Michael Marissen is a Canadian musicologist and is Daniel Underhill Professor Emeritus of Music at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He taught courses in early, Baroque and Classical European music, and has written several books on Bach\u2019s oeuvre.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;d say he&#8217;s certainly in the top ten \u2014 probably in the top five of Bach scholars,\u201d Abberger says. \u201cI&#8217;m really pleased that we&#8217;re going to have him back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lecture should be of interest to both Bach aficionados and those with only a casual relationship to his work, regardless of their educational background.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ve never met anyone who wasn&#8217;t moved by Bach&#8217;s music,\u201d Abberger says, \u201ceven if they&#8217;re not aware of all its depths. The more you explore Bach&#8217;s music, the more you get out of it,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe speaks to us as humans. The surface of it might be this religious overlay, but it&#8217;s about human emotions and the human condition. The same humanity is there,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#8217;s what I want people to experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra performs the aria &#8220;Schafe k\u00f6nnen sicher weiden&#8221;, popularly known as &#8220;Sheep may safely graze&#8221;, from Bach&#8217;s &#8220;Was mir behagt ist nur die muntre Jagd&#8221;, BWV 208 in 2023:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xt3DEuw0wjM?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>This year\u2019s Toronto Bach Festival is the ninth iteration. \u201cNext year will be 10th anniversary,\u201d Abberger says.<\/p>\n<p>Each year, audience numbers have grown. It\u2019s evidence of the Baroque master\u2019s universal appeal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo me, there&#8217;s no better time than listening to Bach&#8217;s music.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Festival Schedule<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Partners in Brilliance: Bach\u2019s Double Concertos<\/strong><br \/>\nFriday, May 22 | 8 p.m.<br \/>\nEastminster United Church (310 Danforth Avenue, north side)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Organ Recital<\/strong><br \/>\nJonathan Oldengarm, organ<br \/>\nSaturday, May 23 | Noon<br \/>\nSt. Andrew\u2019s Presbyterian Church (73 Simcoe Street)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kaffeehaus<\/strong><br \/>\nSaturday, May 23<br \/>\nTwo Performances: 4 p.m. &amp; 8 p.m.<br \/>\nChurch of the Holy Trinity (19 Trinity Sq, behind CF Toronto Eaton Centre)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Annual Public Lecture<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Most Ambitious Project of Bach\u2019s Life, his Cycle of Chorale Cantatas<br \/>\nSunday, May 24 | 12:30 p.m.<br \/>\nSpecial Public Event \u2014 Free to all Festival Pass Holders!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Voices Lifted: Bach\u2019s Celebrated Cantatas<\/strong><br \/>\nSunday, May 24 | 3:30 p.m.<br \/>\nEastminster United Church (310 Danforth Avenue, north side)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find tickets and other details [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.torontobachfestival.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a;\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? 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