Advancing the spirit of community
Dedicated to rigorous scholarship and performance that inspires, Bach Akademie Charlotte's mission is to advance the spirit of community through the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach’s transformational music. A “Bach Akademie” is a German term, and indeed a tradition, for a collection of musical events and other activities focused on the study of Bach and his influence in both his time and ours. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the timeless insight into the shared human experience that Bach’s music offers, and our vision is to help build a world in which everyone has access to it.
Scott Allen Jarrett, one of the nation's foremost Bach teachers and interpreters, leads a professional chorus and orchestra that feature some of the finest Baroque and Historically-Informed Performance Practice musicians in the world.
Education is central to everything we do. We provide dedicated programs for trained classical singers and undergraduate vocal students, as well as opportunities for adults (and soon, youth), to learn more about how Bach's music works, and what continues to make it relevant today.
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685–1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer and musician of the late Baroque period, produced over 1,100 pieces of music in his lifetime, a legacy that continues to inspire musicians and audiences around the globe today.
Bach’s music represents the highest achievement of Western culture. What makes his music vital today, though, is neither his compositional virtuosity nor his voluminous output. Rather, it is his ability to communicate essential truths that can be understood regardless of one’s background, beliefs, or musical knowledge.
Bach composed his music to the glory of God, but he speaks to the essence of what it means to be human. From the depths of utter despair to the heights of ineffable joy—and everywhere in between—Bach’s music is emotionally clarifying. And so, while his music comes from a specific time and place, it continues to have meaning for us today.
This annual competition brings together exceptional student and adult musicians from across the Carolinas in a day of adjudication, educational opportunities, college counseling, and campus tours — a unique and transformative experience for young musicians and their families.
