Cal Poly’s annual Bach Week is devoted to the performance and exploration of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries.
This year, the event concludes with two concerts on January 23 and 24 organized by co-directors Scott Glysson and David Arrivée.
A Chamber Concert is scheduled Friday, January 23, and two performances of works by Bach and Handel are scheduled Saturday afternoon and evening, January 24. All performances are at the First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo.
On Friday, period instrument ensemble Tesserae Baroque will present the West Coast premiere of “Meera Kahe,” a new cantata by Reena Esmail, featuring Vijay Gupta on baroque violin, Christopher Matthews on baroque flute, Leif Woodward on baroque cello, Ian Pritchard on harpsichord, Ravindra Deo on tabla, and Hindustani vocalist Saili Oak.
Esmail’s cantata, which sets the iconic Hindi texts of 16th-century Indian saint-poet Mirabai, is coupled with music of the French Baroque including works by Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre and François Couperin.
During Saturday’s Finale concerts, members of Cal Poly’s Chamber Choir, Symphony and faculty will join guest artists to perform Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” (Part 1) and Handel’s monumental “Israel in Egypt.”
Tickets for each concert are $22 ($12 students), with special ticket pricing for both concerts at $40 ($20 for students).