Bach is like an astronomer who, with the help of ciphers, finds the most wonderful stars.
- Friederick Chopin
When Salgo retired in 1991, Bruno Weil was named the Music Director and Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival. During his years with the Festival, Maestro Weil has advanced the Festival’s reputation for excellence by expanding repertoire and introducing exciting new artists.
Today, the Festival enters another exciting season under the strong leadership of Managing Director Jesse Read. Read has been with the Carmel Bach Festival as a performer for 27 years and looks forward to working with Maestro Bruno Weil, Associate Conductor Dr. Andrew Megill, Orchestra Concertmaster Elizabeth Wallfisch and Education Director David Gordon to grow the Festival and add new programs.
Each year the Carmel Bach Festival provides attendees with the opportunity to enjoy three weeks of performances by international artists, encompassing concerts, recitals, master classes, lectures, symposia and educational and outreach programs
The Carmel Bach Festival began in 1935 as a three-day festival of concerts at the Sunset School Auditorium and the Carmel Mission Basilica. Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous founded the Festival. Both women were musical producers, owners of the influential Dene-Watrous Gallery and well-known for their efforts in enhancing the cultural life of the Monterey Peninsula.
From the beginning, the founders declared their intention to produce an annual event – a goal that they achieved with the exception of a three-year gap during World War II. The 1930s were not a time when grants and government sponsorship of the arts was commonplace, therefore, Denny and Watrous made up the financial shortfalls of the Festival. In doing so they began a tradition of private financial support that has sustained the Festival to this day and helped it grow.
The first Festival began with Ernst Bacon as guest conductor. In 1938, Gastone Usigli was named conductor, leading the Festival until his death in 1956. Dene Denny chose the next conductor, a young man named Sandor Salgo. Under Salgo’s 36-year leadership the largely amateur Festival became professional and nationally recognized. Salgo’s long tenure as a Stanford University professor created a link between musical sponsorship and the emerging study of historical performance practices and a rediscovery of Baroque music.
To celebrate the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, his contemporaries and musical heirs.