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Leipzig Bach Festival - music by the Bach family and their Baroque contemporaries
8
days
from
£4,930
Book today with a deposit from
£740
9th - 16th June 2027
Tour highlights
- Top category tickets for twelve concerts.
- Artists from around the world including some of the leading specialists in Bach and the Baroque: the Freiburger Barockorchester led by Sir Simon Rattle, the Thomanerchor Leipzig, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra led by Ton Koopman, Angela Hewitt, Kristian Bezuidenhout and the English Baroque Soloists (with Monteverdi Choir) all appear.
- 2027 marks the 300th anniversary of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, with the option to hear this work twice.
- Concert venues include the Thomaskirche and Nikolaikirche, the churches where J.S. Bach was director of music.
- Centrally-located hotel within easy walking distance of the concerts and restaurants.
- Guided walks to explore the architecture and musical heritage of this historic and lively city.
Over 80 members of the Bach family are listed in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. For two centuries the Bachs, Johann Sebastian among them, plied their trade in the employ of courts, churches and free cities in Thuringia and Saxony. Though geographically in the heart of Germany, these places were not among the major political or cultural centres of Europe. And their location on the other side of the Iron Curtain in the later 20th century enveloped them further in obscurity.
There was no star system in the Bachs’ time; genius was an alien concept. The tradition the family worked in was one of sheer dogged professionalism, with ability generally recognised and rewarded. Really exceptional once-in-a-century talent was beyond the comprehension of the city burgers, however; Johann Sebastian was the third choice for the post of Cantor at St Thomas’s Church in Leipzig, and for the remainder of his life he was constantly chafing against the indifference and high-handedness of his employers.
The Bachfest Leipzig has become established as one of the major items in the calendar of European festivals. The venues most used are the parish church of St Thomas (the Thomaskirche), which was Bach’s principal auditorium during the 27 years when he was effectively the city’s director of music, and the Nikolaikirche, another church for which he had responsibility. There are concerts also in the University Church, the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), and in the Evangelical Reformed Church.
Leipzig is now, again, a handsome and lively city, following an almost miraculous transformation during the 1990s and beyond. Cleaning, restoration and rebuilding went hand in hand with the emergence of cafés, smart shops and good restaurants. Located at the heart of this ancient trading city is the large market place and the renaissance Town Hall, and around is a beguiling network of alleys, courtyards and arcades.
Guided walks investigate this heritage and the musical history of the city, which encompasses not only the Bach family but also Telemann, Robert and Clara Schumann, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Mahler and Kurt Masur. There is time also to enjoy the excellent museums – the Fine Arts Museum in spectacular new premises, the radically refurbished Museum of Musical Instruments, or the rejuvenated Bach Museum.
Itinerary
Fly from London Heathrow to Berlin at c. 11.15am (British Airways) with onward travel to Leipzig (c. 3 hours) by private coach. Time to settle into the hotel before dinner in the hotel restaurant.
The morning talk is followed by a walk with a local guide to introduce the layout and main buildings of Leipzig’s historic centre. Late-afternoon concert at the Thomaskirche with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Andreas Reize (conductor), Johannes Lang (organist), Samantha Gaul (soprano), Sarah Romberger (soprano), Matthias Stier (tenor), Andreas Wolf (bass): Mozart, Mass in C minor, K. 427, and other works. Dinner and evening concert at the Nikolaikirche with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman (conductor), Julia Lezhneva (soprano): J. S. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047; Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202; Overture in C major, BWV 1066; Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51.
Morning concert at the Thomaskirche with the Ottawa Bach Choir, Barockorchester Leipzig, Lisette Canton (conductor), soloists to be confirmed: J. S. Bach, O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118.1; Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21.3. Lunch is followed by an afternoon recital at the Gewandhaus with Angela Hewitt (piano): J. S. Bach, Partita in B-flat major, BWV 825.2; Partita in C minor, BWV 826.2; Partita in D major, BWV 828.2. Free evening or optional evening concert at the Gewandhaus with the MDR Rundfunkchor, Opera Fuoco Orchestra, David Stern (conductor), soloists to be confirmed: J. S. Bach, St Matthew Passion, BWV 244, arrangement by F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1841).
Morning recital at the Gewandhaus with Angela Hewitt (piano): J. S. Bach, Partita in A minor, BWV 827.2; Partita in G major, BWV 829.2; Partita in E minor, BWV 830.2. After an independent lunch, a guided tour of the excellent museum at the Bach Archive. Early dinner is followed by an evening concert at the Thomaskirche with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Ton Koopman (conductor), Sophie Junker (soprano), Maarten Engeltjes (alto), Tilman Lichdi (tenor), Klaus Mertens (bass): G. F. Handel, Messiah, HWV 56.
Morning recital at the Gewandhaus with Yulianna Avdeeva (piano): J. S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 846–869. Free afternoon. Try Mendelssohn’s Apartment or the Old Town Hall Museum. Dinner and evening concert at the Thomaskirche with the Zürcher Sing-Akademie, ThomanerNachwuchsChor, Freiburger Barockorchester, Sir Simon Rattle (conductor), Roderick Williams (bass), Reinoud Van Mechelen (tenor), Miriam Feuersinger (soprano), Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano), Tomáš Král (bass): J. S. Bach, St Matthew Passion, BWV 244.2. Optional late-evening recital at the Federal Administrative Court with Kristian Bezuidenhout (harpsichord): works by J. S. Bach.
Morning concert at the University Church with the Bach Collegium Barcelona, Pau Jorquera (conductor), soloists to be confirmed: J. S. Bach, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225; Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42; Mass in G minor, BWV 235. Free afternoon or an optional late-afternoon concert at the Thomaskirche with the Morioka Bach Cantata Verein, Pauliner Barockensemble, David Timm (conductor), soloists to be confirmed: J. S. Bach, Es ist dir gesagt, Mensch, was gut ist, BWV 45; Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187. Evening recital for all at the University Church with Xiao-Mei Zhu (piano): J. S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
Morning guided tour of the Grassi Museum of Musical Instruments, one of the most important collections in the world. You may wish to stay on for the Grassi Museum of Applied Arts or visit the Museum of Fine Arts. Late-afternoon recital at the University Church with Kristian Bezuidenhout (harpsichord): works by J. S. Bach. Final dinner before an evening concert at the Nikolaikirche with the Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Jonathan Sells (conductor), soloists to be confirmed: F. Tunder, An Wasserflüssen Babylon; J. S. Bach, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150; D. Buxtehude, Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, BuxWV 62; Alles, was ihr tut mit Worten und mit Werken, BuxWV 4; Jesu, meine Freude, BuxWV 60; Befiehl dem Engel, dass er komm, BuxWV 10; J. C. Schiefferdecker, Glück zu euren Hochzeitsherzen; J. S. Bach, Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227.
Drive from Leipzig to Berlin Airport and fly to London Heathrow, arriving late afternoon.
Expert speaker
Professor John Butt OBE
Lecturer, writer and musician, specialising in historical performance. Professor of Music at Glasgow University, director of the Dunedin Consort, and guest-conductor with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment among others. He was awarded the OBE in 2013.
More tours led by Professor John Butt OBE
Practicalities
Two sharing: £5,260 or £4,930 without flights. Single occupancy: £6,080 or £5,750 without flights.
Top category tickets for twelve concerts; private coach for airport transfers; accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 5 dinners and 1 lunch (with drinks); museum admissions; tips; taxes; lecturer, tour manager and local guide.
Music: tickets to be confirmed autumn 2026.
Steigenberger Grandhotel Handelshof: A 5-star hotel in a converted former exhibition building, located in a pedestranised area, and no more than 15–20 minutes on foot from the venues. Rooms are decorated in a contemporary style and are equipped to a high standard. Single rooms are doubles for sole use.
Three optional concert: £225 supplement per person.
Walking is the only practical way of getting around the largely pedestrianised centre of Leipzig. Most walks will be less than 20 minutes.
Between 10 and 24 participants.
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website and Travel Health Pro to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
Dates & prices
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2027
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
9th - 16th June 2027
Speaker:
Professor John Butt OBE
Price:
from £4,930
(Based on two sharing)Testimonials
“Absolute perfection! This was the experience of a lifetime.
”
“Excellent does not convey what a fantastic immersive experience this was.
”
“The group was exceptionally privileged to have John Butt as lecturer. None could have been more knowledgeable and amiable. A most memorable experience for us.
”
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