Carmel Bach Festival Appoints Dr. Andrew Megill as New Associate Conductor/Director of Choral Activities and Celebrates 70th Anniversary Season

Carmel Bach Festival Appoints Dr. Andrew Megill as New Associate Conductor/Director of Choral Activities and Celebrates 70th Anniversary Season

Carmel, Calif., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Carmel Bach Festival is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Andrew Megill to the position of Associate Conductor, with responsibilities for leading the Carmel Bach Festival Chorale, and overseeing choral performances for the Bach Festival. Mr. Megill will join Vocal Coordinator and Education Director David Gordon and John Koza, Chorus and Youth Chorus Director and together they will continue to develop the outstanding vocal ensembles for the Festival.

Andrew Megill has had an outstanding career as a choral conductor, including serving as the Conductor for Fuma Sacra since 1989, a professional vocal ensemble specializing in Renaissance and Baroque choral music. Highlights of the group's history include three recordings, a 1990 European debut at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy (and later performing the first mass sung under the newly restored Filippo Lippi frescoes in the Spoleto Cathedral), performances at the Connecticut Early Music Festival, a recording of American music for European broadcast by the BBC, American and regional premieres of significant new music (by such composers as Peter Maxwell Davies, Robert Heppner, Joanne Metcalfe, Arvo Part, Steven Stuckey, Augusta Read Thomas, and Jon Zehnal), and modern premieres of older music (by Guerrero, Isaac, Pachelbel, Telemann, and Zelenka). Fuma Sacra is acclaimed as "one of the country's premiere ensembles specializing in early vocal music." [Classical New Jersey]

Dr. Megill, as choral conductor for the Spoleto Festival, has had a distinguished record of preparation of choruses for a long list of well-known conductors, including Jules Rudel, Richard Bradshaw, Joseph Flummerfelt, Dennis Russel Davies, Zdenek Macal, Rafael Frubeck de Burgos, Pierre Boulez, Neeme Jarvi, Charles Dutoit and Kurt Masur.

Dr. Megill received training at the Westminster Choir College, America's pre-eminent choral training institution where he now holds a post as Professor of Choral Conducting. Dr. Megill's repertoire is wide-ranging, with special emphasis on the great choral works of the Baroque, and the cantatas and passions of J.S. Bach. When asked about joining the artistic staff of the Festival Dr. Megill said, "I am thrilled at the opportunity to become a part of the Carmel Bach Festival family. I look forward to working with the outstanding cast of the Festival Orchestra, Chorale and Chorus, and hope to contribute to the tradition of music making in Carmel that reaches beyond the footlights to inspire and touch the listeners. To conduct the music of our greatest composers, including J.S. Bach of course, in such a magnificent physical setting is a dream come true."

The Carmel Bach Festival is currently preparing for its 70th Anniversary Festival, July 14 - August 4th. This summer, patrons will again have the opportunity to experience the pageantry, mastery and traditions that make the Carmel Bach Festival an unparalleled musical experience. Patrons can anticipate an exciting, celebratory and varied program.

Maestro Bruno Weil begins the Main Concert Series of the 70th Carmel Bach Festival with a Saturday program of "Glorious Bach" with cantatas, the brilliant Orchestral Suite #4, the Concerto for Harpsichord in A Major and the Collage on BACH by Arvo Part. The monumental and moving St. Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach will be performed on Sundays conducted by Maestro Bruno Weil. Libby Wallfisch will lead the company on Monday evenings with a presentation of the music of the Bach family and friends including concertos for horn and violin as well as the Canary Cantata by Telemann. She will be joined by mezzo- soprano Sally-Anne Russell.

On Tuesdays, following the amazing success of last season's "Aha ... Mozart", Maestro Bruno Weil and David Gordon will once again lead us through an interactive evening this year focusing on the life and music of J.S. Bach.

The Wednesday Mission series will be a masterpiece program of choral works in the glorious tradition of the "Founder's Memorial Concerts" conducted by Dr. Andrew Megill. Dr. Andrew Megill will also conduct the Thursday concert featuring the Festival chorale and chamber orchestra performing music written in 1707 by three genius composers of the Baroque, Bach, Handel and Scarlatti.

On Fridays, Maestro Bruno Weil will lead the audience on a classical adventure with symphonies of Bach's son Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, Haydn and Beethoven's most infectious and humorous Symphony No.8 in F Major.

In addition to the Main Concert Series the Carmel Bach Festival will again present a series of afternoon intermezzo recitals, foyer concerts, twilight concerts, open rehearsals, panel discussions, pre-concert talks, free family concerts, and special events that allow patrons to explore and discover the diverse music of the Baroque period.

The Carmel Bach Festival has brought the music of the Baroque to the communities of the Monterey Peninsula since 1935. The Festival is a 23 day celebration of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, his contemporaries, and musical heirs. The Festival offers its brilliant musical experience to new audiences through performances by international artists, a unique and stimulating slate of concerts, recitals, public master classes, instrumental and vocal music, lectures, informal talks as well as educational and family events.

For additional information please call 831-624-2046 or visit our website: http://www.bachfestival.org/

Contact: Jesse Read, Managing Director
jesse@bachfestival.org
Tel: 831-624-1521

Source: The Carmel Bach Festival

CONTACT: Jesse Read, Managing Director of The Carmel Bach Festival,
jesse@bachfestival.org, +1-831-624-1521

Web site: http://www.bachfestival.org/

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