St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble to perform Bach's Brandenburg Concertos at Fairfield University Quick Center | Press Releases

Image: St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble The magnificently buoyant Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach will be performed by St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble just in time for the holidays on Friday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m. in Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. A pre-concert "Art to Heart" discussion with Howard Kissell, theater critic for the Daily News, will take place at 7 p.m.

The first of St. Luke's three concerts scheduled at the Quick Center, this show is appropriate for the whole family, said Deborah Sommers, director of programming at the Quick Center. "There's a misconception that this music is for an elite crowd, knowledgeable in classical music - not true." She explained, "When this music was written it was the composer's version of popular music and, therefore, these songs were meant to be listened to and celebrated by everyone."

The six Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051, which will be performed as a set, have immortalized the name of Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg to whom Bach sent his lavishly beautiful presentation manuscript containing these six splendid concertos.

The Chamber Ensemble, a division of the Orchestra of St. Luke's, is acclaimed worldwide for its mastery of a diverse repertoire spanning the Baroque to the contemporary and its musicians are renowned for their creative energy and adventurous programming. The Chamber Ensemble currently consists of 21 virtuoso artists who perform both nationally and abroad, including an annual subscription series at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and the Brooklyn Museum of Arts.

St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble was formed in 1974 when a group of 20 musicians offered a season of concerts at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in Greenwich Village. Their early programs, which included chamber works, music for chamber orchestra, chamber operas and premiere performances of works by leading American composers, reflected the versatility and cohesiveness which have become St. Luke's hallmark.

Tickets to the concert are $30 with discounts available for seniors, students and groups. For tickets or information, call the Quick Center Box Office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396 or visit us at the website www.quickcenter.com.