History

Bach Week was founded in 1974 by Karel Paukert, then Associate Professor of Organ and Church Music at Northwestern University and Organist/Choirmaster at St. Luke's Episcopal Church.

Mr. Paukert's vision was to combine the choral resources available to him at St. Luke's with professional instrumentalists from the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera Orchestra, and Northwestern to perform the great choral and orchestral music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

Since the original performances in 1974, the festival has continued without interruption each May - the first year directed by Mr. Paukert, and successive years by Richard Webster.

From 1974 until 1982, the works of J. S. Bach were featured exclusively. Since 1982, works by other Baroque composers have been added selectively, particularly works by worthy but lesser-known composers not widely performed elsewhere.

The music of Bach still predominates and one critic called the Bach Week Festival "the most comprehensive celebration of Bach's music west of Leipzig." Artistic quality and public response have continued to develop throughout Bach Week's history. As a result, Bach Week has earned the reputation as one of the Midwest's most highly regarded and respected concert series.