Katonah, New York- On Friday, July 1st at 8 p.m. Caramoor presents the Private Bach, the first of a three part series devoted to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.  The series continues on Sunday, July 17th at 4:30 p.m. with the Religious Bach and closes on Sunday, August 7th at 4:30 p.m. with the Public Bach. The program features many of Bach's greatest masterpieces, including the Goldberg Variations, the B Minor Mass, and three of his most renowned chamber concertos in addition to the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5.

Michael Barrett, Chief Executive and General Director of Caramoor said, "In essence, Bach has left us three legacies in three different spheres - public, private, and religious. Bach brought his genius to serve the church, singers, instrumentalists, royalty, and his family and students. Perhaps this is one reason why his music remains such an important part of Western culture. It continues to inhabit the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and celebratory aspects of our lives."

Private - July 1
Of all Bach's works none is more private or personal than his Goldberg Variations.  The Aria and 33 variations were written on commission by Count Keyserlingk and performed by a house harpsichordist, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who was a student of Bach's. The difficulty of the Goldberg Variations indicates that Bach wrote it only for the most accomplished harpsichordists, which included Goldberg and himself. As such, the piece enjoyed little popularity during Bach's lifetime. This performance features the rarely heard transcription for string trio (by violinist Dmitri Sitkovetsky) performed by the Jacques Thibaud Trio. The Trio will also perform selections from Six Adagios and Fugues by Bach as arranged by W.A. Mozart.
 
Religious - July 17
Bach's profound spiritual conviction is the soul of his sacred works, and his genius has been called the perfect synthesis of music and theology.  Nowhere is this genius better expressed than in the supreme legacy of his craft, the Mass in B minor. The emergence of the Mass in B minor in the very last years of Bach's life is enigmatic. After composing hundreds of sacred works over many years, Bach had stopped writing religious music, yet, the Mass in B minor, completed in 1749, is considered to be one of the most reverent expressions of the church service. The program will feature the Orchestra of St. Luke's, conducted by George Steel, joined by Lisa Saffer, Jane Jennings, David Walker, Alan Bennett, Christòpheren Nomura and the Vox Vocal Ensemble.

Public -August 7
While Bach spent the majority of his career creating works for the church in Leipzig, his earlier jobs in Weimar and Coethen were of a secular nature, creating music purely for its aesthetic value.  During these years, he created works for musical connoisseurs and public consumption including his Brandenburg concertos.  This program features the 5th Brandenburg Concerto as well as three of his most popular chamber concertos. The performers include the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble and Anna Polonsky and John Musto, pianists.

Artists

The Jacques Thibaud Trio, comprised of Burkhard Maiss, violin; Philip Douvier, viola; and Bogdan Tiano, cello, was founded at the Berlin School of Art in 1994. The trio pays homage with its name to the great French violinist Jacques Thibaud. The ensemble has performed throughout Europe, the United States, Japan and Canada to tremendous acclaim. Unique among today's chamber ensembles, these three young musicians play from memory without a score or music stand in sight.

Orchestra of St. Luke's is one of America's foremost and most versatile chamber orchestras. Formed at the Caramoor International Music Festival in the summer of 1979, the Orchestra evolved from the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble (1974), with Ensemble members forming the Orchestra's artistic core as principal players. The Ensemble and the Orchestra still co-exist today, and the collaborative chamber aesthetic that is the St. Luke's hallmark has resulted in consistent critical acclaim, and for vibrant music-making of the highest order.

George Steel has made his reputation in New York as a champion of both early and new music, as a conductor, performer, and impresario.  He is also founder and conductor of the Gotham City Orchestra and the acclaimed Vox Vocal Ensemble.  Steel has been the Executive Director of Columbia University's Miller Theatre since 1997, where he has earned a strong reputation for innovative programming and attracting new audiences.

Lisa Saffer, soprano, is renowned for her interpretation of twentieth century repertoire. Miss Saffer's performance as Lulu at The English National Opera was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in opera in London. Her portrayal earned her the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for best vocal performance.

David Walker, countertenor,  has appeared with the New York City Opera, English National Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Los Angeles, San Diego, St. Louis, Opera du Rhin (Strasbourg), and the Metropolitan Opera. In concert, he has appeared with such organizations as the Academy of Ancient Music, Boston Baroque, and the Handel and Haydn Society under the batons of Sir Charles Mackerras, Christopher Hogwood, Nicholas McGegan, Jane Glover, and Robert Spano. Mr. Walker is also an acclaimed recitalist.

Jane Jennings, soprano, is garnering acclaim for operatic portrayals ranging from Mozart's delicate leading ladies to the sympathetic heroines in operas by Puccini and Verdi. In recent seasons, Miss Jennings has performed many of the roles in her repertoire in companies throughout the United States, as well as abroad including New York City Opera, Teatro Bellini in Catania, Italy, Dallas Opera and The Berkshire Opera Company.

Alan Bennett, lyric tenor, has recently emerged as one of the finest oratorio singers in the United States, noted for his performances of Bach, Handel, and Mozart. He has performed extensively throughout the US, Canada, Europe and South America, singing with prominent festivals and orchestras, as well as in recitals, concerts and operas. His performances have received critical acclaim, notably for his interpretations of the Evangelist in the Passions of Bach.
Christòpheren Nomura, baritone, has emerged at the forefront of the new generation of American singers. Since making his New York City debut, Mr. Nomura has earned a prominent place on the operatic, concert and recital stages. Known for his deep commitment to the art of the recital, he has given more than 250 recitals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. He has appeared at Lincoln Center, the Rising Stars Series at Ravinia and The John F. Kennedy Center.
The Vox Vocal Ensemble was founded by George Steel in 1992 to perform music of the sixteenth-century as well as twentieth-century works, especially those of living composers. The New York debut of Vox was at the 92nd Street Y in a concert of the music by Krzysztof Penderecki, with the composer in attendance. Since then, Vox has performed the works of Robert Parsons, Richard Dering and French-American colonial music.

St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble is acclaimed worldwide for its mastery of a diverse repertoire spanning the Baroque to the contemporary. The Ensemble was founded in 1974 when a group of 20 musicians offered a season of concerts at the Church of Saint Luke-in-the-Fields in New York's Greenwich Village. Their opening program reflected the versatility that has become St. Luke's trademark. The Ensemble currently consists of 21 virtuoso artists who together form the artistic nucleus of the larger Orchestra of St. Luke's. Daire FitzGerald and Stephen Taylor are co-directors of the Ensemble.

Anna Polonsky, piano, is recognized as an accomplished soloist and chamber musician. She is regularly invited to perform chamber music at festivals around the country. Ms. Polonsky has given concerts in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Alice Tully Hall and has toured extensively.
 
John Musto, an award-winning composer and pianist, is regarded as one of the most versatile musicians working today. Mr. Musto was a finalist for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for his orchestral song cycle Dove Sta Amore.  He has also garnered two regional Emmys and two CINE Awards for his scores written for television.  In 2000 he was awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship at Bellagio, Italy.  Mr. Musto has been featured on the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center and the Composer Portrait series at Columbia's Miller Theater. Mr. Musto    recently completed his first operatic work, the comedy Volpone, with librettist Mark Campbell. Hailed as a masterpiece by the Washington Post, Volpone was premiered by the Wolftrap Opera last March under the baton of conductor Michael Barrett. He will begin his post as composer-in-residence at Caramoor in September 2005 and will continue through the 2006 festival.

THE THREE LEGACIES OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH:
PRIVATE, RELIGIOUS, PUBLIC

July 1                              The Private Bach
Friday, 8 p.m.   
Spanish Courtyard Jacques Thibaud Trio 
Burkhard Maiss, violin
Philip Douvier, viola
Bogdan Jianu, cello
   
Selections from Six Adagios and Fugues (arr. W. A. Mozart K. 202a)
Goldberg Variations (arr. for string trio by Dimitry Sitkovetsky)
______________________________________________________________________________

July 17   The Religious Bach
Sunday, 4:30 p.m.   
Venetian Theater Orchestra of St. Luke's
   George Steel, conductor
   Vox Vocal Ensemble
   Lisa Saffer, soprano
   Jane Jennings, soprano
   David Walker, alto
   Alan Bennet, tenor
   Christòphoren Nomura, bass
   
   Mass in B minor, BWV 232
______________________________________________________________________________

 August 7  The Public Bach
Sunday, 4:30 p.m.  
Venetian Theater St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble
   John Musto and Anna Polonsky, pianos
   Krista Bennion, violin
Elizabeth Mann, Flute
   
   Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050
   Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C minor, BWV 1060
   Concerto for Two Keyboards and Strings in C Major, BWV 1061
   Concerto for Violin in E Major, BWV 1042

About Caramoor
Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built the great house and filled it with their treasures. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing to reality his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world.  Their musical evenings were the seeds of the International Music Festival of today.  Realizing the pleasure their friends took in the beauty of Caramoor - the house with its art collection; the gardens; and the musical programs on summer evenings - the Rosens established a Foundation to open Caramoor to the public in perpetuity.    

Lucie Rosen survived her husband by seventeen years.  During those years, she expanded the Music Festival:  The Spanish Courtyard was used as a setting for musical events, as it is today. Under her direction, the great stage of the Venetian Theater was built.

Caramoor is a Garden of Great Music.  "We invite people to come early, explore our beautiful grounds, take a tour of the House Museum, visit our gift shops, enjoy a pre-concert picnic, and discover beautiful music in a relaxed setting," advises Paul Rosenblum, Caramoor's Managing Director.  With its unique heritage, Caramoor remains a place where magical summer days and nights are shared and enjoyed by thousands.  "Caramoor is the loveliest Festival of them all." - The New York Times

Art and Gardens
Concerts take place in two outdoor theaters - the large, acoustically superb Venetian Theater, and the more intimate, romantic Spanish Courtyard.  Caramoor is more than just music - there is beauty at every turn.  The House Museum, the former summer home of Caramoor's founders, Lucie and Walter Rosen, contains a vast collection of Renaissance, 18th-century, and Eastern art objects - furniture, tapestries, sculpture, paintings, fabrics, porcelain and jade. Twenty rooms, imported in their entirety from European palaces and villas, are open to the public. On Thursdays and Fridays, Afternoon Tea is served in the Summer Dining Room, which overlooks the Spanish Courtyard.

A special exhibition, "If These Walls Could Talk:  17th, 18th, and 19th Century Wall Decorations at Caramoor," will be on view in the House Museum from May 14 through December 2005.  There will be a Preview Party Benefit and Silent Auction on May 13, 2005.
Caramoor's gardens are also well worth the visit.  Nine unique perennial gardens - including a Sense Circle for the visually handicapped, a Butterfly Garden, and a Medieval Mount- may be seen on a guided tour or on one's own.

House Museum
Guided tours of the House Museum are provided Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00-4:00 p.m., with the last tour at 3:00 p.m.  On Saturdays during the Festival, tours are given from 1:00-5:00 p.m., with the last tour at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $9 (children 16 and under free).  Admission includes the special exhibition, "If These Walls Could Talk."

Getting to Caramoor
Caramoor is easy to get to by car or mass transportation.  From Manhattan, take the Caramoor Caravan and ride comfortably in a luxurious, air-conditioned coach.  Round trip service is $21 and is available for all Saturday and Sunday performances during the festival. The Caravan departs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Upper West Side and East Side locations. Call the Box Office (914-232-1252) for further information and reservations.  By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available.  By car: (West Side Manhattan and New Jersey) Take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah.  Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right, and at the first traffic light make a right turn onto Route 22 south.  Travel 1.9 miles to junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor.  (Detailed directions:  914-232-5035, press 2, or online at www.caramoor.org).

Tickets may be ordered by calling the Box Office at 914-232-1252 or online at www.caramoor.org.