Carmel Bach Festival

Carmel Bach Festival
Status	Active
Genre	Festivals
Begins	July 12, 2025
Ends	July 26, 2025
Frequency	Annually
Venue	Sunset Center, Carmel Mission Basilica, All Saints' Episcopal Church, Church in the Forest, and more
Location(s)	Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, US
Coordinates	36°33′06″N121°55′18″W / 36.5517°N 121.9216°W / 36.5517; -121.9216
Inaugurated	1935 (1935)
Founder	Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous [ citation needed ]
Leader	Grete Pedersen, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Website	bachfestival.org

The Carmel Bach Festival is a classical music concert series held annually in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

History

In 1927, Henry F. Dickinson and his wife Edith played a pivotal role in the formation of the Carmel Music Society. Henry became the organization's first treasurer and Edith served as one of its first presidents. Visiting musicians were hosted at the Henry Dickinson House, situated on Carmel Point. ^[1]

In 1935, the Carmel Music Society co-sponsored the establishment of the Carmel Bach Festival. ^{[2] [ dead link ] [3]} The Carmel Bach Festival began as a three- and later four-day festival of open rehearsals, events, and concerts conducted by Ernst Bacon and Gastone Usigli. ^{[4] [ dead link ] [5]}

In 1938, Gastone Usigli was named Music Director, leading the Festival until his death in 1956. As his successor Dene Denny chose Hungarian-born conductor Sandor Salgo. ^{[3] [6]}

When Salgo retired in 1991, Bruno Weil was named the Music Director and Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival. Maestro Weil concluded his tenure with the 2010 Festival. ^[3]

In 2020, the Festival cancelled its season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also cancelled from 1942 to 1945 due to World War II.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2023, the Carmel Bach announced the appointment of Grete Pedersen as artistic director and principal conductor. Pedersen is the first woman to assume this position, and only the sixth artistic director in the Festival's history.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. "Henry Dickinson". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. April 13, 1961. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
2. "Carmel Music Society". www.carmelmusic.org. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
3. Gordon, David J. (2014). Carmel Impresarios A Cultural Biography of Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous. Lucky Valley Press. ISBN   978-0-9856655-4-8 . Retrieved 2023-04-12.
4. "Carmel Music Society Website" . Retrieved 2023-04-12.
5. Mckinley, Jesse. "Carmel", The New York Times , July 6, 1997
6. Sandor, Salgo (1999). Teaching music at Stanford, 1949–1974, directing the Carmel Bach Festival and the Marin Symphony, 1956–1991 . Retrieved 2023-04-12.

Further reading

• Gordon, David J (2014). Carmel Impresarios: a cultural biography of Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous. Carmel, California: Lucky Valley Press. ISBN   978-0-9856655-4-8.
• Hudson, Monica (2006). Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel, California: Arcadia Press. ISBN   978-0738531229.
• Miller, Leta E. (2011). Music and Politics in San Francisco: From the 1906 Quake to the Second World War. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. ISBN   978-0520268913.
• Starr, Kevin (2002). The Dream Endures: California Enters the 1940s. New York; London: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195157970.

External links

• Carmel Bach Festival Tape Collection (ARS.0025), Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound
• Teaching Music at Stanford, 1949–1974, Directing the Carmel Bach Festival and the Marin Symphony, 1956–1991