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Bachfest Leipzig 2027

June 10 - 20, 2027

Trip Status:  OPEN

 Cost:  $5,900; Single Supplement $1,050
 
Activity Level: easy – an ability to sit for four hours!
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THE PASSIONS

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This won't be the easiest of festivals.  The Passions are somewhat tough to handle, emotionally, but they are beautiful pieces of music.   Five different versions of the Saint Matthew Passion will be performed.  We're trying to figure out if we should attend all five, or leave some to our imagination, but we'll definitely hear the version conducted by Sir Simon Rattle in the Saint Thomas Kirche.

 

Leonardo Garcia-Alarcon will be conducting the St. John Passion.  That's a must-see.   He choreographs    every aspect pf a performance and gives us superb music.    He's also bringing together his group, the Cappella Mediterranea, with a violinist and soloist singers to play Bach's violin concerti  in what is sure to be an unforgettable performance, especially on the last day of the festival, which ends in the B minor Mass.     

Upon the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Bach’s masterpiece, Saint Matthew Passion, Bachfest Leipzig 27 will honor the various versions of this gripping music.    Five different presentations will be given of the Matthew Passion, as well as the Saint John Passion and  reconstructed versions of the Saint Mark Passion.

 

Imagine being able to hear 5 different interpretations of the St. Matthew!   One will be conducted by David Stern in the great hall of the Gewandhaus; another will be conducted Simon Halsey with an international chorus in the Marktplatz; a third will be conducted by Sir Simon Rattle in Sankt Thomas Kirche; a fourth will be an arrangement by Franz and will be conducted by Gregor Meyer in Sankt Thomas Kirche, and the fifth presentation will be conducted by Andreas Reize  with the older and younger Thomaner Chor,  again in the Sankt Thomas Kirche.

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With all the other offerings,  it will be difficult to hear all these other passions, but we can be  passionate about the concerts we do attend.

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Bachians will be  blessed  by Leonardo Garcia-Alarcon and his Cappella Mediterranea’s  production of the Johannes Passion.  Garcia-Alarcon  is known for his holistic vision of any piece and it seems as if he choreographs every single detail to bring a stunning and memorable work of music to his audience.  (He will also present Bach’s violin concerti in a program entitled “Passioniert.”

 

Other musicians include Angela Hewitt, who will play the Bach partitas; harpsichordist Kristian Bezuidenhout;  the Monteverdi Choir under the direction of Jonathan Sells, who will intertwine Bach and Buxtehude; Ton Koopman with his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra will present Händel’s Messiah;  and my favorites – tenor  Daniel Johannsen and soprano Miriam Feuersinger.

 

Other passionate works include Schubert song cycles with tenor Julian Prégardien, and a  16-part series entitled Jesus-Kantaten.    Johannes Lang will play an 18-hour organ marathon of Bach’s organ works.

Bachfest Leipzig 27 could  be exhausting, emotionally and physically,  but we’ll try to curate the program so you’ll hear the best and also give you time to breathe.  We will attend about 10 concerts/performances during the 10-day festival.   

 

My friend Miguel Rodé of The Cantata Trail has curated the concerts that he feels are the gems to hear.  If you’ve listened to any of his presentations on Armchair Journeys, you are aware of his expertise and great teaching skill.   I invite you to join us in our musical home, Leipzig.

Accommodations

Leipzig is an easy town to get around.  It is flat – no hills to climb – and performances are usually scheduled so you don’t have to hurry (too much) from one to another.

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We will stay at the centrally located Melia Innside for the duration.   (From the Innside breakfast room and from some rooms, you get a great view of the Sankt Thomas church.  And the breakfasts are great - in 2026, breakfasts were remembered as wonderful discussion times.)    Close by are most of the festival venues, restaurants and shops.  

We hope you’ll join us in Leipzig next June.  Please note that the dates at the top are the festival dates.  The trip price includes the nights of June 9 and 20, so they you can fully appreciate the festival from the first day onward.
Accommodations
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YOUR HOSTS

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Miguel Rodé 
Discussion Facilitator

​Miguel Rodé was born and raised in Montevideo, Uruguay and moved to the US in 2002 as part of his career in Information Technology. He currently lives in Seattle, WA. A life-long music lover, over the years Miguel developed a special fascination with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and in particular with his cantatas and other vocal works.  In 2022 Miguel initiated a series of virtual meetings called "The Cantata Trail" with the intent of sharing this incredibly rich musical universe with some close friends. Miguel has also facilitated online and in-person workshops on the topic of Bach cantatas for Artful Journeys, the Whidbey Island Music Festival, and the Seattle Bach Festival.  Miguel has also presented several classes on the topic of Bach Cantatas at Edmonds College's Creative Retirement Institute.

As a musician, Miguel plays the baroque flute and is a member of several chamber ensembles in the Seattle area, for which he also enjoys transcribing and arranging music.

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Hosts
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Corinna Meisel
 Our Local Bachian Guide

Corinna Meisel was born in 1974 in Dessau, then part of East Germany. Growing up in a city shaped by progressive ideas – from the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm to the Bauhaus, where Walter Gropius and others taught – sparked an early appreciation for culture, architecture, and the distinctive history of Central Germany.

After German reunification, Corinna spent a year as an au pair in Boston before moving to Leipzig to study Communication and Media Studies. She fell in love with the city and has lived there ever since. Professionally, she has worked in marketing and communications, mainly in the construction and pharmaceutical industries.

Corinna enjoys traveling, hiking, and discovering the cultural richness and history of the region she calls home and especially Leipzig. She is looking forward to sharing some of her favourite places and stories and showing the group why Leipzig has so much to offer.

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Joan Hill
Owner, Host, & Director

In 2008, the seed of Artful Journeys was planted in her brain, when Joan brought together all of her life's passions, her love of music, an affinity for the beautiful things in life, and an ability to organize events to give birth to Artful Journeys, a program of art education trips for the soul. 

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Joan was born and raised in the apple country of the Hudson River Valley in New York; her father was a gentle, very tolerant, educated land surveyor, and her mother was the efficient business administrator and home engineer. The youngest of four children, Joan was encouraged to pursue anything she wanted, but also to do her best. Sometimes that was very difficult, especially succeeding three very accomplished siblings.

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Cost

JOURNEY COST:  

OPTIONS FOR BACHFEST 2027
June 9-21

 

$5,900 - double occupancy.  

$1,050 - single supplement

 

  • Accommodations

  • Airport transfers

  • Many meals

  • Approximately 15 curated performances and events

  • Priority seating at concerts

  • 1 excursion

  • Attendance to rehearsal of 1 concert

  • Guided tour of Bachmuseum

  • Morning discussions led by Miguel Rodé​

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  • Not included are personal purchases and pampering.

  • NOTE: A deposit of $500 is required upon registration to secure a place in this journey.

  • Airfare to and from Germany is not included to enable travelers to use their “travel points,” upgrade flight arrangements, or to extend their trip.

  • Travel insurance is strongly encouraged. Please see the Travel Insurance Form.

  • A full complement of Covid vaccinations is suggested to participate in an Artful Journeys trip.

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To register for this journey, please click below:

Please note that PayPal remittances must go through the form on this website.  Thank you.

For details or questions, please click here to contact Joan Hill.
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