Dubbed “a jewel in Harrisonburg’s crown” by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the 32nd Annual Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival—a program of Eastern Mennonite University—will run from June 9-16, 2024. The weeklong festival features a total of 16 pay-what-you-can and free on- and off-campus concerts and talks by more than 60 national and international professional orchestral musicians and soloists at locations ranging from EMU’s Lehman Auditorium and Martin Chapel to Asbury United Methodist Church, Massanutten Regional Library and Pale Fire Brewing Company in downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Works center around the festival theme of “Unity” and range from J.S. Bach’s Wedding Cantata to Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs to Valerie Coleman’s Umoja: Anthem of Unity and Ernst von Dohnányi’s Sextet in C Major, Op. 37, said Bach Festival Artistic Director and EMU Music Program Director David Berry, a prominent pianist.

FESTIVAL CONCERT III: June 15

We are pleased to offer our Festival Concert tickets to you as "pay-what-you-can" and free for college students.

"TALKING MUSIC"

6:00 PM

Pre-concert "Talking Music" discussion panel with David Berry (SVBF Artistic Director) and SVBF Artists. Talks are included with ticket purchase!

FESTIVAL CONCERT III

7:30 PM

Featuring guest conductor, Kalena Bovell, and soprano soloist, Sara Duchovnay, "Unity" will be explored in this concert through a wonderful and vibrant overture entitled Umoja (which means unity in Swahili) by Valerie Coleman, Strauss's transcendent Last four Songs, and Tippett's great World War II choral masterwork A Child of Our Time, that focuses on the tragic struggle that division brings.