organ

The Japanese organist, harpsichordist and conductor, Masaaki Suzuki, began to play the organ at the age of 12 for church services every Sunday. After graduating from Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music with a degree in composition and organ performance, he continued to study the harpsichord and organ at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam under Ton Koopman and Piet Kee. Having achieved Soloist Diplomas in both of his instruments in Amsterdam, he was awarded second prize in the Harpsichord Competition (Basso continuo) in 1980 and third Prize in the Organ Competition in 1982 in the Flanders Festival at Bruges, Belgium.

From 1981 to 1983 Masaaki Suzuki was a harpsichord instructor at the Staatliche Hochschule fŸr Musik in Duisburg, Germany. Since his return to Japan, he has not only given many concerts as organist and harpsichordist all over the country, but has organized an acclaimed concert series at the chapel of Shoin Women's University in Kobe, where a French classical organ built by Marc Garnier is installed.

Meanwhile, Masaaki Suzuki has acquired an outstanding reputation not only as an organ and harpsichord soloist, but also as a conductor. Since 1990 Suzuki has been the musical director of the Bach Collegium Japan; as such, he works regularly with renowned European soloists and ensembles. Suzuki has won an enviable reputation for his interpretation of Bach's cantatas on BIS. In addition, Suzuki is recording J.S. Bach's complete harpsichord music for BIS.

Since 1983 Masaaki Suzuki has given organ concerts in France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria and other countries every summer. In July 1995 and 1997 Suzuki was invited by Philippe Herreweghe to conduct Collegium Vocale, Ghent. As a professor of organ and harpsichord, he teaches at Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music.

Timothy Jansen (organist at the Basilica of St. Adalbert, AGO member), playing "Fugue" from "Toccata, Adagio and Fugue," BWV 564, Johann Sebastian Bach.

Bethany Vrieland (Calvin Seminary student), playing "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" (Sleepers Wake, A Voice is Calling), BWV 645, Johann Sebastian Bach.

John VanBuiten (Calvin senior), playing "Adagio" (movement 4) from "Symphony No. 5 in F Minor," Charles Marie Widor AND "Herzlich tut mich verlangen," BWV 727, Johann Sebastian Bach.

Jared Langerak (Calvin junior), playing "Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt," BuxWV 183, Dietrich Buxtehude.

Allison Schepers (Calvin freshman), playing "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland," BWV 659, Johann Sebastian Bach.

Becky Hoeksema (Calvin junior), playing "Wer nur den lieben Gott Lasst walten," BWV 642, Johann Sebastian Bach.

Chris Dekker (Hope College senior, AGO member), playing "Prelude and Fugue in D Major," BWV 532, Johann Sebastian Bach.

The mission of The Bach Chorale is to preserve, promote, and provide high quality performances of choral music of predominantly European composers, with a special emphasis on the music of J.S. Bach, in an effort to keep the music of the masters alive.

The part-time professional ensemble was originally assembled by Martin Werner in 1997 to perform J.S. Bach's motet, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225, for a chamber concert during the inaugural Grand Rapids Bach Festival. The Chorale also served as the professional core chorus for the 1999 Bach Festival Chorus' performance of the Mass in B Minor, and for the St. John Passion for the Bach Festival 2001, under the direction of guest conductor, Karl Hochreither. In addition to its performances at the biennial Bach Festival, the ensemble has been giving its own concerts at St. Cecilia Music Center and other venues.

Music Director

Martin Werner studied orchestral conducting and cello at the Robert Schumann Conservatory in Dusseldorf, Germany, and then continued his study of choral conducting at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt under Helmuth Rilling. Upon completion of his degree in 1981, Werner received a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service, and as a result, spent a year at California State University-Fullerton as a graduate. While there he served as student conductor of the University Singers and conducted the University's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. In 1982 he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, from which he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the University of Michigan in 1985. During this time he served as Director of the University of Michigan Arts Chorale and as Chancel Choir Director at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor. He returned to Germany and served as Assistant Chorus Master for the Concert Choir of the City of Düsseldorf.

In 1993, Dr. Werner returned to the U.S. and took the position of Adjunct Professor of Music at Calvin College and Interim Director of the Calvin College Alumni Choir for the spring term of 1993. He was named Director of the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus during the 1993-1994 season. From 1993-1999, Werner served a Chorus Master of the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus. He was appointed chorus master/coordinator of choirs for the 1997 production of Verdi's Aida by Opera Grand Rapids. He was Adjunct Professor of Choral Music and Associate Conductor of the Graduate Chorale at Michigan State University. He has also served as choir director for two Grand Rapids churches. In 1997, Dr. Werner became music director and conductor for the Bach Chorale. An experienced cellist and baritone singer, Dr. Werner also pursues a career as an artistic whistler, and is currently a visiting scholar in the orchestral conducting department at Michigan State University.

Ksenia Leletkina received her Bachelor's in Music Education, Piano from Grand Valley State university. Ms. Leletkins is currently pursuing her Master's in Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She grew up in Vladivostok, Russia and graduated from music school and Vladivostok Music College at age eighteen. While in Russia, Ksenia won the International Competition for Young Musicians and is a laureate of the Primorski Region Governor's scholarship. From 1997 until 2001 she gave numerous recitals around the Far East Region of Russia and Korea. In 2001 Ksenia appeared as the soloist with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and the same year Ksenia entered Grand Valley State University (GVSU) to pursue her bachelor degree in piano performance studying with Aviram Reichert. During her years at GVSU, she won the GVSU Orchestra Concerto Competition and Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition in Chicago. In her last year of undergraduate studies, Ksenia was hired as staff accompanist in the Music Department at Grand Valley State University. Her collaborations include musicians from Dallas Symphony, Seattle Symphony, National Symphony Orchestras, Canadian Brass and many more. Currently, Ms. Leletkina is pursuing her Masters Degree in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano, studying with Antonio Pompa-Baldi and Anita Pontremoli at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

10 a.m. - Fountain Street Church (24 Fountain, NE) presents musicians from Grand Rapids Community College, with Marilyn Ossentjuk, organ

11 a.m. - First United Methodist Church (227 E. FultonSt.) presents musicians from Cornerstone University, with Mark Loring, organ

Noon - Park Congregational Church (10 East Park Place, NE) presents musicians from GVSU, with Tim Jansen, organ

1 p.m. - St. Cecilia Music Society (24 Ransom, NE) presents a Festival Kick-Off Concert with Festival friends: Calvin Stapert, Lisa Walhout, Tim Steele, Greg Crowell, Pablo Mahave-Veglia, Stephanie Wiltse, Linda Hoisington, Martin Werner, and Nick Palmer

2 p.m. - Westminster Presbyterian Church (47 Jefferson, SE) presents musicians from Hope College, with Helen Hawley, organ

3 p.m. - La Grave Avenue Christian Reformed Church (104 La Grave Ave, SE) presents musicians from Calvin College, with Larry Visser, organ

4 p.m. - Cathedral of St. Andrew (265 Sheldon, SE) presents musicians from Aquinas College, with Nick Palmer, organ

5 p.m. - A closing concert with area high school choirs, Cathedral of St. Andrew

The Grand Rapids Musicians' League is a non-profit organization serving the Grand Rapids area with several musical programs. These programs are designed to enhance and foster the musical growth of students from kindergarten to high school graduation. The Grand Rapids Musicians' League Youth Choir concerts are always free of charge, with a designated outreach focus in lieu of tickets. This year for "Bach to the Basics," the outreach will be to raise funds for Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), a literacy project through the Grand Rapids Public Schools.

director

Heidi Hertel has been the Director of Youth Choirs at Mayflower Congregational Church since 2002. The Graduated Youth Choral Program at Mayflower, founded by Ruth Christman Nicely in the fall of 1997, started with five dedicated young singers. The program has grown to include 6 choirs for 4 year olds through 12th graders, ministering to over 120 Mayflower youth. In addition to directing the youth choirs at Mayflower, Heidi also directs 5 choirs for kindergartners through 12th graders for Grand Rapids Musicians' League, which rehearse at Breton Village Mall. Heidi's undergraduate studies were completed at Westminster Choir College and Western Michigan University. Her graduate degree is from Calvin College. One of Heidi's greatest joys is having her two sons sing in choir with her at Mayflower.

Under the direction of Pablo Mahave-Veglia, the GVSU Early Music Ensemble presents two concerts with Bach's Brandenburg Concerti. Long considered one of the high-water marks of western music, this collection contains some of Bach's most adventurous instrumental writing. This performance will utilize Bach's original instrumentation (that calls for such exotic instruments as the piccolo violin, the violone, the viola da gamba, recorders and valveless horns) and will feature as soloists some of North America's leading performers of baroque period instruments. Among them will be violinists Patricia Ahern and Christopher Verrette, of the Toronto-based Tafelmusik's Baroque Orchestra, baroque oboist John Abberger, from San Francisco's Philarmonia Orchestra, the New Jersey-based baroque hornist Linda Dempf, as well as distinguished GVSU faculty member Gregory Crowell, among others.

Presented as part of the Arts at Noon Series, the noontime concert will feature the bookends, the intimate chamber music setting of the sixth concerto, and the grand orchestral forces of winds, brass and strings of the first. At 8pm, also on the 15th, the ensemble performs the all-string third concerto, followed by the harpsichord tour de force of the Concerto No. 5. Some of Bach's most brilliant (and technically demanding) violin writing is featured in the fourth concerto, which closes the concert.

director

Cellist Pablo Mahave-Veglia resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he is an Associate Professor at Grand Valley State University. Mr. Mahave-Veglia is a cellist and teacher of broad interests whose repertoire ranges from the early baroque, performed on period instruments, to his ongoing interest in researching, performing and recording the work of contemporary Latin-American composers.

Dr. Mahave-Veglia is the cellist of the Kapell Trio, with whom he performs in the US, as well as with their ongoing summer residency at the International Music Academy in Pilsen, Czech Republic. The Kapell Trio is currently working on a recording project of the complete trio music of Martinœ, which will be released by the Naxos label in the near future. Professor Mahave-Veglia has also toured widely with a solo program of the Bach Cello Suites using original instruments, including a 5-string violoncello piccolo. Along with harpsichordist Gregory Crowell, he is also researching, performing and eventually recording Sonatas by Lanzetti, Caporale, Cervetto, Flesch and Galliard. This group of cellist/composers active in London in the 1750's represents a distinctive school of cello playing that has been largely neglected in the concert and recorded repertoire.

An alumnus of the Interlochen Arts Academy, Dr. Mahave-Veglia holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Indiana University and the Eastman School of Music. Additionally, he has attended such music festivals as Banff (Canada), NOI (Maryland), Pacific Music Festival (Japan), the Jerusalem International Festival (Israel) and the Schleswig-Holstein and Heidelberg Music Festivals (Germany). A former faculty member at the University of Evansville (Indiana), Ripon College (Wisconsin), St. Cloud State University (Minnesota), the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Madison Summer Cello Institute, and the Eastern and Brevard Music Festivals (North Carolina), Mr. Mahave-Veglia has appeared as soloist or chamber musician in his native Chile, Colombia, Perœ, Costa Rica, Europe and Malaysia. In the United States he has performed at such venues as the Mammoth Lakes Chamber Music Festival (California), the Saugatuck Music Festival (Michigan), the Dame Myra Hess Recital Series in Chicago, the Renee Weiler Hall and the Bang on a Can Marathon in New York City and the Elvehem Museum in Madison, Wisconsin.

Professor Mahave-Veglia performs on a baroque cello made by Chilean Luthier Marcelo Cigna in 1986. His modern instrument is a 1790 William Forster on loan to him by an anonymous private collector.

violin

Violinist Patricia Ahern was educated at Northwestern University, Indiana University, and the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland. She taught baroque violin at the Freiburg Conservatory in Germany and has concertized in Europe, Australia and Chile. She has performed with Milwaukee Baroque, Ars Antigua, Chicago Opera Theater, Kingsbury Ensemble, Newberry Consort, and at the Bloomington Early Music Festival. With Duo Marini she released the CD La Desperata, which was featured on NPR's Harmonia.

violin

Christopher Verrette has been a member of the violin section of Tafelmusik since 1993 and is a frequent soloist and leader with the orchestra. He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Performer's Certificate from Indiana University and has contributed to the development of early music in the American Midwest as a founding member of the Chicago Baroque Ensemble and Ensemble Voltaire (Indianapolis), and as a guest director with the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra. He collaborates with numerous ensembles around North America, performing music from seven centuries on violins, viola, rebec, vielle and viola d'amore. He has recently recorded sonatas by Bertali and other 17th-century composers with Chatham Baroque, and rarely heard classical symphonies for an anthology to be published by Indiana University Press. Chris also volunteers enthusiastically in the Lunch Programme at the Church of the Redeemer.

oboe

John Abberger, one of North America's leading performers on historical oboes, is principal oboist with Tafelmusik (Toronto) and the American Bach Soloists (San Francisco). He has performed extensively in North America, Europe and the Far East with these ensembles, and appears regularly with other prominent period-instrument ensembles, including Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Washington Bach Consort, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble Voltaire, Handel and Haydn Society, and Boston Baroque. His recording of the Concerto for Oboe by Alessandro Marcello with Tafelmusik was glowingly reviewed by Gramophone Magazine as "one of the best there is" and "alone worth the price of the disc, even if you have other versions." In addition to many recordings with Tafelmusik and other period instrument ensembles, he has recently produced and recorded a disc of four concertos by J.S. Bach that has been released on the Analekta label. John serves on the faculty at the University of Toronto, and the University of Western Ontario, and has taught at the City College of New York. A native of Orlando, Florida, he received his training at the Juilliard School, and Louisiana State University. In addition, he holds a Performers Certificate in Early Music from New York University.

horn

Linda Dempf is the Music and Media Librarian at The College of New Jersey. She recently earned an MLS from Indiana University, where she gained experience in their Music Library, Main Library and Lilly Library (Rare Books and Manuscripts). Prior to entering the library field, she was a professional musician, and earned a BM from Mannes College of Music, an MM from St. Louis Conservatory, and a DM from Indiana University. Her studies included concentrations in horn, music history, and women's studies. This blend of interests is reflected in her doctoral thesis, All-Women Orchestras in the United States and the Story of the Woman's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago. An avid natural horn player, she has performed with Apollo‰Û(tm)s Fire, the Connecticut Early Music Festival, Aradia Baroque Orchestra, Opera Lafayette, Chicago Opera Theatre, and Early Music New York.

keyboard

Gregory Crowell has appeared as organist, harpsichordist, clavichordist, lecturer, and conductor in Germany, Holland, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Canada, and the United States. He has performed in many international festivals and conventions, including the Boston Early Music Festival, four National Conventions of the Organ Historical Society, Region V Convention of the American Guild of Organists, the Saugatuck Chamber Music Festival, the Boston Clavichord Society, and numerous meetings of the Southeastern and Midwestern Historical Keyboard Societies. Particularly noted for his performances of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Crowell has been a featured performer at the Weener (Germany) International Bach Series, the Grand Rapids Bach Festival, the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra Bach Concerto Concerts, and the Old West (Boston) Bach Marathon. In the spring of 2000 Dr. Crowell was the only non-Japanese invited to perform and lecture in the Bach Organ Festival held at St. Luke's in Tokyo, during which time he also performed Minato Mirai Hall (Yokohama) and International Christian University (Tokyo-Mitaka), and served as Visiting Scholar at Rikkyo University. Broadcasts of Gregory Crowell's performances have been heard on MPR's Pipedreams, WCRB Boston, WGUC in Cincinnati, the Westdeutsche Rundfunk, and Belgian Public Radio; his compact disc recordings include live organ performances on the OHS label.

Gregory Crowell also enjoys collaborating with other musicians in chamber music, and he has appeared in concert with harpsichordists and organists Peter Sykes, Christa Rakich, Harald Vogel, and Guy Bovet, viola da gambist Emily Walhout, baroque cellist Pablo Mahave-Veglia, and baroque violinist Patricia Ahern. He regularly tours Europe and the United States with hornist Paul Austin, performing historical works for horn and organ, as well as works written for the duo by composers such as James Woodman, Bruce Saylor, and Robert Schechtman. Crowell's solo performances have been described as "beautiful, flexible, expressive" (The Diapason), "full of panache and expression" (Ostfriesen Kurier), "reliable as a sunrise, steady as a rock, especially in the virtuoso finale" (The Grand Rapids Press), and "this listener cannot recall ever having heard better" (The Boston Herald).

An avid researcher of eighteenth-century topics, Gregory Crowell has published articles in The American Organist, The Diapason, Clavichord International, Informazione organistica, De Clavicordio, Reformed Worship, Tangents, Japan Organ Society News, and other publications. He has been a featured lecturer at regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the International Clavichord Symposium in Magnano (Italy), the American Organ Archives, and meetings of the Midwestern and Southeastern Historical Keyboard Societies.

Dr. Crowell holds degrees from The New England Conservatory of Music and The University of Cincinnati, and has studied further at The North German Organ Academy, Academia del Organo (Pistoia, Italy), and Musika Hamabostaldia (San Sebastian, Spain). He studied organ with Brigitte Dubiel, Yuko Hayashi, Bernard LagacÀ, Roberta Gary, and Harald Vogel, and harpsichord with Harald Vogel and Mireille LagacÀ. Dr. Crowell serves as Director of Publications for the Organ Historical Society, Director of Music at Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Rapids, University Organist at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, and President of the Midwestern Historical Keyboard Society.

This worship service is based on the Vespers services at the St. Thomas and St. Nicholas Churches in Leipzig during Bach's lifetime. The central musical item will be Cantata 104, Du Hirte Israel, hšre, a cantata Bach wrote specifically for this day in the church year--the second Sunday after Easter. It will be performed by the Calvin Capella and soloists under the direction Dr. Joel Navarro, accompanied by members of the Calvin Orchestra prepared by Prof. Robert Nordling. The Capella will also perform an Easter motet, Ich weiss dass mein Erlšser lebt, by Johann Michael Bach. The congregation will sing chorales introduced by Bach's organ chorales. Norma de Waal Malefyt will be the organist; Dr. John Witvliet will give the sermon.

Joel Navarro is Associate Professor of Music of Calvin College where he teaches conducting and directs the Capella, the Oratorio Society, and the Campus Choir. Prior to this appointment, he was one-time Chair of the Choral Conducting Department and served as an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines College of Music for 16 years. He is known internationally as the former Music Director and Conductor of the Ateneo de Manila University Glee Club which has amassed a string of top prizes during the last 20 years in choral competitions throughout Europe. As the recipient of numerous awards in performance and education in his native Philippines, he is widely known as a conductor, educator, clinician, lecturer, writer, singer, recording artist, composer, arranger, stage actor, record producer, and music consultant. He also composes and arranges choral music, and writes songs and produces solo albums for the Philippine music industry.

The concert choir of Calvin College, the Capella was founded by Seymour Swets in 1935. It is composed of advanced singers from all areas of study. Dr. Joel Navarro was appointed as the choir's fourth conductor in 2002. The choir gives a major concert each semester in addition to participation in area church services. Its recent tours have included two trips to Europe. In December of 2004, its tour of The Netherlands and Germany included a performance for the Christmas Festival of Lights in Gouda. In the summer of 2008, Capella toured The Netherlands, Belgium, and France and won two third prizes at the Florilege Vocal de Tours international choral competition. The Capella is committed to engage the broad choral spectrum of every age and nation, to value the music of our forbears, to premiere new music, to communicate transformative texts, and to cherish the diversity of Christian music and faith globally.

baritone

Keith Brautigam joined the music faculty of Calvin College in 2003 as Professor of Music. Prior to his appointment at Calvin, he served on the faculties of Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, the Moody Bible Institute, and Huntington College. He has a Bachelor of Music from Grand Rapids Baptist College, and Masters and Doctor of Music degrees in vocal performance from the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana. Dr. Brautigam has performed nationally and internationally in opera and oratorio as well as in solo recital. Among his performances are appearances with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Festival International de Musica de Buenos Aries, and locally as soloist with Opera Grand Rapids, the Grand Rapids Symphony, and the Calvin Oratorio Society.

Originally from Alberta, Keith Fredlund received his musical training at Dallas Baptist University and the University of British Columbia before moving to Ontario where he worked as a soloist with the Anglican Church and with Massey College at the University of Toronto. Keith is primarily a performer of medieval, renaissance and early American music.

Robert Nordling serves in the Calvin Music Department where he conducts the Calvin College Orchestra and Calvin Alumni Orchestra and teaches in the areas of music history, conducting and music and worship and is active as a composer and arranger. He also serves as Resource Development Specialist for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Nordling has previously held music positions in California, Washington and Reigate, England. He is a sought after clinician, performing orchestra and music education clinics in the USA and abroad, most recently in Mexico and Argentina. Along with his expertise in standard symphonic literature, his areas of interest also include instrumental liturgical music, worship design and leadership across a broad spectrum of traditions and styles.

The Calvin College Orchestra is a nationally reputed ensemble of instrumentalists drawn from many academic disciplines. Each semester the orchestra performs two major concerts consisting of significant symphonic works, including a Concerto Concert, and accompanies the Calvin Oratorio Society in its annual production of Handel's Messiah. The orchestra also tours regularly, most recently to England in 2006 to England and to New York, Washington DC, and Boston in 2008.

keyboard

Norma deWaal Malefyt teaches organ and piano for worship at Calvin College. A Calvin alumna, she has a Bachelor of Arts degree in organ performance and education. In addition to teaching, she is a Resource Development Specialist for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. A widely-experienced church musician, organist, handbell director, and worship planner, she is co-author with Howard Vanderwell of Designing Worship Together: Models and Strategies for Worship Planning [Alban Institute, 2005].

director, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

John D. Witvliet is director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and serves as professor of music and worship at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary, respectively. He also teaches in the religion department at Calvin College. A graduate of Calvin College, Dr. Witvliet holds graduate degrees in theology from Calvin Theological Seminary, in choral music from the University of Illinois, and the Ph.D. in liturgical studies and theology from the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of many books and articles on worship and music, the co-editor of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Music (published by GIA), and has served as a member of the board of directors for The Choristers Guild.