Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival

Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival We like to say “Bach is just the beginning” to share our deep appreciation of the breadth of work influenced by the musical inventions of Bach.

At the intersection of harmony, humanity, and nature, the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival gathers world-class artists and inquisitive audiences to celebrate the life and joy of great music. Nestled in beautiful Harrisonburg, VA on native Manahoac land in the Shenandoah Valley, SVBF prioritizes equity, justice, and environmental sustainability in our work through inclusive educational initiatives,

meaningful programming, and green practices. We are a program of Eastern Mennonite University and are proud to share the university’s commitment to peacebuilding, social justice, cross-cultural engagement, and sustainability in the arts. Every year our week-long summer festival presents vibrant performances by local artists, the Shenandoah Valley Chamber Orchestra, and the Festival Choir. Listeners can attend large and small performances of orchestra and chamber music, family and kids events, poetry readings, music talks, and local bands. Our immersive educational initiatives invite young musicians and aspiring arts administrators from all over the country to participate in our fellowship programs and learn historically informed performance practices in our Baroque Workshop. Attendees can also take advantage of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley through a number of local activities such as hiking, mountain biking, cavern tours, wineries and breweries, museums, and immersive musical experiences in our parks and nature preserves.

We are so excited to share the news of our NEA Grant! 🎉 Thanks for the write-up Eastern Mennonite University!
01/15/2025

We are so excited to share the news of our NEA Grant! 🎉 Thanks for the write-up Eastern Mennonite University!

The Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival (SVBF), a program of Eastern Mennonite University, has been approved for a $12,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the federal agency

The Christmas Season is officially here at SVBF! 🎄Thank you to all who attended the Salon Concert on Saturday and joined...
12/17/2024

The Christmas Season is officially here at SVBF! 🎄Thank you to all who attended the Salon Concert on Saturday and joined us in getting in the holiday spirit! And of course a big thank you to all our wonderful musicians .christinef , to our lovely hosts Susan and Jesse Huxman, and to our sponsors !

We are so very excited for tonight's Christmas Salon Concert! David Berry, Tina Hashemi, Christine Glick Fairfield, Davi...
12/14/2024

We are so very excited for tonight's Christmas Salon Concert! David Berry, Tina Hashemi, Christine Glick Fairfield, David McCormick, and Jimmy Trussell are sure to bring the Christmas spirit with classical and jazz performances of all your favorite Christmas tunes and *myrrh*! ✨🎄✨

Thank you to our hosts, Susan and Jesse Huxman, and to Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community and Whitesel Piano Company for sponsoring this event!

The latest Festival Story, featuring Jeremy Nafziger, is up on the blog!"In 2006—I know it was 2006 because it was a Wo...
12/11/2024

The latest Festival Story, featuring Jeremy Nafziger, is up on the blog!

"In 2006—I know it was 2006 because it was a World Cup year and the games started the same week as the Bach festival rehearsals—the first weekend’s concert was the Mass in B-Minor, with a 20-voice choir of invited singers. The invitations were to my dad’s list of top people who had ever sung in the EMU Chamber Singers with him, and in the first draft, I wasn’t on it... Fair! But still disappointing."

Keep reading Jeremy's story at https://www.svbachfestival.org/musings/festival-stories-jeremy-nafziger

The Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival simply would not exist without the support of all our amazing donors and sponsors. Y...
12/03/2024

The Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival simply would not exist without the support of all our amazing donors and sponsors. You are the ones who allow us to fulfill our mission of creating community through classical music experiences that engage multigenerational audiences in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. This Giving Tuesday, we ask for your continued support of the Bach Festival so that we can continue to be the music festival not to be missed!

Visit our website or link in bio to see all the different ways you can support the Bach Festival today!

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival! 🍂🍁🦃We are so very grat...
11/28/2024

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival! 🍂🍁🦃

We are so very grateful for each and every one of you. You--our wonderful community of audience members, musicians, donors, and supporters--are why we do what we do, and we couldn't do it without you! Thank you for your continued support over the past 32 years. We can't wait to share what is in store for year 33!

Support the Bach Festival today at our link in bio!

Thank you The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County! We are so honored to be one of this year’s grant...
11/21/2024

Thank you The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County! We are so honored to be one of this year’s grant recipients!

We are thrilled to announce this year's Community Grant recipients! Granting over $145,000 to fourteen organizations, these nonprofits are receiving funding to begin a new program, grow their resources, or enhance their current initiatives. Congratulations to you all, and thank you for the positive impacts you are making in the local community!

📢 There are just 6 tickets left for the Christmas Salon Concert on December 14! The evening will include performances by...
11/21/2024

📢 There are just 6 tickets left for the Christmas Salon Concert on December 14! The evening will include performances by David Berry, Tina Hashemi, Christine Glick Fairfield, and David McCormick. Purchase your tickets now at: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/662eLg?vid=199tc7

🌲❄️ Join us for a wonderful evening of delicious food and beautiful music at the home of EMU President Susan Huxman and ...
11/14/2024

🌲❄️ Join us for a wonderful evening of delicious food and beautiful music at the home of EMU President Susan Huxman and Jesse Huxman. The concert will include a variety of holiday favorites, classical music, Christmas jazz, and more performed by SVBF artistic director David Berry, jazz vocalist Tina Hashemi, soprano Christine Glick Fairfield and friends. Proceeds from the event will help support the Bach festival's mission of providing accessible concert experiences to the community. ❄️🌲

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit: https://www.svbachfestival.org/calendar/christmas-salon-concert

The Christmas Salon Concert is sponsored by Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community.

11/08/2024

Today is the day! 🎉 Join us at 7:00pm in Lehman Auditorium for the EMU/SVBF Gala Concert: ARISE! The program celebrates hope and perseverance, featuring performances of Mahler’s “Ressurection” Symphony, select pieces for Wind Ensemble, and the ✨world premiere✨ of “Overcoming”, an interdisciplinary jazz suite starring guest artists Izaiah Montaque Harris and Tina Hashemi!

FREE ADMISSION 🎟️
$10-$20 suggested donation
All donations go to support the EMU Music Department

11/07/2024

Rehearsals are in full ✨swing✨ for the world premiere performance of "Overcoming", an interdisciplinary suite featuring jazz music and tap dance. The clip features guest artist Izaiah Montaque Harris and the EMU Jazz band. Come see the full performance TOMORROW at 7:00pm in Lehman Auditorium!

We are thrilled to introduce the EMU/SVBF Gala Concert guest artists Izaiah Montaque Harris and Tina Hashemi! To learn m...
11/05/2024

We are thrilled to introduce the EMU/SVBF Gala Concert guest artists Izaiah Montaque Harris and Tina Hashemi! To learn more about them, check out the latest blog post on our website and at our link in bio!

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1200 Park Road
Harrisonburg, VA
22802

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+15404324652

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Come hear the magnificent @domenic_salerni play works for solo violin at our new and super special Salon Concert series on Saturday, February 17! The location is amazing, but it’s a secret! Purchase your tickets and bask in the amazing experience as we share in good food, drink, and MUSIC! Purchase tickets at the link in bio!

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Our Story

The Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival is devoted to promoting an appreciation and understanding of the music of Bach and a featured composer, country, era or people. The festival takes place on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Three featured concerts with orchestra, soloists, and choir; six chamber music concerts; a Leipzig Service; and open rehearsals infuse the Valley with unequaled musical richness. Additional offerings include internships, youth programs, Road Scholar (Elderhostel), and the Virginia Baroque Performance Academy. The Festival Orchestra, with its fine professional musicians from all over the country, produces vibrant performances. Membership in the Festival Choir, a volunteer ensemble, is open to the public and allows vocalists, both amateur and professional, to sing the most celebrated works of the orchestral-choral repertoire. The quality of the performances is first-rate. The Festival, widely recognized for its artistic excellence, has been named the “jewel in Harrisonburg’s crown” by the Virginia Commission for the Arts.