OBF Radio Festival Listening Guide

Thank you for joining us for the 2020 OBF Radio Festival! To help enhance your listening experience, we’ve created a single resource of names, dates, texts, translations, and tidbits that we thought might be helpful. The OBF Radio Festival Listening Guide contains expanded information for each broadcast, including notes, list of movements, and translations. Many …

OBF 2020 Radio Festival

The Grammy Award-winning Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) announces a 2020 Radio Festival, featuring a lineup of historic recordings from some of the world’s top classical musicians, and the rare opportunity for audiences to enjoy previously archived LIVE and studio recordings throughout the past five decades. Hosted by Peter van de Graaff, the Radio Festival will …

Shannon Mockli Wants to Provide A Safe Space To Express Through Dance

University of Oregon Associate Professor of Dance Shannon Mockli makes sure to engage her body on a daily basis, taking time to reflect and appreciate nature. “Walking offers me wonderful reflection time where I contemplate just about everything from teaching to art to finding more balance and happiness in my life,” she says. This has …

Alito Alessi Wants Everyone, No Matter Their Ability, To Express Themselves Through Dance

DanceAbility International founder and creative director Alito Alessi believes all people should have an opportunity to express themselves, no matter their level of ability or skill. DanceAbility’s philosophy is that all people are taught to dance without isolating anyone, and people’s conditions are not problems. “Isolation and separation are the problems to solve, and DanceAbility …

Music with Meaning: Oregon Bach Festival Artists Express Personal Perspectives Through Performance

For nearly 50 years, Oregon Bach Festival has showcased the incomparable works of composer J. S. Bach, and those inspired by his timeless masterpieces. This mission continues in 2019, with a collection of creative and innovative artists who express their own unique experiences and personal perspectives through music. Bach in Motion (July 5) A year …

Bach in Motion: A Celebration of Music and Movement

A major event during the 2019 Oregon Bach Festival has been a year in the making. When OBF Executive Director Janelle McCoy spoke with Mobility International USA CEO and co-founder Susan Sygall, the two came up with an idea to combine music, movement, and awareness that is centered on Bach. Bach in Motion was born …

Singer and Radio Personality Peter van de Graaff Shares Love of Classical Music Over The Airwaves

American singer and radio personality Peter van de Graaff surrounds himself with music, whether it is singing with his wife, Kathleen, or hosting for KWAX at the University of Oregon or Beethoven Satellite Network. “Two things are a constant in my life: concert attendance and listening to recorded music. Whenever I’m engaged in either activity I’m always thinking …

Organist Paul Jacobs Raises The Bar

Despite growing up in a non-musical family in a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania, organist Paul Jacobs became a prodigy, and at 15 years old was appointed head organist of a parish of 3,500 in his hometown. “I was fortunate to have excellent musical training and mentors during those formative years. I remain indebted to my …

New York Polyphony Embraces Medieval Melodies in Modern Times

Building New York Polyphony has been a labor of love for the artists, including bass baritone Craig Phillips. “It’s been a twelve-year entrepreneurial adventure and has required a lot of care and attention to the business side of things—marketing, budgeting, scheduling, networking, etc.,” Craig says. “It may not sound very exciting, but it’s very satisfying …

Mezzo-Soprano Elizabeth DeShong Incorporates Observational Awareness in Career, Life

It isn’t fancy recital halls or big-name collaborations that mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong remembers as her most cherished accomplishments. These are actually conversations with other artists, moments of mutual appreciation and intrinsic artistic understanding. “That said, I would have to say that having [Supreme Court Justice] Ruth Bader Ginsburg attend my recital at the Kennedy Center …