The internationally renowned Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) and the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance are pleased to announce the 2026 festival lineup of concerts and artists.
The upcoming season, which runs June 27 through July 12, invites audiences into a world where Creation and Invention are not just lofty themes, but lively, mischievous forces—woven through the music of Bach and his artistic descendants, and mirrored in the milestones we celebrate together. As the United States marks its 250th anniversary and the University of Oregon (UO) commemorates 150 years, OBF honors two grand acts of imagination: a nation and a university, each launched by bold ideas, sustained by restless curiosity, and shaped by a refusal to settle for the ordinary.
The spirit of Creation and Invention fuels a remarkable lineup of performances, including a dawn-themed event at Mount Angel Abbey on June 27, a baroque evening that focuses on the elemental forces of nature (July 8), and Bach’s Inventions / Reinventions from pianist Dan Tepfer, “one of the moment’s most adventurous and relevant musicians” (New York Magazine), also on June 27. On July 5, the festival honors its longtime chorus director, Kathy Saltzman Romey, with a performance of The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, and the festival closes on July 12 when legendary conductor and OBF artistic partner Jos van Veldhoven passionately leads Haydn’s The Creation.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, Oregon Bach Festival offers four concerts celebrating the richness and complexity of the American story. Rather than familiar patriotic anthems, audiences will experience music that reflects the many perspectives, histories, and dreams that shape life in the United States. Newly appointed OBF artistic partner Ken-David Masur conducts the sweepingly optimistic Dvořák ‘New World’ Symphony and the West Coast premiere of American Indian Symphony from Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (July 2). OBF partners with Chamber Music Northwest on June 30 for Voices of Our Land—dedicated to the many traditions, cultures, and voices that merge to create our American heritage.
On June 28, Ukrainian conductor Natalia Ponomarchuk leads Beyond Borders—a matinee featuring music from refugees, including an OBF co‑commission and West Coast premiere from Emmy-winner Milad Yousufi.
The OBF semiquincentennial series concludes on July 9, when Gemma New returns to OBF with a massive tapestry concert of American music, including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, a multimedia performance of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and The Tender Land suites, Margaret Bonds’ Credo conducted by Anton Armstrong, and the third iteration of the OBF New Transcriptions Project. “Magician at the keyboard” (The Boston Globe) Conrad Tao features on piano.
In recognition of the UO sesquicentennial, van Veldhoven offers two secular cantatas—including “The Contest between Phoebus and Pan”—written by Bach during his time at the University of Leipzig (July 5). The prestigious Berwick Academy for Historically Informed Performance performs an evening of works by Telemann, who famously dropped out of law school to become a musician (June 29).
Three concerts feature superstar musicians returning to the festival and specifically highlight Bach’s sphere of influence. On July 3, Tepfer is joined by “blindingly impressive” (The New York Times) flutist Emi Ferguson for Bach’s Living Room. The morning performance includes works from Francesco Antonio Bonporti—widely credited with influencing Bach’s Inventions. Grammy‑winner and perennial OBF favorite Paul Jacobs pays homage to Felix Mendelssohn’s 1840 all‑Bach organ program on July 6, and Grammy‑winning Chris Thile performs selections from his acclaimed mandolin solo recordings of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas on July 11 – including the second volume out now – alongside his signature post-genre blend of compositional rigor, folksy stagecraft, and improvisational brilliance.
The festival schedule rounds out with performances from iconic vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, the elite Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy, and a liederabend concert featuring lauded vocal soloists.
The festival is held in Eugene, with events at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, historic Beall Concert Hall on the University of Oregon campus, and local churches. The festival also travels to Mount Angel Abbey and Kaul Auditorium. More information can be found at OregonBachFestival.org.
###
Oregon Bach Festival has presented the masterworks of J.S. Bach, and composers inspired by his work, to audiences in Eugene and throughout the State of Oregon for more than five decades. In addition to traditional choral-orchestral masterworks, the festival also presents internationally renowned guest artists and offers educational opportunities, children and family programing, and community events.
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon’s flagship public university. The UO School of Music and Dance presents more than 300 concerts and events during the academic year featuring scholars, guest artists, faculty artists, and student ensembles. The wealth of concert material ranges from contemporary dance to African dance, early and classical music to contemporary music, world music, and jazz.