Bach Akademie Charlotte Appoints Scott Allen Jarrett as Artistic Director

BACH AKADEMIE CHARLOTTE APPOINTS SCOTT ALLEN JARRETT AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CHARLOTTE, NC August 21, 2017 - The newly founded Bach Akademie Charlotte has announced the immediate appointment of conductor and Bach expert Scott Allen Jarrett as Artistic Director. Jarrett will lead the Bach Akademie in its inaugural year of programming, culminating in a week-long Bach Festival in June of 2018. The Bach Akademie presents historically informed performance of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries with their collaborative partner, the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra. No stranger to Charlotte, Jarrett was Director of Choruses and Assistant Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony from 2004 - 2015, where he led memorable performances of both B Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, amongst many others. “I’m absolutely thrilled to rejoin the arts community in Charlotte with music that I care about so deeply,” said Jarrett. “The music of Bach inspires the heart, mind, and soul like no other composer, and I’m honored to teach and perform this repertoire for Charlotte audiences alongside the talented musicians of our new Cantata Choir and North Carolina Baroque Orchestra.” Jarrett, who lives in Boston, has become known for his expertise in the music of Bach, leading performances with the Handel Haydn Society, the Oregon Bach Festival, Boston University Marsh Chapel, Trinity Wall Street, Seraphic Fire, and, this year, with Bach Collegium-San Diego. “Bringing one of the country’s leading Bach experts back to the region in this capacity is a milestone for the choral arts community in Charlotte”, says Bach Akademie Charlotte founder and board chair Mike Trammell. “Dr. Jarrett possesses the unique ability to engage an audience and explore the depth of the music beyond the presentation of pitches and rhythms, offering a glimpse into the reality of Bach’s time.” In June of 2017, Jarrett led performances of St. Matthew Passion at the Oregon Bach Festival to critical acclaim: “This was an elevated performance, one that was never overly controlled or pushed, but allowed to happen. Scott Allen Jarrett is the opposite of a martinet on the podium: a willing participant, co-operating with the other forces to forge a creative atmosphere. Key to the overall success of this performance was the pacing set by Jarrett: always forward, never stalling, propelling the drama with vigor and foresight. Jarrett kept everything moving upward – almost a musical metaphor toward salvation. “ (Bruce Brown, Oregon Arts Watch) Bach Akademie Charlotte will open their 2017-18 Cantata Series with Jarrett leading performances of BWV 80 and 140 on Sunday, October 22 at St. Alban’s in Davidson at 3PM; and at Myers Park Presbyterian Church at 7:30PM. For tickets and more information, visit www.bacharlotte.com.