50th Anniversary Gala Concert!
To open our Golden Anniversary Season, we have requested that Bay Area harpsichordists Janine Johnson and Yuko Tanaka lead a string ensemble in four Bach keyboard concerti for one and two harpsichords. This program was a hit at the 2017 Berkeley Early Music Festival, one of the premier early music events in the United States. Elizabeth Blumenstock and Kati Kyme, principal violinists with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, will lead an ensemble of five string players for a beautifully balanced sound with one instrument per part. The small ensemble is well suited to our venue and will allow the harpsichords to shine, singly and together, in a festive display of Bach’s genius.

Janine Johnson studied music and painting at CSU Northridge.  She began building and decorating harpsichords and fortepianos at an early age and works with nationally renowned harpsichord builder John Phillips in Berkeley. She concertizes in the Bay Area and beyond.

Yuko Tanaka is a solo harpsichordist and member of several ensembles, including Music of the Spheres and Philharmonia Baroque Chamber Players, and concertizes in the US and Europe. She holds a DMA from Stanford University, studied with the legendary harpsichordist Gustave Leonhardt in the Netherlands, and performed for many years with the Carmel Bach Festival.

Program:
For harpsichord(s) and string ensemble
Concerto in D major, BWV 1054: Yuko Tanaka
Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052: Janine Johnson
Double Concerto in C major, BWV 1061
Double Concerto in C minor, BWV 1060