A Rare Choral Feast Awaits as Bach Akademie Australia Launches Its 2026 Season With Bach’s Complete Vocal Motets

Bach Akademie Australia opens 2026 with a breathtaking tour of Bach’s complete vocal motets, uniting choral power, Baroque brilliance and contemporary reflection

Bach Akademie Australia is set to open its 2026 season on a soaring note, bringing one of the great achievements of choral music to audiences across the east coast with Bach’s Complete Vocal Motets this February.

Running from 5 to 13 February, the five-city tour unites Bach Akademie Australia with Australia’s premier vocal ensemble, The Song Company, alongside acclaimed Dutch singer Iris Korfker, for a program that promises ensemble singing at its most profound.

BACH AKADEMIE AUSTRALIA PRESENTS BACH’S COMPLETE VOCAL MOTETS

Thursday 5 February – St John’s Southgate, Melbourne

Friday 6 February – Wollongong Art Gallery 46 Burelli St, Wollongong

Sunday 8 February – Mosman Art Gallery 1 Art Gallery Way, Mosman

Thursday 12 February – St James’ Church, Sydney

Friday 13 February – Bowral Memorial Hall 16-24 Bendooley St, Bowral

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Often described as some of the most beautiful choral works ever written, J.S. Bach’s surviving vocal motets occupy a rare and revered place in the Baroque canon. Written for four to eight voices, these works explore themes of comfort, resurrection and joy, and were originally performed at funerals and major celebrations. Unlike much of Bach’s vocal output, the motets never disappeared from performance, remaining in circulation long after his death.

Artistic Director Madeleine Easton says directing the motets is both a joy and a responsibility. “The Motets contain more inspiration, imagination and depth of emotion than almost any other works of the period,” she says. “How one person could conceive such music for eight voices is beyond imagining.”

Alongside Bach’s seven motets, the program reaches across centuries with two contemporary choral works. Australian composer Sandra Milliken’s Herr Jesus Christus pays tribute to German Lutheran pastor and WWII resister Dietrich Bonhoeffer, while Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan’s O Radiant Dawn offers a luminous and deeply spiritual counterpoint, written originally for Advent.

The collaboration brings together some of the country’s finest early music specialists. The Song Company is renowned for its innovative a cappella performances and fearless programming, while guest artist Iris Korfker brings an international pedigree that includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the Palace of Versailles and singing at the Coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

Performances will take place at St John’s Southgate, Melbourne (5 Feb), Wollongong Art Gallery (6 Feb), Mosman Art Gallery (8 Feb), St James Church, Sydney (12 Feb) and Bowral Memorial Hall (13 Feb).

Deeply spiritual, emotionally resonant and technically breathtaking, Bach’s Complete Vocal Motets offers a rare chance to experience the full power of Bach’s choral genius, brought to life by some of the finest voices in the country.

Tickets are on sale now via bachakademieaustralia.com.au.