BACH & MOZART: In Endless Ascent Bridges Centuries and Cultures Through Music
This summer, Early Music Vancouver (EMV) invites audiences to soar skyward with its 55th annual summer festival, BACH & MOZART: In Endless Ascent, running from July 26 to August 8, 2025, at various venues across Vancouver. A celebration of the intricate connection between music, nature, and spiritual elevation, this year’s theme explores timeless masterworks alongside contemporary Canadian compositions inspired by the natural world and the soul’s journey.
“Just as trees stretch upward toward the sun, we seek transcendence through music,” says EMV’s Artistic and Executive Director, Suzie LeBlanc, C.M. “This festival offers an uplifting blend of Baroque brilliance and modern innovation, linking Eastern and Western musical traditions.”
At the heart of the festival are the enduring legacies of J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart, presented in contrast and harmony with bold, modern works by Canadian composers such as Dorothy Chang, Edward Top, Lan Tung, Gregory Borton, and Grégoire Jeay. Their pieces explore everything from earthly rhythms to celestial harmonies, reflecting EMV’s commitment to cross-cultural and cross-century dialogue.
With over 50 international and Canadian early music artists participating, the festival includes many highly anticipated performances. Highlights include:
- “Silk Strings” (July 29), a mesmerizing fusion of Chinese and Baroque instruments in collaboration with Vancouver’s Sound of Dragon Society.
- “The Enchanted Forest” (July 31), featuring Baroque dance ensemble Les Jardins Chorégraphiques and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, with special guest appearances by Rande Cook and Tarun Nayar.
- “True North Variations: O Canada Reimagined” (July 27), a solo concert by Alexander Weimann, reinterpreting Canada’s national anthem with imagination and flair.
New faces join the EMV stage this year, including acclaimed vocalists Daniel Moody, Jacob Perry, and Magali Simard-Galdès, the latter of whom also serves as EMV’s 2025 Artist-in-Residence. Not only will Simard-Galdès lend her soprano talents to several concerts, she will also moderate a roundtable discussion on Sustainability in the Arts (July 30), bringing her expertise in environmental policy and culture to the forefront.
Other standout events include “Mozart’s Requiem” (August 8) at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, the emotionally resonant “Bach Cantatas: The Ascent” (August 5), and the vibrant “Baroque in Motion” free outdoor concerts on Granville Island (July 26).
With thoughtfully curated programming and a strong emphasis on sustainability, cultural dialogue, and artistic excellence, BACH & MOZART: In Endless Ascent promises to be a transcendent musical journey that elevates both heart and mind.
For the full schedule and tickets, visit earlymusic.bc.ca
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Header Image: Chloe Kim (horizontal). Photo by Curtis Perry.
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