NCW ENTERTAINMENT
STORY BY KAREN LARSEN
Provided photo
The Bach Fest String Quartet performs at Rio Vista Winery.
Lake Chelan Bach Fest Live season planned for its 40th year 12
Foothills
July / August 2021
I
n 1981, Lake Chelan United Methodist Church had a new organ and church members were looking for a way to celebrate. They got together and produced a cantata featuring the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. The community was thrilled, and a group of committed individuals made plans to turn that summer performance of classical music into an annual display for the Chelan community and beyond. As the Lake Chelan Bach Fest grew, it began to attract highly acclaimed mu-
sicians from further afield and gained national acclaim. It also expanded beyond Bach to other classical composers and to other genres of music, including jazz and pop. The festival orchestra, the festival chorus and the string quartet developed into pillars of the festival. The festival is still run by volunteers and supported by local fundraising efforts. The accomplishments of the past four decades merited a grand celebration, and before 2020 the Lake Chelan
