The Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung is a classical music ensemble based in Switzerland that specializes in the performance of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. The ensemble was founded in 2006 by Rudolf Lutz, a Swiss conductor and organist who serves as the artistic director of the group. Lutz founded the Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung as part of a larger project to perform and record all of Bach's cantatas. The project, which began in 2006 and is expected to take over 25 years to complete, involves the performance of one cantata per week in the town of Trogen, Switzerland. Each performance is recorded and released on CD and DVD, with the goal of creating a complete recorded archive of Bach's cantatas. The Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung is made up of a core group of musicians who perform regularly with the ensemble, as well as a larger pool of guest musicians who are brought in for specific performances. The core group includes musicians from Switzerland, Germany, and other European countries, and is made up of both established professionals and up-and-coming young musicians. One of the highlights of the Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung's performances is their use of historically informed performance practices. This means that the ensemble strives to perform Bach's music in a way that is as close as possible to the way it would have been performed during Bach's lifetime. This includes the use of period instruments, such as baroque violins and harpsichords, and the use of techniques such as ornamentation and improvisation that were common in Bach's time. The Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung has received critical acclaim for their performances and recordings of Bach's cantatas. In 2010, the ensemble was awarded the Echo Klassik award for their recording of Bach's cantata "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis." The Echo Klassik is one of the most prestigious classical music awards in Germany, and is awarded annually to outstanding recordings and performances in various categories. In addition to their work on the Bach cantata project, the Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung also performs other works by Bach and other composers of the baroque era. They have performed at major music festivals throughout Europe, including the Lucerne Festival, the Rheingau Musik Festival, and the Bachfest Leipzig. Overall, the Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung is a highly respected ensemble that is dedicated to the performance and recording of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Their commitment to historically informed performance practices and their ongoing project to record all of Bach's cantatas make them a unique and important presence in the world of classical music.

More....