The Bach Ensemble at St. Thomas Announces Inspiring 2026–2027 Season
Cincinnati, OH —The Bach Ensemble at St. Thomas is proud to announce its 2026–2027 season, furthering its mission to present profound and inspiring performances of the music of J. S. Bach and his musical heirs. This year’s season features six Bach Vespers services and four ticketed concerts, all presented in the Ensemble’s signature style of historically informed performance.
Now entering the third year of its Concert Season, the Ensemble presents four dynamic performances, including a collaboration with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra musicians and local high school choirs as well as a season finale featuring Bach’s seminal Mass in B-Minor.
This December, BachTet — an eight-voice ensemble drawn from the Bach Ensemble at St. Thomas — brings the warmth of the season into the heart of the community, joined at each performance by one of the finest high school music programs in the city: Cincinnati Country Day, Walnut Hills High School, and Taylor High School. East, central, and west Cincinnati each host an evening built around carols and choral works of the season.
Each concert unfolds in some of Cincinnati’s most beautiful sacred spaces, tucked away in the quiet of a Cincinnati suburb rather than the bustle of downtown — settings where the acoustics, the architecture, and the stillness all become part of the experience. These evenings offer that rare fusion of the contemplative and the artistic: a chance to sit back and feel the season arrive, while also leaning forward into music of real craft and depth.
Pairing BachTet’s seasoned voices with Cincinnati’s most gifted young singers, each concert is a celebration of this city’s remarkable musical roots — proof that world-class choral artistry and hometown talent belong on the same stage. Come be still, be moved, and be reminded of what the season sounds like when it’s sung well. There performances take place at St. Gertrude on December 11, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church on December 12, and at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church on December 13.
On April 25, 2027 the Ensemble will present Bach’s glorious Mass in B-Minor, a choral monument featuring the Bach Ensemble Orchestra and Chorale. This masterwork was composed at the end of Bach’s life and was a summation of his faith and music. This special performance takes place at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Cincinnati.
The Ensemble’s Bach Vespers, presented monthly on Sunday evenings, continue to be offered free of charge, blending the liturgical beauty of evening prayer with masterworks of sacred music. Each Vespers has as its center a performance of one of J.S. Bach’s cantatas in the context for which it was written, honoring the composer’s intentions while making his work vital for contemporary listeners. A 30-minute organ recital from some of the finest organists in our region serves as a prelude to the service. The first Vespers of the season are Sunday, September 20, and Sunday, October 11.
“Each season with the Bach Ensemble begins the same way, says Bach Ensemble Artistic Director and Founder Carlton Monroe. “Our musicians come together in a space and place meant for this music–a liturgical setting which shapes the music as much as we do. When you assemble the incredible community of Cincinnati-rooted artists in that space, something rare emerges: a Vespers experience that is both contemplative and intellectually alive, something that is rare and sought-after in this time. I’m proud to have spent nearly two decades building this idea from the ground up. It’s not just a concert, nor just a service. It’s a conversation that we invite our community into.”
For full season details, ticket information, and partnership opportunities, visit www.bachensemble.org
About the Bach Ensemble at St. Thomas
The Bach Ensemble at St. Thomas enriches and inspires the musical life of the Cincinnati area through the performance of the music of J. S. Bach, his contemporaries, and his musical heirs. Every performance aspires to be an encounter that is genuinely transformative. The Ensemble approaches Bach’s music as an inexhaustible source of meaning, inviting audiences into discovery rather than passive reception.
The BEST serves as ensemble-in-residence at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, where it leads the monthly Bach Vespers, performing the cantatas of J. S. Bach in the context for which they are written. The ensemble’s musicians are some of the finest in the region, including many from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
The BEST is committed to highest standards of historically informed performance, bringing scholarship and artistry into full partnership as well as artistic collaborations with other musical ensembles. The Bach Ensemble is under the artistic direction of its founder, Carlton Monroe.