The Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC), along with organist Matthew Larkin and Ensemble Caprice Baroque Orchestra, will be taking its music to China with an invitation to perform at the prestigious Meet in Beijing festival in April 2016. The OBC will be performing several concerts, including masterclasses led by artistic director Dr. Lisette Canton, in Beijing and Shanghai. This will include performing in the Opening Ceremonies of the festival with the Symphony Orchestra of the National Opera of China. Performance venues will comprise the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Concert Hall at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, and the Beijing Concert Hall.

The OBC will be performing the works of several Baroque masters, including J.S. Bach, and Canadian works by Healey Willan, Rupert Lang, Leonard Enns, Diane Loomer and Harry Somers, among others. The members of the OBC will also be polishing their Mandarin as they present the Chinese folksong Mo Li Hua.

The OBC is very excited to be invited to China after its recent invitation to perform at the Bachfest Leipzig 2014 at the Thomaskirche, in Leipzig, Germany, as the first Canadian choir ever to be invited. The OBC is happy to include the tour in its season along with its subscription series, intimate concerts, community outreach, and a CD recording planned in this season of choral wonders.

The Ottawa Bach Choir was founded in 2002 by Dr. Lisette Canton and offers a wide range of choral music from all historical periods, featuring some of Canada’s top choristers. With the combination of a scholarly and emotional approach, the OBC provides an unforgettable experience of choral music at its best. The OBC has toured extensively in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The OBC has also been invited to perform in many other festivals in Ottawa, Quebec City, and most recently in Toronto at the Luminato Festival performing in the much-anticipated Apocalypsis by Canada’s own R. Murray Schafer.