Better,
Is
Good
19th edition - From November 15, to December 7
Program
Playlist of the month
News
Bach, Honorary Member of the Jazz Community
It’s 1984 and two men are having lunch at the Harvard Faculty Club. One of them is German musicologist Christoph Wolff, a leading Johann Sebastian Bach specialist. He was approached by the other to answer […]
Latest news from our artists (2025)
What’s new in 2025? What they’re working on… Find out more at about the artists featured in our 2025 edition. Before offering an organ recital on November 16 at Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Mont-Royal, Joseph Ripka will […]
Bach - Mendelssohn: The Tale of a Resurrection
On March 11, 1829, at the age of 20, Felix Mendelssohn conducted the St Matthew Passion at the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin (also known as the Berliner Singakademie). For the public, it was a revelation. Indeed, […]
A word from the artistic director
This year marks a special moment in our history: our festival proudly carries a new name — Festival International Bach Montréal. The addition of “international” reflects the spirit that has always been at the heart of our event: welcoming outstanding artists from around the world alongside exceptional local talents, creating connections beyond borders, and sharing Bach’s universal music with an ever-growing community.
Our festival this year runs from November 15 to December 7, 2025 — several weeks of musical celebration inviting you to a journey of joy, discovery and reflection. Whether you join us for the evening concerts or the Off-Festival events, it is a time to step away from the everyday and let music renew your spirit.
The word International captures the essence of what we build together: each year, we invite outstanding artists from around the world to Montréal. In 2025, we are especially honored to welcome the Choir of the Bach-Stiftung St. Gallen from Switzerland who will join forces with the Orchestre Festival International Bach Montréal for our grand closing concert performing the St. John Passion. Through these international collaborations, a true dialogue is created – a reminder that music transcends borders and brings people closer.
At the center of it all stands Johann Sebastian Bach, whose work continues to inspire generations across time and cultures. Bach’s music reaches both heart and mind, offering a timeless reflection of human emotion, intellect, and spirituality.
For our official opening concert on November 21, 2025, we present Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elias (Elijah). Why Mendelssohn to open a Bach Festival? Because it was Mendelssohn who, with deep admiration and vision, helped bring Bach’s masterpieces back to the world’s attention, ensuring that Bach’s music would live vibrantly into future generations.
And there is no better place than Montréal, a city rich in culture, heritage, and artistic life, where prestigious local artists perform alongside our international guests. We invite you to discover Montréal’s rich heritage across concert halls, historic churches, and unique spaces.
Welcome to Festival International Bach Montréal! May this festival open hearts, bring us closer together, and offer unforgettable musical moments to share.
Enjoy the Festival!
Alexandra Scheibler
Founder and Artistic Director
Alexandra Scheibler founded the Bach-Academie de Montréal in 2003 and has been artistic director of the Festival International Bach Montréal since 2007. She was awarded a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Hamburg with a dissertation on religious aspects in Leonard Bernstein’s life and work. She was employed in various German public broadcasters in classical music departments as well acting as assistant director for several productions at the State Opera Bern in Switzerland. As a freelance author Alexandra Scheibler wrote radio features and programme notes. In Cologne and Hamburg, she studied violin and viola and played in numerous orchestras and chamber music ensembles under such conductors as Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Frank Beerman and Alun Francis. In October 2019 the President of the Federal Republic of Germany awarded the Order of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande) and in August 2024 the Governor General of Canada awarded the Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division) to Alexandra Scheibler.
Our 2025 partners
