Celebrate the life of Bach and his music at the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene this summer. Visit the Cuthbert Amphitheatre during the Willamette Valley Folk Festival.

From classical to folk, Eugene celebrates music throughout the spring and summer months during two lively festivals. The Oregon Bach Festival, set at the University of Oregon, is celebrated during the summer. The Willamette Valley Folk Festival occurs in May, bringing a variety of musical styles to one stage. Both festivals offer performances by well-known artists, from Garrison Keillor and Sarah Chang to The Indigo Girls and Ben Harper.

Oregon Bach Festival

Describing itself as a “concentration of major choral-orchestral works, educational offerings, and family atmosphere”, the Oregon Bach Festival returns to the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, this summer. The music festival runs June 27 – July 13th, offering a variety of classical music concerts, classes and musical fun for everyone. The festival schedule of artists and conductors include

• Helmuth Rilling – original founder of the Oregon Bach Festival in 1970, Rilling, a German organist and conductor, came to Eugene to perform conducting workshops. A Grammy Award winner in 2000, he won Best Choral Performance, which he conducted at the Oregon Bach Festival.
• Anton Armstrong - Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College and conductor of the St. Olaf Choir
• Sarah Chang – internationally celebrated violinist
• Garrison Keillor – writer of A Prairie Home Companion, including Lake Wobegon Days, Keillor will perform as a guest artist at this year’s festival
• Shanghai Quartet – performing classical and traditional Chinese folk music, regulars on NPR
• The 5 Browns – With several #1 Billboard Classical chart-toppers, this family of pianists perform classical and jazz inspired compilations, from two to five-piano arrangements.
• Robert Levin – famous pianist will perform his soloist arrangements at the Silva Concert Hall

With two main concert venues, the Silva Concert Hall at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts and the Beall Concert Hall at the University of Oregon School of Music, visitors are sure to discover the delight of classical music. Other concert venues include two historic local churches in Eugene: the First Baptist Church and First Christian Church. Festival events are held both indoors and outdoors. The festival offers a Master Class in conducting, for choral and orchestral conductors. With more than 30,000 annual visitors both local and international, the city of Eugene hastily awaits the opening of the Oregon Bach Festival.

Willamette Valley Folk Festival

In 2007, the Willamette Valley Folk Festival moved from the ERB Memorial Union on the campus of the University of Oregon to the more roomy Cuthbert Amphitheatre, located at Alton Baker Park. Situated next to Autzen Stadium and the Willamette River, the amphitheatre holds over 4,000 concert-goers. The festival includes three days of concerts, dancing, food and art booths. The event is held in May each year. The 2008 dates are yet to be announced.

The folk festival began as a free event put on by the UO’s Cultural Forum. Previous festival performers include Ben Harper, Doc Watson, The Indigo Girls, Neville Brothers, Reggae Allstars and last year’s headliner, Jackie Greene. Music styles include bluegrass, world folk, jazz, blues, rock and many others. Make sure to check out this years Willamette Valley Folk Festival in Eugene, happening this May.