Led by H+H Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen, this program will also be performed in Boston at Old South Church and in Cambridge at Sanders Theatre.
BOSTON | Handel and Haydn Society Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen will lead the 211-year-old ensemble in its Carnegie Hall debut, Bach + Telemann on May 14, 2026, then present this all-Baroque program at Old South Church in Boston’s Copley Square on May 15 and Sanders Theatre in Cambridge on May 16. Soprano Robin Johannsen, countertenor Christopher Lowrey, tenor Guy Cutting, and bass-baritone Dingle Yardell join the H+H Orchestra to perform three moving funeral cantatas by Bach and Telemann alongside Bach’s intimate Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, played on the period instruments this music was written for.
The pieces to be performed in Bach + Telemann set the standard for today’s understanding of Baroque music with imaginative blending of instrumental colors, textures, and balance. Emotionally powerful vocal lines in the cantatas reflect on our common and limited humanity, but not without hope. The works showcase some of the most distinctive instruments of the Baroque period: the old-style viola da gamba (held between the legs), whose rich tone blends beautifully with both voice and other instruments, and theorbo, a large, 17th-century plucked instrument from the lute family that adds to the deep bass line. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 is the only concerto in the set that does not include violin; instead viola, cello, and two viola da gambas create a deep, lower-voiced timbre.
“I very much look forward to sharing this beautiful and profound program with audiences in New York and Boston,” said Cohen. “Hearing these intimate Baroque works performed on the instruments they were composed for and played by musicians who are deeply committed to this repertoire accentuates the beauty of the music. When immersed in the sound-world of Bach and Telemann, one finds inspiration and renewal.”
Concert Information
The Handel and Haydn Society presents Bach + Telemann:
Thursday, May 14 at 7:30pm at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall (881 7th Avenue, New York, NY) Friday, May 15 at 7:30pm at Old South Church (645 Boylston St, Boston, MA)
Saturday, May 16 at 7:30pm at Sanders Theatre (45 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA)
Program:
J.S. Bach: Cantata 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden
J.S. Bach: Cantata 106, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 6
Telemann: Cantata, Du aber Daniel gehe hin
Tickets for concerts on May 15 and 16 are available for purchase by calling 617.262.1815 or visiting handelandhaydn.org.
Musically Speaking
Beginning 45 minutes before the performance at Old South Church and one hour prior to the performance at Sanders Theatre, all concert goers are welcome to attend “Musically Speaking” led by Teresa Neff, H+H’s Christopher Hogwood Historically Informed Performance Fellow. This pre-concert talk provides background and context about the music and composers on the program and includes a period instrument demonstration by an H+H musician.
About the Handel and Haydn Society
Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society performs Baroque and Classical music with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. Called “one of the most exciting ensembles of historically informed performances in the world” (OperaWire), H+H has been captivating audiences for 211 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States), speaking to its singular success at welcoming new audiences to this extraordinary music, generation after generation.
H+H performed the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah in its first concert in 1815, gave the American premiere in 1818, and ever since has been both a musical and a civic leader in the Boston community. During the Civil War, H+H gave numerous concerts in support of the Union Army (H+H member Julia Ward Howe wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) and on January 1, 1863, H+H performed at the Grand Jubilee Concert celebrating the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. Two years later, H+H performed at the memorial service for Abraham Lincoln.
H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 76,000 listeners annually through concerts at Symphony Hall and other leading venues as well as radio broadcasts. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Learning and Education Program, H+H supports eight youth choirs of singers in grades 2–12 and provides thousands of complimentary tickets to students and communities throughout Boston, ensuring the joy of music is accessible to all. H+H provides deeply discounted tickets and hosts special events for undergraduate students and concertgoers under 40 through the H+H Masterpass and H² membership programs. H+H has released 16 CDs on the CORO label and has toured nationally and internationally. In all these ways, H+H fulfills its mission to inspire the intellect, touch the heart, elevate the soul, and connect all of us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music.