The Tallahassee Bach Parley brings the music of Baroque-era composers like J. S. Bach to life. Performing on period-style instruments, we offer unique, exceptional concert experiences that educate our community and encourage the talents of our region’s professional and student musicians.

We present Baroque music as it was performed hundreds of years ago with a fresh sound immediately accessible today. The Bach Parley’s musicians – local professional performers and teachers, FSU faculty, and college students – are trained in historically informed performance. Many Bach Parley musicians also perform in Baroque music groups around the country, such as in Atlanta, New York, Texas, and Boston.

The Tallahassee Bach Parley will present three Baroque music concerts this season, along with “Bach’s Lunch” concerts and the Bach Parley Book Club. The French word “parley” means discussion, and a key element of Bach Parley concerts is the commentary from our music director to discuss historical context for the composers and their world and to offer suggestions about what to listen for in the music. These conversational remarks create a relaxed concert atmosphere and connect the audience with the performers.

TLH Bach Parley Group
(photo: Nick Baldwin)
Administration

President & Music Director

Valerie Catherine Prebys

Board of Directors

Jonathan Jackson, Interim Chair

Denise Williams, Secretary

Ava Prebys, Treasurer

Jim Alves

Michael Corzine

Rick Effinger

Carla King Richardson

Greg Springer

Kris Watson

History of Bach Parley

Bach Parley Concert Series

The French word “parley” means discussion; a key element of each concert is the commentary by our Music Director which provides historical context for the composers and compositions and offers suggestions about what to listen for in the music. These conversational remarks create a relaxed concert atmosphere and connect the audience with the performers.

On June 4, 2017, the season finale concert marked the debut of the Bach Parley Chamber Singers, a 12-voice vocal ensemble. Because the Bach Parley started out as primarily a vocal group in 1981, it has been a goal of our Long-Range Plan to reintroduce repertoire for chorus and instruments together, and the Chamber Singers will return on June 3, 2018.

Tallahassee Bach Parley concerts feature local professional musicians and are free and open to the public, with a $10 suggested donation. This allows community members of all income levels to attend. In addition, we encourage membership contributions at multiple levels from concertgoers who are interested in further supporting the Bach Parley.

Bach Parley String Academy

The Bach Parley String Academy, our non-profit music school, opened in fall 2015. The mission of the Bach Parley String Academy is to cultivate in Tallahassee’s youth an appreciation for and achievement in music, nurture positive character development, and bridge cultural divisions through the common language of music. Through our partnership with St. John’s Episcopal Church, we teach violin, viola, and cello lessons in their classrooms during weekdays. By providing access to high quality music instruction in a central downtown location, and by raising funds and offering need-based scholarships, we can strengthen existing public school and community string programs throughout the Big Bend region.