February 2020 Christian Hertzog writes…Five vocalists and nine instrumentalists, in varying configurations, played works by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, François Couperin, Jean-Philippe Rameau and other 17th and 18th century French composers.
Review: Bach Collegium San Diego visits France in delightful program
December 2019 Ken Herman of ‘San Diego Story’ writes…The December 22, 2019, performance by the Bach Collegium San Diego of G. F. Handel’s complete “Messiah” in the Baker-Baum Concert Hall of the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla benefited greatly from the new hall’s splendid acoustics, high ceiling and clean sight lines. Of even greater import, the Bach Collegium’s fresh, insightful approach to 18th-century period performance practice gave it uncanny communicative powers to a 21st-century audience.
BCSD Brings Compelling Period “Messiah” to The Conrad in La Jolla
May 2019 - Ken Herman of ‘San Diego Story’ writes…"The Bach Collegium San Diego, San Diego’s estimable early music ensemble, presented a thrilling concert version of the music Purcell wrote for his 1691 semi-opera “King Arthur” on Friday, May 3, 2019, at Point Loma’s All Souls’ Episcopal Church." Read the rest of the review by clicking below.
Bach Collegium San Diego Reveals the Musical Glory of Purcell’s ‘King Arthur’
May 2019 - Marcus Overton of the ‘San Diego Union Tribune’ writes…
"Founder and artistic director Ruben Valenzuela assembled an extraordinary ensemble of instrumentalists and singers who gave a gleaming, juicy performance of music now 320 years old, making it sound as fresh and alive as yesterday." Read the rest of the review by clicking below.
In Henry Purcell’s ‘King Arthur’, Bach Collegium Delivers a Spectacular Performance
February 2019 - Marcus Overton of the ‘San Diego Union Tribune’ writes…‘Something special happened at All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Point Loma Friday night: Bach Collegium San Diego presented “Transcendence,” a concert of music for double choir that left the capacity audience stunned into silence before they jumped to their feet.’ Read the rest of the review by clicking below.
Bach Collegium San Diego’s ‘Transcendence’ Just About Perfect….
December 2018 - Ken Herman of ‘San Diego Story’ writes…’Ruben Valenzuela’s Bach Collegium San Diego (BCSD) gave an electric performance of J. S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Friday (December 14) in the capacious sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church of San Diego. Sung in German by a strong 19 member chorus, accompanied by a fleet 25-piece period instrument ensemble, and guided by Artistic Director Valenzuela’s acute sense of Baroque period performance practice, this concert brought us amazingly close to Bach’s musical world.’ Read the rest of the review by clicking below.
Bach Collegium San Diego’s Stirring J.S. Bach Christmas Oratorio
December 2018 - Marcus Overton of the ‘San Diego Union-Tribune’ writes…‘Amid the appalling barrage of schlocky “seasonal” music wherever we go, a small but brilliant ray of musical light emerged Friday night at First United Methodist Church in Mission Valley, where Bach Collegium San Diego presented a first-class performance of four parts of J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
So many things were so wonderfully right with this performance — repeated Saturday evening at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Cardiff — that it’s hard to know where to begin.’ Read the rest of the review by clicking below.
Bach Collegium’s first-class Christmas Oratorio shines bright this holiday season
May 2018 - Ken Herman of ‘San Diego Story’ writes…’The revival of Europe’s interest in the music of J. S. Bach was launched in 1829 in Berlin by a performance of the composer’s monumental Passion According to St. Matthew under the baton of Felix Mendelssohn. In comparison, the revival of interest in the music of English composer Henry Purcell in North America started in the 1950s with church musicians who liked to play Purcell’s Trumpet Voluntary at weddings as a processional.’ Read the entire review by clicking below.
Bach Collegium San Diego Celebrates the Musical Virtues of Henry Purcell
March 2018 - Ken Herman of ‘San Diego Story’ writes...'Bach Collegium San Diego’s Friday concert at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Hillcrest offered the best of both worlds: one of the familiar, cherished motets by J. S. Bach and rarely heard works by Heinrich Schütz and Domenico Scarlatti.'
Bach Collegium San Diego’s Splendid Baroque Motets and Canticles
December 2017 - BCSD received two wonderful reviews for its recent performances of Messiah. The first is from David Gregson at Opera West...’One of the better performances of Handel's 'Messiah' you are ever likely to hear moved peripatetically up the coast from San Diego to Carlsbad...The transparency of the instrumental textures, the clean diction and clarity of the choral lines and their subtle dynamic shadings all served to thrill us and to reveal the genius of the composer. Read the complete review below.
Bach Collegium San Diego’s Wonderful Peripatetic Handel’s Messiah
December 2017 - A second review comes from Ken Herman at ‘San Diego Story’..."Here in San Diego County...Bach Collegium San Diego has been the leading light of historically informed performance at an internationally recognized standard, and the Collegium's annual 'Messiah' performance has been its crown jewel.’ Read the complete review below.