Music of the Baroque’s 2026–27 season hits all the right notes

Music of the Baroque’s 2026–27 season promises an ambitious mix of Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and other Baroque and Classical masters, with eight programs taking audiences from September through May at some of the Chicago area’s most distinctive concert venues.

Music of the Baroque is heading into its 2026–27 season with a lineup that moves effortlessly from Mozart’s final symphonies and Bach’s monumental Mass in B Minor to candlelit choral music, holiday brass and a theatrical reconstruction of a “lost” Bach Passion.

The eight-program season brings the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra together with an international roster of conductors and soloists at venues including the Harris Theater, Symphony Center, the North Shore Center and several of Chicago’s beautiful churches.

The season opens Sept. 27 and 28 with “Mozart’s Summit,” pairing Dame Jane Glover with longtime friend and collaborator Dame Imogen Cooper for what is billed as their final performance together. Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, Piano Concerto No. 27 and Symphony No. 41, the celebrated “Jupiter,” create a program centered on the composer’s final orchestral masterpieces.

Next comes “Vivaldi & Beyond,” Oct. 18 and 19, led by Nicholas Kraemer. The program traces the evolution of 18th-century orchestral music through works by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, C.P.E. Bach, Telemann and Haydn. Concertmaster Gina DiBello takes the spotlight in Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in E-flat Major, while Mary Stolper and Laura Osterlund join for Telemann’s Concerto in E Minor for Recorder and Flute.

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On Nov. 22 and 23, Glover leads the chorus, orchestra and four internationally acclaimed soloists in Bach’s “Mass in B Minor.” Often regarded as one of Western music’s supreme achievements, the monumental work brings together Bach’s intricate musical architecture and deeply expressive choral writing. The soloists are Joélle Harvey, soprano; Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano; Colin Ainsworth, tenor; and Roderick Williams, baritone.

The holiday season gets its own musical showcase with “Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts,” Dec. 17–20. Andrew Megill conducts the Music of the Baroque Chorus & Brass Ensemble in four performances at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, St. Michael Church in Chicago (Old Town), Saints Faith, Hope & Charity Church in Winnetka and Alice Millar Chapel at Northwestern University in Evanston. Music by Gabrieli, Praetorius and others will move through centuries of sacred sound, from ancient chant to festive works for brass and chorus.

The new year brings “English Eccentrics,” Jan. 24 and 25, with conductor David Bates leading a colorful program devoted to the English Baroque. Music by Purcell, Locke, Blow, Boyce, Avison and Handel promises plenty of theatrical flair, including suites from Abdelazer, The Tempest, Venus and Adonis and Handel’s Il pastor fido.

March brings one of the season’s most unusual offerings with “Bach’s Markus-Passion,” March 21 and 22. Music of the Baroque will present the Chicago premiere of the Concert Theatre Works reconstruction of Bach’s lost St. Mark Passion. Glover conducts, with British actor Joseph Marcell serving as narrator and Bill Barclay as director. The cast also includes Pascale Beaudin, Cody Bowers, Eric Ferring and Jonathan Woody.

Following his acclaimed 2025 Music of the Baroque debut, Marc Minkowski returns April 11 and 12 for “Minkowski Returns.” The program combines Charpentier’s jubilant Te Deum, Mozart’s Oboe Concerto in C Major, featuring Anne Bach, and Haydn’s powerful Lord Nelson Mass. Music of the Baroque also will perform Charpentier’s Te Deum for the first time in 20 years.

The season closes May 16 and 17 with “Celestial Voices—From Darkness to Light,” a program designed around the atmosphere of two candlelit churches. Nicholas Kraemer conducts music spanning centuries, from Byrd, Rheinberger and Telemann to Bach, Purcell, Handel and Monteverdi. Among the featured works are Rheinberger’s Abendlied, Bach’s Christ lag in Todesbanden, Handel’s Eternal Source of Light Divine and Monteverdi’s Gloria a 7.

The season’s geographic range is part of its appeal, with performances stretching from Skokie and Winnetka to River Forest and Evanston, while Chicago dates bring the organization to the Harris Theater, Symphony Center and Fourth Presbyterian Church.

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For longtime Music of the Baroque audiences, the season offers plenty of familiar favorites, but there are also intriguing discoveries, including the reconstructed Bach Markus-Passion and the return of Minkowski. Taken together, the 2026–27 lineup is a sweeping musical journey through the Baroque and Classical eras, anchored by the artistry of Glover and the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra.

2026–27 season at a glance

• Mozart’s Summit — Sept. 27–28

• Vivaldi & Beyond — Oct. 18–19

• Bach—Mass in B Minor — Nov. 22–23

• Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts — Dec. 17–20

• English Eccentrics — Jan. 24–25

• Bach’s Markus-Passion — March 21–22

• Minkowski Returns — April 11–12

• Celestial Voices—From Darkness to Light — May 16–17

Programs, dates, times, locations and artists are subject to change.

(For tickets, more info, visit baroque.org)