BVF

The Bach Virtuosi Festival, founded by violinist Lewis Kaplan, offers residents and visitors of southern Maine a world-class concert series (August 16-23, 2020) for lovers of the baroque repertoire. BVF was well-received by the public, the press, and the artists themselves from the outset. Portland, Maine deserves performances of Bach and his contemporaries played with brilliance, love and integrity.

LOCATION

Our concerts are held in intimate spaces, St. Luke’s Cathedral and Etz Chaim Synagogue, both with marvelous acoustics, so the attendees can be close to the musicians and further their appreciation for this exalted music.

CHARITABLE CAMPAIGNS

One performance is a free benefit at the Falmouth Congregational Church. This free performance will benefit the Falmouth Food Pantry via voluntary contributions. The church administers this program for the needy in Falmouth and surrounding areas.

AEOLIAN CHAMBER PLAYERS, INC

The Bach Virtuosi Festival is presented by Aeolian Chamber Players, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The mission of Aeolian Chamber Players, Inc. is to advance the knowledge of music by presenting and supporting public performances of music and other programs, by commissioning new musical works, and by assisting talented students in their musical studies and early careers.

The corporation sponsored music performances and other musical endeavors by the Aeolian Chamber Players, a chamber music group performing throughout the United States and Europe, including residencies at various colleges and at the Bowdoin International Music Festival. It made significant grants for the performances of the Portland Bach Festival in June 2016 and 2017. The musicians who performed at PBF are the nucleus of the Bach Virtuosi Festival, which will be held again in August 2020.

BVF MANAGEMENT

Ellie Chatto is the Administrative Director of the Bach Virtuosi Festival. A Maine native, she has provided accounting and business services to non-profit organizations in Portland for the past 26 years. She was the Director of Finance for the Portland Symphony Orchestra from 2007 until 2012. During that time, she served as the Acting Executive Director of the PSO for six months. She also worked for Portland Ovations and Portix, the box office at Merrill Auditorium. She resides in S. Portland with her husband.
Brian Kaplan is the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Bach Virtuosi Festival. A specialist for independent schools, educational organizations and arts-based non-profits, Mr. Kaplan brings more than 20 years of strategic marketing experience to BVF. He recognizes how to define an organization’s distinctions through branding and the use of marketing, communications, social media, and community programs. Previously, Mr. Kaplan spent ten years in the music industry with artists, such as Lorin Maazel, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, and record companies, radio stations and artist management.