The Tallahassee Bach Parley and the Classical Guitar Society at FSU present “Bach on the Guitar” featuring accomplished graduate students from the Florida State University College of Music. The concert will feature Bach’s Lute Suites and his iconic Chaconne transcribed for the guitar. All donations will help provide scholarships for deserving Bach Parley String Academy students. A $10 donation is suggested.

The concert will begin with the two Lute Suites, performed by Jeremy Ávalos and Cody Switzer. These are sublimely beautiful pieces comprised of multiple dance movements that were originally written for the Lautenwerck or Lute-Harpsichord. They are full of complex counterpoint and harmonies and had a fascinating journey from their initial conception to the compositions played today. Ben Lougheed will perform the Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro, a perfectly symmetrical piece inspired by the Holy Trinity. The program will conclude with what is possibly Bach's greatest work for a solo instrument: the mighty Chaconne from Violin Partita #2, performed by Christopher J Mrofchak. He will talk about the history of the piece on the violin and how much of a scandal it was when a guitarist played it back in the 1940s. The concert will be held at 7:30 PM on Friday, April 12 at First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee, 110 North Adams Street.

The Tallahassee Bach Parley is the umbrella organization for a non-profit music school, the Bach Parley String Academy. In 2015, four teachers united to teach violin, viola, and cello at St. John’s Episcopal church, and now the String Academy has grown to six teachers, almost 100 students, and even offers ukulele classes.

For additional information about the Tallahassee Bach Parley, including the Bach Parley String Academy music school, visit www.bachparley.org.