Bach gala: The Bach Collegium Japan and soprano Joanne Lunn, directed by Masaaki Suzuki, perform 4 p.m. Nov. 7 for “The Bach Choir’s Gala Concert And Fundraiser,” Central Moravian Church, Bethlehem. The post-concert benefactor cocktail reception, gourmet food stations and auction follows at 6 p.m., Hotel Bethlehem Grand Ballroom. Proceeds benefit The Bach Choir’s educational outreach programs, including “Bach To School,” “Bach At Noon,” the “Family Concert” and the educational programs of the annual Bach Festival. The Bach Collegium Japan’s performance for the gala is one of only three performances by the Collegium in the northeastern United States during its 12-concert United States tour that includes Carnegie Hall. Suzuki, above, has said, “The music of J.S. Bach is composed in a language shared by the whole of mankind.” Greg Funfgeld, artistic director and conductor of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, first invited the Bach Collegium Japan to the Lehigh Valley for an acclaimed performance in 2006. Critics the world over have praised the Bach Collegium Japan’s performances. The program is: Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047; Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto in C major for Recorder, Strings and Continuo, RV 443; George Frideric Handel, Gloria in B-flat Major, HWV deest; Johann Sebastian Bach, Flute Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034; Antonio Vivaldi, Oboe Concerto in C Major RV450, and Johann Sebastian Bach, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51. Tickets: bach.org, 610-866-4382, ext. 10 or 15; 888-743-3100

See Article: Page 4

Schadt winner: The Allentown Symphony Orchestra concerts, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 and 3 p.m. Nov. 15, Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown, feature the winner of the National Schadt String Competition, sponsored by the Allentown Symphony Association. Violinist, Zeyu Victor Li, 18, above, is the youngest ever to win the Schadt Competition. He will play the Sibelius Violin Concerto. The concert includes the world premiere of Roberto Sierra’s “Rapsódico”; a strings-only piece, “Strut,” by Michael Daugherty, and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, Tickets: Miller Symphony Hall Box Office, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown; allentownsymphony.org; 610-432-6715