Renowned classical music guitarist Eliot Fisk launched the summer 2026 “Bach at Noon” concert series, June 9, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Allentown.

Fisk, guitar, joined soloists Katelyn Grace Jackson, soprano; Aryssa Leigh Burrs, mezzo-soprano; Nathan Hodgson, tenor, and Steven Eddy, baritone.

Dr. Christopher Jackson, Artistic Director, Bach Choir of Bethlehem, conducted the concert.

Fisk, described by The New York Times as a “fiery missionary to the unconverted,” has spent nearly five decades captivating audiences around the globe with a commitment to expanding the guitar’s artistic possibilities.

Fisk, the last direct student of legendary guitarist Andrés Segovia, has an international reputation through his performances, recordings and acclaimed transcriptions of works by composers, from Bach and Scarlatti to Mozart and Mendelssohn.

The June 9 concert opened with Fisk transcriptions for guitar, including J.S. Bach’s “Suite in G Major,” BWV 1007; Ernesto Halffter’s “Habanera,” and Isaac Albéniz’s “Sevilla.”

Centerpiece of the concert was Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s “Romancero Gitano” (“Romani Ballads”), with four vocal soloists and classical guitar based on the poetry of Federico García Lorca.

Written in 1951 for Segovia, the work evokes the sights, sounds and spiritual traditions of southern Spain, from town processions and religious celebrations winding through narrow streets to reflections on love, loss, faith and memory.

The concert, according to the Bach Choir, offered “a rare opportunity to hear one of the guitar world’s most influential artists in an intimate setting while exploring music that bridges Bach’s legacy with the rich traditions of the Iberian Peninsula.”

Fisk will be Artist-in-Residence at the 119th Bethlehem Bach Festival in May 2027.

The June “Bach at Noon” was presented in honor of Dorothy Hess Baker and her mother, Elizabeth Leith Hess, former members of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem.

The concert and the participation of the featured soprano and alto soloists were made possible in part by a legacy gift from the Dexter F. And Dorothy H. Baker Foundation.

The free concert series “Bach at Noon” continues noon July 14 and Aug. 11, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 37 S. Fifth St., Allentown.

Information: https://bach.org/calendar/