World premiere of “Serpent” during Bach Festival Dordrecht

Location: Augustijnenkerk, Dordrecht

Date & Time: Saturday, 20th of June, 20:00-21:30

More info and tickets here

Calliope Tsoupaki has written Serpent especially for the Bach Festival Dordrecht. The work explicitly enters into a dialogue with the orchestral music of Johann Sebastian Bach, reflecting on his musical legacy through a contemporary voice. Alongside it, Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 2 and two Brandenburg Concertos demonstrate his mastery of form, rhythm, and color, qualities that remain central to his enduring influence.

The world premiere is presented during Bachfestival Dordrecht by the Netherlands Bach Society together with harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, one of today’s most prominent advocates for the instrument. Born in Tehran and trained in the United States and Prague, Esfahani is internationally recognized for his virtuosity and distinctive artistic vision. He made history with the first-ever harpsichord recital in the history of the BBC Proms, marking a milestone for the instrument on one of the world’s most prestigious stages. His career has also been honored with awards including the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award.

The Netherlands Bach Society, founded over a century ago, is one of the world’s leading baroque ensembles. Since its origins with landmark performances such as the St. Matthew Passion in Naarden, the ensemble has developed into an international reference for historically informed performance practice, dedicated to keeping Bach’s music accessible and alive.

Within this context, Tsoupaki’s Serpent is positioned as a contemporary response to Bach’s orchestral works, creating a direct artistic conversation between historical repertoire and new composition.

More info and tickets here