St Matthew Passion 2020

The passion for Bach runs deep in Argentinian harpsichordist, organist and conductor Leonardo García Alarcón. As a young boy, his grandma gave him a cassette – of the St Matthew Passion nota bene – and it was love at first hearing. In Buenos Aires, he saw celebrities like William Christie, Sigiswald Kuijken and Jordi Savall at work, which prompted him to make the crossing to Europe himself in 1997.

Whilst Alarcón developed as a leading Baroque opera specialist, Bach remained at his heels. After pulling out all the stops with his Choeur de Chambre de Namur in Bach’s secular cantatas and the Mass in B minor, it is now the turn of the Bach Society in the St Matthew Passion. Expect the unexpected, as Alarcón places the orchestras far apart and literally gives space to his singers: Bach with lyrical allure.