Instrumentaion: Flute

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach has been transporting humanity to the highest ecstasies from the moment their inspired phrases danced off the tip of his pen onto the page. On BACHannalia, a joyous celebration of the great maestro’s 340th birth anniversary, flutist Cleo Leung and pianist Serene Yu share a selection of Bach’s beloved flute works across all genres, as well as an original medley of Bach favorites with a very special surprise at the end. Let this BACHannalia rapture your spirit to the highest exhilarations, and sing Bach a very happy birthday!

When Johann Sebstian Bach composed his flute sonatas, the flute was in its infancy as a replacement for the popular recorder. Nevertheless, his musical genius rings out as richly layered harmony and emotions exude from each fluently written piece on J.S. BACH COMPLETE SONATAS FOR FLUTE & PIANO. On this two-disc recording, the mother-daughter duo of flutist Julie Scolnik, lauded by the Boston Globe for her “urgency full of fire that melts into disarming delicacy,” and pianist Sophie Scolnik-Brower further amplify Bach’s expressiveness, swapping the usual harpsichord for piano to deepen the dynamics and phrasing throughout the compositions.

When four musicians of high caliber join forces, one can generally expect favorable results; but only the truly splendid manage to create a musical experience greater than the sum of its parts. Such is the nature of The Opus Project, founded in 2020 and already rated as one of Canada's most eminent Early Music quartets.