Bach Collegium Japan and Masaaki Suzuki

Bach Collegium Japan was founded in 1990 by Masaaki Suzuki, its inspirational Music Director, with the aim of introducing Japanese audiences to period instrument performances of great works from the baroque period. Comprised of both baroque orchestra and chorus, their activities include an annual concert series of Bach's cantatas and a number of instrumental programmes. Since 1995 they have acquired a formidable international reputation through their acclaimed recordings of the major choral works and Church Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach for the BIS label. To date, they have already released 49 CDs of J. S. Bach's Church Cantatas and their recent recording of Bach Motets was honoured with a German Record Critics' Award (Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik), Diapason d'Or de l'Annee 2010 and also in 2011 with a BBC Music Magazine Award. Bach Collegium Japan and Masaaki Suzuki have shared their interpretations across the international music scene with appearances in venues as far afield as Berlin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York and Seoul and at major festivals such as the BBC Proms, Bremen Musikfest and the Edinburgh International Festival. Celebrating their 20th anniversary with a series of special concerts in Tokyo, last season also featured performances at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, a tour of North America during which they performed Bach's B-minor Mass at Carnegie Hall and European festival appearances including the Musikfest Bremen where the ensemble are regular visitors.