About Us

The Bach Chorale was originally assembled by Dr. Martin Werner to perform during the inaugural Grand Rapids Bach Festival in 1997. The chorale served as the core chorus in the 1999 Bach Festival performance of the Mass in B Minor and for the St. John Passion in 2001, under the direction of guest conductor Karl Hochreither.

Dr. Martin Werner studied orchestral conducting, cello and choral conducting in his native Germany before spending a year at California State University, Fullerton as a graduate student and student conductor of the University Singers. He received a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Michigan in 1985 and later served as assistant chorus master for the Concert Choir for the City of Düsseldorf, Germany. He was chorus master of the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus from 1993 to 1999 and has also been choir director for several Grand Rapids churches. In 1997, he became music director and conductor for the Bach Chorale.

In the spring of 2009, the Bach Chorale was incorporated as The Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids. As of April 29, 2009, we have been confirmed as a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization, able to receive tax-deductible contributions.

Like many other ensembles, the Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids was forced into a long hiatus by the COVID pandemic. Our determination to restart concert activities came to fruition in October 2024 when we presented a multi-faceted concert at Central Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, our host for many years. We engaged string faculty from Western Michigan University in addition to players from the Grand Rapids Symphony. Other participants included a faculty member and some of her graduate students from Michigan State University. Bach’s Double Concerto for Oboe and Violin, and Sinfonia #9 in C by Felix Mendelssohn were the two orchestral works on the program. Three vocal soloists from MSU joined the Bach Chorale in J. S. Bach’s Cantata BWV 140, “Wachet auf”.

The concert convincingly reflected the vision that has shaped previous concerts and will serve as a model for future endeavors: a splendid mixture of choral and orchestral music, showcasing emerging and established vocal and instrumental soloists.

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach has always been a primary focus of our activities, and we intend to uphold that tradition. In our upcoming concert on Sunday, May 4th, 2025, we will perform J. S. Bach’s “Aria” from the Orchestral Suite no. 3 in D Major, arranged for choir, and one movement from “The Art of the Fugue”, arranged for choir.

In the interest of variety, a concert may occasionally have a specific motto, inspired by a particular event or circumstance. The motto for our May concert will be “Seasons”, which will be brought to life by two fabulous works based on that subject — “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi as well as “Winter” and “Spring” from “Estaciones Porteñas”, the Latin American counterpart by Astor Piazzolla.

We are thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration between BCGR and Danielle Belen, professor of violin at the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Anna Linder, Anda Jiang, Noah Carr and Makaela Foerderer are young artists with burgeoning careers, all currently studying in the studio of Danielle Belen. In this concert, they will share the stage as soloists with Ms. Belen in a celebration of brilliant music for violin and string orchestra. Under the direction of Martin Werner, these musicians will join five players from the Grand Rapids Symphony to explore and present Vivaldi’s and Piazzolla’s thrilling masterworks depicting the seasons. This extraordinary ensemble will thrive on mutual inspiration between virtuoso students and their established professional colleagues.

Professor Danielle Belen has already made a name for herself as a seasoned pedagogue with a strong studio of young artists. Her students have won major prizes in national and international competitions including the Menuhin, Stulberg and Klein competitions, and hold positions in professional orchestras worldwide.

Winner of the 2008 Sphinx Competition, Ms. Belen has appeared as a soloist with the Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Nashville and San Francisco Symphonies, the Boston Pops, and the Florida and Cleveland Orchestras, and released her debut Naxos recording of works by living composer Lawrence Dillon in 2009 to much acclaim.

As the winner of the 2014 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, Ms. Belen performed for Justice Sonia Sotomayor and her guests at the Supreme Court in Washington DC, where she was awarded a $50,000 career grant. In turn, she used that money towards a matching campaign for her summer festival Center Stage Strings, doubling the amount into $100,000 for student scholarships. Her passion for pedagogy can be seen in her vibrant and unique teaching style, made accessible through a host of videos available to the public through her YouTube Channel and other social media outlets.

The vision we are pursuing entails the need to grow our vocal ensemble. We believe the Bach Chorale of Grand Rapids is the premier ensemble for the performance of Bach cantatas and other exquisite choral/orchestral works in this area. Experienced choral musicians of all sections are cordially invited to join us! Our expectation is that members will study their parts privately, allowing for a limited number of rehearsals, approximately four per program. Rehearsals will flow easily and productively, with a strong sense of accomplishment each and every time. That’s the kind of ensemble we wish to build, and that’s the experience you can expect.

Interested singers should contact Martin Werner through the audition contact form, here