About Viva Bach Peterborough
Founded in 2022 by Veronika Schreiber and Cathy Lanigan, Viva Bach Peterborough is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and inspiring the widest possible audience to enjoy his work.
Each October, our three-day festival brings Bach’s timeless music to the Monadnock Region and beyond, featuring world-class musicians performing in intimate settings that allow audiences to experience his genius up close. Unique among festivals, we also invite community singers to share the stage with professionals, creating performances that are both exceptional and deeply personal.
Beyond the festival weekend, Viva Bach Peterborough offers lectures, musical demonstrations, and educational programs designed to deepen our community’s understanding and appreciation of Bach’s music.
Whether you’re a lifelong enthusiast or new to his works, the festival offers a rare opportunity to connect with one of history’s greatest composers — right here in the heart of New England.
The 2026 Festival
October 23-25
In 2026, the Viva Bach Peterborough Festival celebrates a special milestone—our fifth festival—three days devoted to the inexhaustible genius of Johann Sebastian Bach.
We open on Friday with the return of harpsichordist Jeffrey Grossman, joined by Caroline Nicolas on viola da gamba and Kevin Payne on archlute. Together, they bring Bach’s chamber music to life with intimacy, clarity, and historically informed artistry that Bach devotees treasure.
On Saturday, we are honored to welcome world-renowned pianist Simone Dinnerstein, whose profound connection to Bach’s music and unmistakable voice at the keyboard have made her one of today’s most compelling interpreters.
The festival culminates on Sunday with a transcendent performance of Bach’s St. John Passion—a work of dramatic power, spiritual depth, and enduring emotional force that stands at the heart of Bach’s sacred legacy.
Why Bach?
Bach’s music encompasses everything human: our intelligence and emotions, our strengths and weaknesses, our multiplicity and singularity. His music is poetry, narration, theater, and opera; encoded in little black marks and recreated in the sound that vibrates within us and helps us resonate with the Universe.
Bach is needed. Especially now, when our existence on the Earth is so fragile and our differences are highlighted like never before, Johann Sebastian Bach's music teaches us that even the most complicated puzzles can be solved through harmony.