Twenty-five years of extraordinary music, countless performances, and a shared passion for choral singing come together in the Ottawa Bach Choir’s 2026–2027 season. Under the artistic direction of Lisette Canton, the JUNO award-winning ensemble celebrates its 25th anniversary with a season that looks both backward and forward: honouring the music and memories that have shaped the choir while preparing for one of its most exciting international journeys yet.
Since its founding, the Ottawa Bach Choir has established itself as one of Canada’s leading professional chamber choirs, performing throughout Canada and abroad, and earning both national and international recognition. Its achievements include a JUNO Award for Best Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral for the album Handel: Dixit Dominus, Bach & Schütz: Motets. Now, as the ensemble enters its 25th year, audiences are invited to celebrate this remarkable milestone through three distinctive concerts.
The season begins on Saturday, November 28 at 7:30pm with Baroque Christmas, an evening of festive music from the Baroque era. Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Messe de minuit pour Noël, H. 9, and In nativitatem Dominum canticum, H. 314, are paired with Bach’s Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, and festive works by Michael Praetorius. With Ensemble Caprice’s baroque orchestra and soloists joining the choir, the concert offers a joyful and richly coloured beginning to the OBC’s anniversary season.
The celebration continues on Saturday, March 6, 2027, with OBC at 25, a concert that puts the choir’s history directly into the hands of its audience. Twenty-five favourite works from the OBC’s first 25 years will be put to a public vote, with the pieces receiving the most votes becoming the evening’s programme. Joined by Ottawa organist Jennifer Loveless, the choir will revisit some of the music that has made its journey so memorable. A celebratory reception following the performance will offer audiences and musicians a chance to mark the milestone together.
The season culminates on Saturday, May 8 with Prelude-Europe 2027: Passion, a particularly significant concert as the OBC prepares to travel to Germany following its invitation to perform at Bachfest Leipzig. The programme features music the choir will take to Europe, including Bach’s monumental Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21, and O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118, Schütz’s Calicem salutaris accipiam, SWV 60, and Ottawa composer Nicholas Piper’s In Manus Tuas. Ensemble Caprice returns, joined by Canadian soloists Hélène Brunet, Owen McCausland and Matthew Li.
Together, these three concerts tell the story of the OBC at 25: its love of Baroque repertoire, its connection with the Ottawa community, the music that has defined its history, and its continued ambition to share Canadian choral artistry on the international stage. It is a season to celebrate not only where the Ottawa Bach Choir has been, but also where it is going next. Come share our passion and experience the best that choral music has to offer!
Early Bird Subscription tickets are available at 15% off until September 7. Regular subscriptions will then be available at a 10% discount, along with individual concert tickets. For more information and tickets, please visit ottawabachchoir.ca or email <info@ottawabachchoir.ca.>