Bach Akademie Australia Celebrates 340 Years of Bach, Handel and Scarlatti with The Class of ‘85

Following their critically acclaimed debut national tour, Bach Akademie Australia is thrilled to announce the second program in its stellar 2025 season, The Class of ’85, a celebration of three titans of the Baroque featuring two of Australia’s finest home-grown artists, mezzo-soprano Hannah Fraser and soprano Susannah Lawergren, on Friday 30th May to Sunday 1st June.

In three special performances at St James’ Church, King Street (May 30th), Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Church, Chatswood (May 31st) and Bowral Memorial Hall (June 1st), Australia’s premier Baroque ensemble presents works by Bach, Handel, and Scarlatti; a trio of Western Music’s greatest composers who, in a twist of fate, were all born in 1685.

Opening the program is Scarlatti’s ‘Salve Regina’ in A major, an elegant setting of the famous liturgical text showcasing the prolific keyboard composer’s capacity for rich string writing and evocative vocal lines, sung here by soloist Hannah Fraser. Known for her ‘elegant and deeply expressive voice’ (Australian Arts Review), Hannah has performed as a soloist with Australia’s biggest arts ensembles from The Song Company and Sydney’s Pinchgut Opera to the Canberra, Melbourne, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.

Joining Fraser onstage is acclaimed soprano Susannah Lawergren, who performs J.S. Bach’s tribute to a departing friend, his magnificent secular cantata, ‘Non sa che sia dolore’ (He knows not what sorrow is) alongside the orchestra. A principal artist with The Song Company and Bach Akademie Australia, Lawergren is renowned for her stunning expression and compelling stagecraft, and has performed with the likes of Ensemble Offspring, Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Handel’s rich Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op.6 No.7 also features. Composed at breakneck pace in 1739, the work is one of the best examples of a Baroque ‘big concerto’, dancing with acrobatic lyricism.

One of the Baroque’s most recognizable themes, ‘Air on the G String’ also makes an appearance in J.S. Bach’s divinely beautiful Orchestral Suite No.3, capturing the sheer elegance of French dances.

Under the direction of Back Akademie Australia’s Artistic Director Madeleine Easton, ‘The Class of ‘85, is an exhilarating continuation of the ensemble’s 2025 season.

Artistic Director Madeleine Easton said, “The odds are extremely slim that three musicians of global significance could be born in the same year, however in 1685, that’s exactly what happened! Domenico Scarlatti, Georg Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach were The Class of ’85, and their overwhelming influence on music cannot be overstated, and will be celebrated in this concert series.”

For Susannah Lawergren, “The emotions behind Bach’s secular cantata ‘Non sa che sia dolore’ resemble those from his sacred vocal music: exuberant joy in the midst of sorrow and loss. With the addition of the Italian language and a pinch of “Italian grandeur”, the music sparkles with these emotions, cresting waves of great peaks and troughs. It’s pacy, challenging and incredibly fun to sing!”

This inspiring program of craftsmanship, versatility, and unparalleled imagination, 340 years in the making, is not to be missed.

Tickets for The Class of ‘85, and the rest of the 2025 season, are currently on sale now.