Bachanalia Orchestra

BACHANALIA, a chamber orchestra of international competition winners and soloists, was founded in 1988 by violinist Nina Beilina. The inaugural series of concerts was a resounding success, and the musicians chose to remain together under Beilina’s tutelage and guidance. Since then, the conductorless ensemble has become a New York City institution, committed to varied and comprehensive programs in which the music of Johann Sebastian Bach plays a seminal role. In its 17 seasons, Bachanalia has performed every work for strings that the Leipzig master wrote.

Usually each program opens with a Bach composition and continues with chamber music that has been influenced by his work, including one piece by a contemporary composer. In addition, Bachanalia frequently performs masterworks of other eras, and is a firm supporter of contemporary music, with over a dozen World Premieres to its name.

Nina Beilina, Bachanalia's Founder & Artistis Director

NINA BEILINA, Bachanalia’s Founder & Artistic Director, performs extensively in Europe and theUnited States, both as a soloist and with Bachanalia. In the course of an illustrious career, she has given recitals all over North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and recorded repeatedly on the Melodiya label. Her appearances as soloist with orchestra include concerts with most of the world’s leading orchestras, such as the Chicago, Houston, Baltimore, Detroit, Atlanta and St. Louis symphonies, as well as with the Los Angeles and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestras in the US. Her foreign concerts include appearances with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra of Rome, the RAI orchestras of Milan and of Turin, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, and countless others.

A student of Abraham Yampolsky, Julius Eidlin and David Oistrakh, Beilina’s competition honors include the Gold Medal at the Enesco, the Grand Prix in the Long-Thibaud, and the Bronze Medal in the Tchaikovsky International Competitions. She received Italy’s Vercelli D’Oro Gold Medal as Musician of the Year, an honor she shares with the likes of Renata Tebaldi and Igor Stravinsky. A professor at the Mannes College of Music in New York, Beilina also gives annual master classes in Italy. Newly returned from Bachanalia-style performances in Taipei, her new CD of Bach’s six sonatas and partitas for solo violin is due to be released in the spring of 2008.