Agnes Cameron & Kat Macdonald, analog synths
Austin Philemon, keyboard
Saturday, October 18th 2025, 7:30pm
Bach Vespers New York kicks off the season with J.S. Bach's legendary Goldberg Variations, performed on keyboard by Austin Philemon and electrified by London-based synth artist duo Agnes Cameron & Kat Macdonald. Holy Trinity will be transformed for an immersive sonic and visual experience inspired by Wendy Carlos' renowned Switched-On Bach. This ticketed fundraising concert celebrates our decades-long commitment to the music of J.S. Bach and Holy Trinity's dedication to honoring LGBTQ+ people and their artistic legacies.
In November 1967, just a few weeks after the first ever Bach Vespers service, Wendy Carlos began work on what would become one of the most influential albums of the last century, Switched-On Bach. Presenting the music of J.S. Bach entirely on a Moog synthesizer, the album was the first instance the synthesizer was used as melodically expressively instrument. Carlos was determined to prove the synthesizer’s legitimacy as a musical instrument; despite trying her best to live quietly and withhold her trans identity, she captivated listeners with the way her synthesizer was able to render Bach’s compositions with such color and clarity. The album soon became the best-selling classical record of all time.
For Wendy Carlos, the most important feature of the synthesizer was its capacity for literally infinite timbres and textures of sound. Similarly in the Goldberg Variations, Bach shows that one can interpret a single bass line in a seemingly infinite variety of ways.
In this performance, Austin Philemon will play the Goldberg Variations on a collection of keyboards connected to analog synthesizers, which synth duo Agnes Cameron and Kat Macdonald will manipulate to render each variation in its own carefully crafted, completely unique, world of sound.
Tickets include admission to the season launch party immediately following the concert.
Tickets here