At first glance, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the fiddle traditions of Appalachia seem to inhabit very different worlds. One emerged from the churches and courts of eighteenth-century Europe; the other took shape through generations of musicians carrying melodies, dances, and stories across the American landscape.

Yet beneath these differences lie striking connections. Both traditions are rooted in dance, improvisation, and the intimate exchange of musical ideas. The independence of voices in Bach's counterpoint finds an unexpected counterpart in the interplay of American fiddle music, where melody, harmony, and rhythm move naturally between musicians.

Bach to Appalachia brings these worlds together through the intimate medium of the string trio. Moving from the architectural beauty of Bach's Goldberg Variations to the expressive simplicity and rhythmic vitality of American folk-inspired music, the program explores how traditions separated by centuries and geography can speak to one another through a shared musical language.