Bach Foundation St. Gallen honored with Leipzig Bach Medal

With this award, the city of Leipzig is honoring «a long-term project that is unique in the international cultivation of Bach», according to its press release: since 2006, the foundation has been pursuing the goal of performing the complete vocal works of Johann Sebastian Bach in monthly concerts. The award will be presented as part of the Leipzig Bach Festival 2026.

For twenty years, the foundation's choir and orchestra have set the highest artistic standards under the direction of Rudolf Lutz, the city of Leipzig continues. With this consistently long-term project, the foundation has set standards in the mediation and performance of Bach's vocal music. The combination of historically informed performance practice, a scientifically sound introduction to the work and modern media dissemination has made the St. Gallen-based company a model of sustainable music education in the 21st century.

The Bach Medal of the City of Leipzig has already been awarded to Marcel Ponseele (2025), Andreas Staier (2024), the Thomanerchor Leipzig (2023), Sir András Schiff (2022), Hans-Joachim Schulze and Christoph Wolff (2021), among others, for special services to the cultivation of Bach's works, Angela Hewitt (2020), Robert Levin (2018), Masaaki Suzuki (2012), Herbert Blomstedt (2011), Philippe Herreweghe (2010), Nikolaus Harnoncourt † (2007), Ton Koopman (2006), Sir John Eliot Gardiner (2005) and Helmuth Rilling (2004).