About

From the Suburbs to the city…

Bach in the City is a new musical organization based at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Chicago. We are the successor to the beloved Bach Week Festival in Evanston.

The former Bach Week Festival in Evanston, Illinois, which concluded its half-century run in May, has spawned Bach in the City, where we will continue to highlight the choral, orchestral and chamber music of Johann Sebastian Bach and other composers whose music will come to life in the splendid acoustical and visual setting of St. Vincent de Paul Parish- a historic church in the city’s Lincoln Park neighborhood

Choir director, organist, and composer Richard Webster, who helped launch Bach Week in 1974 and was its music director for all 50 seasons, will serve in the same capacity with Bach in the City.

A New Home at St. Vincent de Paul

Bach in the City is thrilled that St. Vincent has offered us a new home in the cultural heart of Lincoln Park, one of Chicago’s great destinations for the performing arts. Founded in 1875, Saint Vincent de Paul Parish has had a proud tradition of fine music making.

“It’s an amazing sacred space… It’s hard to find something quite like it in metropolitan Chicago.” - Webster

A Rooted Partnership

Webster’s artistic partner in the new venture is Robert Beatty, St. Vincent de Paul’s director of music and community development, who spearheaded the collaboration between the church and the new organization.

Webster and Beatty are longtime friends and colleagues. In 1992 & 1993, beatty was Webster’s assistant organist and choirmaster at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Evanston. Beatty also performed organ works of J. S. Bach at the festival and helped stage manage concerts.

Bob initially came to Chicago to work for the senior liturgical advisor to Joseph Cardinal Bernardine. At that time, he became the assistant organist at Holy Name Cathedral. He expanded his work to also include nonprofit direct marketing. He started as organist and music director at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in 1996 and over the last 10 years moved into the position of director of community development.