Carmel Bach Festival facts for kids

The Carmel Bach Festival (CBF) is a special music event. It began in 1935 in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States. The first festival was a four-day series of concerts. These concerts took place at the Sunset School Auditorium and the Carmel Mission Basilica.

Festival History

Early Beginnings

The Carmel Bach Festival was started by two amazing women, Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous. They first organized concerts in their own home in Carmel-by-the-Sea. This was back in 1925 and 1926. Their home was an American Craftsman-style house. It is now known as "Harmony House."

In 1927, Hazel and Dene created the Carmel Music Society. This group is a non-profit organization. Its goal was to bring the best classical music artists to Carmel. Henry F. Dickinson and his wife Edith helped a lot with this. Henry was the first treasurer. Edith was one of the first presidents. Their home, the Henry Dickinson House, welcomed many visiting musicians.

The Festival Starts

The Carmel Music Society helped start the Carmel Bach Festival in 1935. The very first festival lasted four days. It included open rehearsals, special events, and concerts. Ernst Bacon and Gastone Usigli were the conductors.

Music Directors

In 1938, Gastone Usigli became the Music Director. He led the festival until he passed away in 1956. Dene Denny then chose Sandor Salgo to take over. Salgo was a conductor from Hungary.

Salgo retired in 1991. After him, Bruno Weil became the Music Director and Conductor. Maestro Weil led the festival until 2010.

Pauses in the Festival

The festival did not happen in 2020. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also took a break from 1942 to 1945. This was due to World War II.