Oregon Bach Fest names new artistic director

By David Stabler

Matthew Halls, 35, a bright British conductor who comes out of the early music movement, will replace founder Helmuth Rilling as artistic director at the Oregon Bach Festival at the end of the 2013 season.
Rilling, who led the 17-day festival since its founding in 1970, will remain with the University of Oregon event as director emeritus.

For 41 years, the German-born Rilling has been the heart and soul of the festival. His deep knowledge of classical music’s great choral works, and his majestic, measured performances, have shaped nearly two generations of audiences, both in live concert and on hundreds of recordings. He will remain with the University of Oregon event as director emeritus.

Halls reflects significant change, not least in a shift toward early music performance practice, which Rilling resisted. Halls is a harpsichordist as well as a conductor with expertise in Baroque music, especially that of Bach. In 2005, he led the Portland Baroque Orchestra’s performances of Handel’s “Messiah. But his breadth as a conductor in other music also helped win him the job.

In a statement, John Evans, the festival’s president and executive director, said that Halls was the ideal candidate at the right time.
 
“In Matthew, we found a candidate who has it all, a range of repertoire well-matched to the programming needs of the Festival; an international reputation in the worlds of choral and early music, specializing in historically-informed performances; consummate skill as a Bach interpreter; a commitment to teaching and education; and most of all, a figure who is passionate about the music at the heart of the OBF, and charismatic in communicating that passion.”