On Saturday, March 28th at 7:30 PM, Peter Blanchette returns to the Northampton Center for the Arts for the second installment of a new tradition in Northampton, an annual recital of music in celebration of Johann Sebastian Bach. The evening will again include an illuminating introduction from WFCR’s John Montanari, and will primarily feature the work of Bach, whom Blanchette describes as “one of art’s true deities,” as well as selections from lutenist composer Sylvius Leopold Weiss, Bach’s personal friend . This year, Blanchette will also unveil his new 12-stringed alto archguitar, the expanded range instrument he designed in response to his devotion to adapt the modern guitar to meet the challenges of playing the music of Bach.

Blanchette has performed live on the NPR programs: "A Prairie Home Companion," "All Things Considered," WNYC's " New Sounds," "Soundboard," and "Performance Today." His recordings are often heard on radio programs such as "Sunday Baroque," "The Thistle and Shamrock" and locally on WFCR. As a composer, he has contributed to such television programs as HBO's "Sex and the City" and PBS' "Inside the Tuscan Hills." Many of Blanchette's recordings feature his Virtual Consort ensemble- an "imaginary orchestra" consisting of Blanchette playing multiple overdubs of various plucked instruments, along with his archguitar, often adding a featured vocal or instrumental soloist.

The concert will also be a public fundraiser for Blanchette’s new ensemble, The Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra (HVGO). Blanchette describes this ambitious, one of a kind musical group, as “a civic orchestra of twenty to forty guitarists with little in common but a nervous conductor.” To learn more about HVGO’s recruitment of guitarists of all levels of musical literacy and interest, visit the website at www.happyvalleyguitarorchestra.org.