There’s something special about Bach Aria Soloists. Violinist Elizabeth Suh Lane, keyboardist Elisa Williams Bickers and soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson never do the expected or humdrum. Every concert is a special event that appeals not only to refined musical connoisseurs, but those who simply want a smashing good time.

The group has just announced its 2025-2026 season, and it’s just what you’d expect from BAS, the familiar, the surprising and the just plain fun. From Bach (of course) and Handel to little known Baroque composers, show tunes and jazz, Bach Aria Soloists expand our conception of classical music and have a grand time doing it.

And then there are the creative collaborations. Next season, BAS will be joined by special soloists, choral artists and even one of Kansas City’s premiere theater companies.

The ensemble always chooses venues for its concerts that are as refined and elegant as the music itself. Next season’s concerts will take place in such creative sites as the beautiful and perfumed rose garden in Loose Park, the lovely, gracious home of Benny and Edith Lee, the modernist 1900 Building and the Gothic Revival St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

The season will begin with what has become the ensemble’s annual farewell to summer and welcome to fall: Bach Aria Soloists at the Park at 1 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Loose Park Rose Garden.

“We'll be doing some Bach sinfonias, a really fabulous Handel aria, Ch’io mai vi possa, a few movements from a Couperin concerto, some film music by Morricone and the Leclair sonata for violin and keyboard. We’ll also add a little bit of Broadway, like Rodgers and Hart’s My Romance and, of course, Come to My Garden,” Lane said.

Bach Aria Soloists will perform at the Loose Park Rose Garden at 1 p.m. Sept. 13

Every BAS season also includes a delightful Hauskonzert in one of Kansas City’s spectacular homes. This year’s house concert will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 19. at the home of Benny and Edith Lee.

“They're so generous to everyone in the community, and they can accommodate more people than possibly any house that I can think of,” Lane said. “Our special guest is Margaret Marco, the oboist from KU. She hasn't performed with us in a really long time and we all really enjoy her, so we're so glad that she can make time to be with us. We're going to feature some trio sonatas by Bach and Handel and music by Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre. She’s a French composer from the Baroque period.”

johann sebastian bach

george frideric handel

Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre

elizabeth suh lane

On November 15 at 7:30 p.m., they’ll be joined by the Missouri Choral Artists for a special concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Lane says that BAS loves performing with choral groups.

“Even though we're such a small ensemble, when we have Elisa on the organ, that's practically like having an orchestra,” she said. “I'm sure every organist would agree. We're going to feature a lot of really interesting and diverse selections for chorus, but also for individuals. For example, in one Bach cantata, we will have three different sopranos singing three different movements. And there's this beautiful piece by Respighi called Deità silvane, from which we're doing three or four movements where we'll feature a different soprano. We’ll also have several other works by popular choral composers, Heinrich Schütz, John Taverner, James Pearson and James MacMillan.”

The atmospheric St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will also be the venue for the annual BAS holiday concert, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5. 

“It's a wonderful opportunity to invite a guest vocalist and to feature some of our favorite Christmas music,” Lane said. “This year we’re doing some Bach and Handel, Debussy’s Noel des enfants qui non plus de maisons, Barber’s St. Ita’s Vision, and a little John Rutter lullaby, In Dulci Jubilo. ”

The Debussy, also known as A Christmas Carol for Homeless Children, was composed in 1915, as the first World War approached. It was the last song Debussy wrote.

The guest vocalist for the holiday concert is tenor J. W. Keckley.

“He's performed opera around the country with Sarasota Opera, Central City Opera, some really big roles,” Lane said. “He holds degrees in voice from Cleveland Institute of Music and St. Olaf College, but he's also doing other work, other non-musical work for a living, but it'll be nice to draw him back into our world and have him sing some Bach, some Handel, and other duets with Sarah.”

sarah tannehill anderson

On Feb. 12, horn virtuoso Chris Komer will join Bach Aria Soloists at 7:30 p.m. at the 1900 Building. He’s a big deal in the world of Broadway and classical music. He and Lane go back to their days at Tanglewood.

“He's lived in New York City in Harlem for probably over 30 years,” Lane said. “He's the principal horn of the New Jersey Symphony, and was the first called horn on Broadway for a decade or more. He's appeared in many leading shows, including the revival of West Side Story. I can tell you so many stories about him, like when Barbra Streisand did her final tour, her music director selected him. He's extremely versatile. He's also principal horn of the Miami Ballet and in-demand all around the country. But what's really highly unusual about him is he plays jazz horn and jazz piano, as well as classical horn.”

Since this concert is two days before Valentine’s Day, you can be sure there will be lots of lovey-dovey music.

“There'll be some Massenet, Amour, Bénis, that's all about love,” Lane said. “And Sarah and Chris are doing a Schubert song for horn and soprano calle Auf dem Strom, which is a piece that you never hear.”

With their dramatic flair, the Bach Aria Soloists have presented many memorable theatrical collaborations over the years, from Ferdinand the Bull to Don Quixote. On April 11, for the first time they will be joined by the superb Kansas City Actor’s Theater.

“They're such a marvelous ensemble of most talented actors,” Lane said. “We've been wanting to do this concept for quite a while. We've been talking about it for the past couple of years. We've selected a huge spectrum of works from De Falla, Bach, Handel, Bernstein, Poulenc, Strozzi, Purcell, Satie. And then the Kansas City Actors Theater are going to select scenes from their most beloved plays and theater repertoire to go along with the very special selections of music that we have curated for this evening. It’ll be our favorite bits of music and our favorite bits of theater all in one evening.”

That program will take place at Village Presbyterian Church, which happens to be where Bickers is principal organist and co-director of music.

“I’m so proud of the variety that this season will offer,” Bickers said. “Creativity in programming and collaboration really has become a hallmark of BAS’ modus operandi, and it’s simply thrilling to be a part of it season after season. It’s so exciting whenever we work with actors, and the April, 2026 program at Village Pres will feature fabulous scenes interspersed with complementary music like Bach, Satie and Purcell all the way to Send in the Clowns and Bernstein’s Somewhere. It will be a super-charged end to our super-fun season.”

ELISA WILLIAMS BICKERS

1 p.m. Sept. 13. Bach Aria Soloists at the Park at the Loose Park Rose Garden.

7 p.m. Oct. 19. Bach Aria Soloists Hauskonzert with Margaret Marco, oboe at the home of Benny and Edith Lee

7:30 p.m. Nov. 15. Bach Aria Soloists featuring Missouri Choral Artists at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

7:30 p.m. Dec. 5. Annual Holiday Concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

7:30 p.m. Feb. 12. Bach Aria Soloists welcomes horn virtuoso Chris Komer at the 1900 Building.

7:30 p.m. April 11. Bach Aria Soloists and the Kansas City Actors Theater at Village Presbyterian Church.