Guitar Concert by Tom Chalko
Private residence, Sunday 21 June 2026, 11am - by invitation only

Bach's Birthday Concert

This concert is a celebration of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) and its legacy.

Aria con Variazioni (1627) by Girolamo Frescobaldi (Italy 1583-1643). Bach was born 102 years after Frescobaldi but is known to have studied and admired music of Frescobaldi as a source of guidance and inspiration. Tom will perform guitar transcription of the Aria con Variazioni.

Sarabande from Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002 (1720). Sarabande evolved from a Spanish dance with Arab influences. In the 17th century sarabande spread to Italy and France, where it became a slow court dance.

Bourrée in E minor, the fifth movement from Suite in E minor for Lute BWV 996 composed by Bach between 1708 and 1717. The piece is arguably one of the most famous among guitarists. A bourrée is a type of dance that originated in France. Though the bourrée was popular as a social dance during the reign of Louis XIV of France, the Bach's Bourrée in E minor was not intended for dancing. Bach wrote his "lute" pieces in a traditional score notation rather than in lute tablature, and it is believed that Bach played these pieces on the Lautenwerk, a keyboard instrument acoustically imitating the lute.

Prelude in C Minor, BWV 999, (1717) originally composed by Bach for lute, according to the surviving 18th century manuscript, but it has been performed and recorded on various instruments, including lute, guitar, piano and harpsichord. Enclosed above is a photo of the title page of surviving 18th century manuscript. The score written on the reverse side with ink is visible through the paper.
Tom will play a guitar version of the prelude.

Prelude in C Major BWV 846 (1722) is the first prelude in Bach's set of preludes collectively known as The Well-Tempered Clavier. These preludes demonstrate the advantages of the “well-tempered” chromatic scale, in which each octave is divided into 12 equal semitones. The invention of the keyboard created an urgent need for a method to tune each key. Mathematically speaking, the challenge was equivalent to calculating 2 raised to the power of 1/12.
The well-tempered chromatic scale was apparently discovered in China about 5,000 years ago, but there were no instruments there to utilise it. 18th-century European mathematicians, unaware of the Chinese solution, had to develop their own approach. Adaptation of well-tempered tuning for keyboard instruments sparked a revolutionary surge in musical creativity. It allowed composers to explore a vast new range of chord progressions, modulations, and extended chords. Bach's first Prelude in C BWV 846 initiated this musical revolution.
The Prelude begins and ends in C major but incorporates every chromatic note, demonstrating beautiful chord progressions and modulations that would not have been possible without a well-tempered scale. Tom will perform the Prelude in C on guitar, exactly as Bach composed it for the keyboard - note for note.

Ave Maria (1859) by Charles Gounod (France, 1818–1893) is an immensely popular and universally loved piece, in which Bach’s Prelude in C BWV 846 serves as the accompaniment. Gounod’s Ave Maria showcases how Bach's modulations and chord progressions, made possible by the well-tempered scale, greatly enhanced the melodic line and its dramatic impact. Tom will perform the Bach accompaniment on guitar, with his cyber-choir singing Gounod’s Ave Maria melody.

Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068. Serene and elegant, Bach’s Air invites the listener into a world of calm beauty. The Air, originally composed for string orchestra, is one of the most famous and most popular compositions of Bach. Tom will play his own guitar arrangement of the Air.

Bachianas Brasileiras #5 (Cantilena) (1938) by Heitor Villa-Lobos is one of the most beautiful and memorable musical tributes to Bach. Originally composed for voice and eight cellos, the Cantilena was later transcribed by Villa-Lobos himself for guitar and voice, so he could accompany his soprano partner on guitar. Interestingly, the pizzicato technique used by the cellos in the original version creates a sound that resembles a gigantic guitar....
Cantilena showcases Villa-Lobos' unique ability to blend the Brazilian rhythms and melodies with classical forms established by Bach. Tom will perform the composer's guitar version of the Cantilena with his cyber-choir singing the melody.

Talk to Tom after the performance.

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Explore Tom's past concerts and video recordings of Tom playing some of his compositions.

Beginning of Tom's composition "Somnium Pace" (Dream of Peace).
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