Photographing a concert of Bach music makes me a happy boy, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to shoot the opening concert of the Bach Week Festival at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston last week. A beautifully varied program began with Desiree Ruhstrat and Mathias Tacke playing the Double Violin Concerto, followed by the Cantata No. 82 with bass Douglas Anderson. Brandenburg Concertos 2 and 5 closed the concert before a post-concert candlelight performance of early music with Mirja Lorenz (recorder) and Joel Spears (theorbo).
All photos © Copyright 2015 by Elliot Mandel. All rights reserved.
![Violin soloists Desirée Ruhstrat and Mathias Tacke](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216679275-C3I64M4MQDZR7AE0CZ0T/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-2.jpg)
Violin soloists Desirée Ruhstrat and Mathias Tacke
![Violinists Desirée Ruhstrat and Mathias Tacke, and cellist David Cunliffe](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216679332-F5KK6ACI21K2PPBG765L/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-7.jpg)
Violinists Desirée Ruhstrat and Mathias Tacke, and cellist David Cunliffe
![Harpsichordist Jason Moy, cellist David Cunliffe, bassist Collins Trier](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216679531-CUBBBJSY7MT6982K9JEX/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-8.jpg)
Harpsichordist Jason Moy, cellist David Cunliffe, bassist Collins Trier
![Bass Douglas Anderson with Jason Moy, David Cunliffe, and Collins Trier](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216679536-UNK8LEH3E7HR5FMFCYHN/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-15.jpg)
Bass Douglas Anderson with Jason Moy, David Cunliffe, and Collins Trier
![Conductor Richard Webster and Douglas Anderson](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216944512-QCICVIEHIWR1OYMKCGL6/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-19.jpg)
Conductor Richard Webster and Douglas Anderson
![Bach Week Festival Orchestra in Nichols Hall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216698199-KAU31RNR4FPUMW55J8P4/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-23.jpg)
Bach Week Festival Orchestra in Nichols Hall
![Violinist Renée-Paule Gauthier, flutist John Thorne, oboist Judith Kulb, with Jason Moy and David Cunliffe](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216698284-RIZ9THBX5S7X70ML3WPW/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-24.jpg)
Violinist Renée-Paule Gauthier, flutist John Thorne, oboist Judith Kulb, with Jason Moy and David Cunliffe
![Flutist John Thorne and violinist Stefan Hersh with Jason Moy](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216734799-UP2OOO4SBR3ATGLQ408Y/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-30.jpg)
Flutist John Thorne and violinist Stefan Hersh with Jason Moy
![Mirja Lorenz (recorder) and Joel Spears (theorbo) perform early Baroque music by candlelight. ](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216656713-DTTGCFGDM8XRC1A1F1LW/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-40.jpg)
Mirja Lorenz (recorder) and Joel Spears (theorbo) perform early Baroque music by candlelight.
![Joel Spears plays the prelude to Bach's Suite No. 3 for Cello on the theorbo.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216656732-ZBN3ANP0FTF41I8V1HRS/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-41.jpg)
Joel Spears plays the prelude to Bach's Suite No. 3 for Cello on the theorbo.
![Mirja Lorenz and Joel Spears from above](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1429216656899-2AGNB5YW4RVX9MCSQMY7/BachWeekFest_4.10.15_by_ElliotMandel-42.jpg)
Mirja Lorenz and Joel Spears from above