Oakland Tribune

Group makes opera accessible to all
Berkeley-based BACH puts a young, hip spin

By Ali Fard, CORRESPONDENT
Wednesday, February 18, 2004, BERKELEY -- A night at the opera requires some important things: good seats, a nice outfit, a pre-show dinner, a post-show dessert and plenty of cash to pay for it all.
But is there a way to experience the power of opera without high-brow exclusivity?
Six years ago, a group of UC Berkeley music students created BACH, Bay Area Classical Harmonies, a group dedicated to their love of classical music. The group has brought opera and other musical performances to the Bay Area all for the love of the music.
BACH survived after its members had graduated from college and now the group exists as a nonprofit, independent entity dedicated to the music.
Transforming the image of classical music lovers from being older and wealthy to being young and having limited income was just one example of how important the music was to the group.
From the performers to the administrators, BACH consists entirely of volunteers. Although the number of volunteers depends on the production, about a dozen regulars meet weekly at the UC Berkeley campus.
Last May, the group had a successful production of "Don Giovanni" at the Oakland Metro.
"The main goal is to reach out to the community and make classical music sexier and more exciting than the conventional way of wearing a suit and going to the San Francisco symphony," said Andrew Chung, director and founder of BACH.
Chung, a 26-year-old Berkeley and Bakersfield resident, said the group is trying to collect a database of musicians from the Bay Area to work on future projects. They are also finding ways to attract younger volunteers and audiences.
The group's next major project is bringing their production of "Don Giovanni" to Bakersfield in May. They are also working on a production of "Dido and Aeneas." There will be a fund-raiser for the group on March 14 at the Berkeley Arts Center.
"The group is very unique in the Bay Area in that you don't find a whole lot of groups that have young people like this that are trying to do opera productions," said Sarah Stiles, a Berkeley resident who coordinates volunteering.
BACH is looking for all kinds of volunteers from grant writers and public relation managers to ticket sellers and photographers. Those interested in singing would have to go through the audition process.
To volunteer, or for more information about BACH, e-mail director@berkeleybach.org or visit berkeleybach.org.