Bach’s Offering to the Musical King: Frederick the Great of Prussia
Aside from his many military and political achievements, Frederick the Great was also an accomplished flutist, composer, and a lover of the arts. Among the musicians in his court was Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach, son of the legendary Johann Sebastian. Find out about what happened on an infamous “Take Your Father to Work Day”, and learn about the extraordinary and unique work of art that resulted when Prussia’s most enlightened king met Europe’s greatest composer.
$5 per person, FREE for members.
About the Speaker
Born in the small town of Fairmont, Minnesota, since 2011 Jacob Bancks, Ph.D., and his family have made their home in the Quad Cities. There he makes many contributions to local musical life, serving as associate professor on the faculty of Augustana College, directing the choir of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, writing program notes for the Quad Cities Symphony, lecturing on music at the German American Heritage Center, and co-hosting a monthly educational program on WVIK public radio. In addition to the QCSO, he has composed frequently for local ensembles, including the Moline High School Orchestra, the Quincy Symphony, and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Davenport, Iowa).
A 2019 recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship, he has earned awards, honors, and commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, BMI, the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, the U.S. Department of Education, and many more.
