A Bethlehem native by birth, J Frederick Wolle is responsible for bringing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach to mainstream America. Wolle is best known for leading his famed Bethlehem Bach Choir in performing numerous Bach compositions for their first time in the United States. Most famously, Wolle’s Bach Choir performed Bach’s Mass in B Minor at Bethlehem’s Central Moravian Church on March 27, 1900 – the first time it had been played in the country’s history.
Wolle, a master organist, founded the Bach Choir in 1898. Under Wolle’s leadership and vision, the Choir grew into one of the most renowned chorale groups in America, as it remains today. The Bethlehem Bach Choir has since been guest to the President and performed on multiple continents. A central facet in the city’s music culture for over a hundred years, the Bethlehem Bach Choir has been called a national treasure.
