Bachianas

A beautiful one-hour program of music and poetry at the Armidale Playhouse.

EphenStephen — Stephen Tafra and Steve Thorneycroft — are an Armidale-based duo known for adventurous programming, original arrangements, and championing new music. For Bachianas, however, the familiar guitar duo takes a different form. Multi-instrumentalist Stephen Tafra returns to his first instrument, the piano accordion, performing both as a soloist and in duet with guitarist and composer Steve Thorneycroft.

They are joined by Armidale writer and narrator Sarah Lawrence, Associate Professor in Latin at the University of New England. Sarah has collaborated in a number of recent projects bringing together music, words, and stories from the New England region. In Bachianas, she performs original poetry created in partnership with the music.

The program travels across centuries and continents, from Antonio Vivaldi (arranged by J. S. Bach) to Heitor Villa-Lobos, Béla Kovács, Agustín Barrios, and contemporary American composer Bill Frisell.

Tickets are available through TryBooking and at the Playhouse.

All proceeds will support the 2027 New England Bach Festival.