Bach in the Subways brings the joys of classical music to BART stations

Brothers Lucas and Bryan Bai play Bach on their recorders as part of Bach in the Subways at Downtown Berkeley Station on March 21, 2023. 

Bach in the Subways performances will be held at BART stations through March 31. 
Visit bachinthesubways.org/san-francisco for the dates and locations of upcoming performances.

It was a gray, dismal day in Downtown Berkeley – one of those days when the wind and rain conspire to wreak the utmost regional havoc. At times, the water seemed to come down in horizontal sheets, soaking through shoes and backpacks and further dampening weather-weary spirits.  

Commuters hustled off their trains and steeled themselves for what awaited them outdoors. They wanted, more than anything, to get home.

And then, a sound. And another and another and another. These weren’t the sorts of sounds one typically hears around BART (the woosh of arriving trains, the “doot doot” of the horn, the static of PA announcements). These sounds were delicate, harmonic, transcendent even. They were, in so many words, the sounds of Johann Sebastian Bach.

After a hiatus, the ten-day international event Bach in the Subways returned to BART on Tuesday, March 21. Bach in the Subways was held virtually in the early years of the pandemic.

Started in 2010 by musician Dale Henderson, Bach in the Subways is an “invitation for musicians to connect with their audience in an unusually pure and open way.” The event runs between Bach’s two birthdays, March 21 to March 31 (Read a great explainer on Bach’s birthdays at the Orchestra of St. Luke’s website).

Jaylen Wei plays electric piano while performing for Bach in the Subways at Downtown Berkeley Station on March 21, 2023.

There are four core elements to Bach in the Subways performances, per the organization’s website:

1. The music of J.S. Bach is performed anywhere, anytime.
2. The performance is open & accessible to all – a musical gift for anyone who wants to hear it.
3. No admission fee is required, no money is accepted by the performers, and no other commercial transactions occur immediately before, during, or after the performance.
4. No musician is ever charged to perform for Bach in the Subways.

BART has been participating in Bach in the Subways since 2015. In the time since, dozens of musicians young and old have performed throughout our system, bringing joy – and gorgeous melodies – to riders, some of whom may have never heard Bach performed live.

The first performers to take the proverbial stage for BART’s Bach in the Subways lineup were members of the Junior Bach Festival, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that champions the study and performance of the German Baroque composer’s music for young musicians.  

“We are a volunteer organization that brings together audiences, teachers, families, performers, and the public for the enjoyment of Bach's music,” said Lisa Grodin, Junior Bach Music Director. “Professional judges select the performers through supportive, unbiased auditions, and no one is turned away from any offerings for lack of funds.”

Michael Shuang plays electric piano while performing for Bach in the Subways at Downtown Berkeley Station on March 21, 2023.

On March 21, five members of Junior Bach came to Downtown Berkeley Station after school, instruments in hand, to perform a song or two for the public in the unpaid area of the station. Performers included Jaylen Wei (age 10) on the piano, Michael Shuang (15) on the piano, Lucas and Bryan Bai (11 and 14) on recorders, and Nana Ng (7) on violin.

“I never get to go here, and I wanted to play violin here,” said Nana, the youngest performer of the bunch. Nana said she was a “little bit nervous” but is accustomed to performing before an audience. Her other hobbies include playing with her friends at school and swinging on the monkey bars.

At one point during Nana’s performance, the music made an unsuspecting BART rider stop in her tracks, transfixed.

“The piece she played first is one of my favorites,” said the woman, who wished to remain anonymous. The piece in question was “Violin Concerto in A Minor,” a complex, harmonic composition likely written between 1717 and 1730.

Nana Ng plays violin while performing for Bach in the Subways at Downtown Berkeley Station on March 21, 2023.

Nana and fellow performers said they had never played in a transit space before, and they weren’t too sure what to expect at first.

“This was less stressful than a concert for sure,” said Lucas, who played two duets on the recorder from Partita in A Minor with his younger brother, Bryan.

“It’s been nice to have some time to relax and show what we love,” Bryan said of the performance.

Fifteen-year-old pianist Michael Shuang also appreciated the opportunity to perform for the public in a low-stakes environment. Though he’s been playing piano for eight years already, he too felt some apprehension.

“I’ve never played in a subway and haven’t really practiced on an electric piano,” he said. (Editor’s note: A full-size keyboard, protected from the rain by a large trash bag, was carried down three flights of stairs into the station for the occasion.)

Nonetheless, the apprehension on Michael’s face almost immediately melted into serenity the moment his fingers began moving over the keys.

“I was not expecting to hear bangers such as Bach in the station,” said Troy Cervantes, a UC Berkeley student who stood mesmerized by the young musicians. “I’m so ecstatic, it’s honestly beyond words. This is beyond a transcendental experience.”

Are you a musician interested in participating in Bach in the Subways at BART? There are three quick steps to follow:

1) Register at https://bachinthesubways.org/register-a-performance/

‪2) Email your selected station and time to [email protected] to apply for an Expressive Activity Permit.

‪3) Show up with your permit and play Bach!

For participating musicians, BART requires that they not affix any signs on the walls, no amplified music, and only perform in non-paid areas of the stations. While performing, participating musicians are asked to display a sign with the Bach in the Subways graphic to indicate your participation. Bach in the Subways requires that participating musicians not solicit tips or accept any money as it is meant to be a shared gift of musical joy.