At each cantata concert of the J.S. Bach Foundation, a reflective lecture is given between the two performances of the selected cantata. The lecture serves as a bridge between the baroque text and the modern world, and offers a fresh perspective on the cantata – a symbiosis of word and music that concertgoers greatly appreciate. In the lectures, speakers from a diverse range of backgrounds respond to Bach’s music by taking up key themes and passages from the cantata text and combining them with their own, contemporary thoughts and experiences. The highly personal reflections last around fifteen minutes and are an ideal complement to the introductory workshops, which have a theological and musical focus.

You can find an overview of previous speakers on on our page "works" in the filter "speaker".

Barbara Bleisch is responsible for the reflective lectures. Barbara Bleisch – philosopher, journalist and author – has been a host of the philosophical programme “Sternstunde Philosophie” for the Swiss radio and television broadcaster SRF since 2011. From 2018 to 2022 she was a regular columnist for the Swiss newspaper “Tages-Anzeiger”, and from 2013 to 2019 she was a columnist for the journal “Philosophie Magazin” in Berlin. On Saturday mornings she appears regularly in the philosophy programme “#giigets” on Swiss radio SRF3. In 2024 she was named director of the reflection lecture series of the J. S. Bach Foundation and co-director the “Philosophicum Lech”.

Barbara Bleisch is a member of the Center for Ethics at the University of Zurich and teaches philosophy and ethics at the Universities of Zurich, St. Gallen and Lucerne in the continuing education programmes.

Barbara Bleisch studied philosophy, German studies and religious studies in Zurich, Basel and Tübingen, and received her PhD in philosophy from the University of Zurich with a dissertation on global equality. From 2005 to 2009 she was programme coordinator of the Advanced Studies in Applied Ethics at the Center for Ethics of the University of Zurich, from 2011 to 2014 she was an academic associate at the University of Bern, and in 2014 she was a Senior Research Fellow at Queen’s University in Belfast. From 2017 to 2019, Barbara Bleisch was an academic guest at the Collegium Helveticum of the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich and the Zurich University of the Arts. Her most recent book, “Mitte des Lebens. Eine Philosophie der besten Jahre” (Mid-life. A philosophy of the best years), was published by Hanser Verlag.

Dr Arthur Godel, an arts editor who was programme director of DRS2 (Switzerland’s cultural radio station) until his retirement in 2008, was responsible for the reflective lectures until the end of 2023. Over the years, Dr Godel has engaged over 170 speakers, including Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Sybille Lewitscharoff, Urban Federer and Aleida Assmann. His official engagement at the J. S. Bach Foundation came to an end, with the peace of mind of having found a highly suitable successor for the years to come.

In the 2024 concert season, Barbara Bleisch has taken on responsibility for the reflective lectures. “Beyond exploring the cantata texts, the lecturers offer a reflection on our lives and times. My aim is to engage speakers who push our mental boundaries and take us on a journey to new intellectual heights. As in previous years, the evenings will aim to touch both heart and soul – and perhaps include a new surprise every now and again.” In line with the purpose of the Foundation, Barbara Bleisch is committed to ensuring that the reflective lectures speak to people of all ages and walks of life.

From 2006 to 2018, the reflective lectures were published in printed form (as a collection in book format until 2012, and then as single editions). Since 2019, the printed lectures have been made available free of charge on our Bachipedia platform.