On Sunday, Jan. 29, the annual Island Symphony Orchestra Bach Festival returned to St. Peter’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Bay Shore. 

This year’s concert featured the grand-prize winner of the Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, Nina Bernat. A double bassist, Bernat performed the J.S. Bach “Viola da Gamba Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008,” for a captivated audience. In addition to winning the Bach competition, Bernat was also the first-prize winner of the 2019 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition and first and grand-prize winner of the 2022 Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition. At the age of 19, Bernat performed as guest principal of the Israel Philharmonic as well as with the New York Philharmonic. 

Bernat’s performance opened the second half of the concert, with the rest of the concert performed by the Island Symphony Orchestra. The ISO performed beautiful works such as J.S. Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major BWV 1068” and J.S. Bach’s “Cantata BWV 140.” The musical director of the ISO is Eric R. Stewart. In addition to serving the ISO, Stewart is also the music director of the Long Island Festival Orchestra and the director of orchestral studies at Long Island University-Post. Stewart has appeared at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Four Seasons Centre of the Canadian Opera Company, and has been broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Company. 

The ISO is a nonprofit, all-volunteer, island-wide orchestra. Founded in 1971 by Paul Rudoff, the original mission of the group was to provide a way for retired teachers and other senior amateur and professional musicians a way to maintain their musical skills in an orchestral setting. Today, the group has grown and welcomes members of all ages, backgrounds, and musical abilities.