Local Composer Hollis Thoms Premieres New Opera

Bach in Baltimore is thrilled to premiere Hollis Thoms' new opera Adam and Eve on Sunday, November 3, 2019, at 4 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church, located at 701 S. Charles Street in Baltimore.

The new work is based on John Milton's Paradise Lost (Book IX), and it is part of a trilogy composed by Mr. Thoms based on stories of love and morality: Chanticleer (Chaucer and Petrarch), Adam and Eve (Milton), and Prodigal (Shakespeare). Featured in this performance are bass Jason Thoms in the role of Adam; soprano Sarah Bleasdale in the role of Eve; and alto Maria Sheehan with bass Kristopher Jean playing Satan. The Sunderman Woodwind Quintet from Gettysburg College.

Hollis is a Maryland composer of over 150 works from symphonies and operas to chamber music and solo works, both secular and sacred. This is the fourth work of Hollis Thoms that Bach in Baltimore has premiered under the direction of T. Herbert Dimmock. Mr. Thoms remarks that "T. Herbert Dimmock is not only a dedicated, well-known interpreter of the works of Bach but he has an openness and the necessary expertise to effectively premiere new works as part of the Bach in Baltimore concert series. I am deeply grateful to him for premiering my works on his concerts. Plus, this year my wife and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, and this work is dedicated to that commemoration."

The Sunday afternoon concert will include J.S. Bach's Cantata 165: O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, which also focuses on the Adam and Eve story, as well as Mozart’s effervescent instrumental favorite Eine kleine Nachtmusik.

Individual tickets for this concert are $25 online at bachinbaltimore.org or by calling 410-941-9262. Tickets will also be available at the door 30 minutes before the concert is set to start for $27. $5 validated parking is available for patrons on the day of the concert at the Charles/Light St. Garage, located at

Tickets to Bach in Baltimore’s FIRST SUNDAY Concert Series: Baroque Greatest Hits, featuring eleven concerts from October 2019-June 2020 are also available online at bachinbaltimore.org or by calling 410-941-9262. Bach in Baltimore offers several discount pricing options, including a Full Season Pass and Mini Pass for concerts in the FIRST SUNDAY Concert Series. Please note that Bach in Baltimore’s performance venues varies—we perform across the greater Baltimore metropolitan area. Please consult the full schedule online for performance times and locations.