Bach Festival Society of Winter Park Announces New Board Leadership Slate to Usher in New Era of Growth

WINTER PARK, FL (July 6, 2026) — The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park has announced its newly elected slate of Board Officers and Trustees for the 2026–2027 season. The new board officially assumed their roles on July 1, 2026, marking a new chapter focused on patron growth, expanded community impact, and strategic preparation for the organization's upcoming centennial milestone.

The transition comes as former Board Vice President and Executive Director Kathy Berlinsky steps down from Bach Festival to embrace retirement and a freelance consulting role. In the interim, Artistic Director John V. Sinclair will assume the primary organizational leadership role. To support this new operational structure, Bach has launched a search for a new Development Director. "It was a joy and a privilege to serve as Executive Director of the Bach Festival Society,” said Berlinsky.

The newly appointed board leadership brings multi-industry expertise across business administration, financial management, strategic marketing, public relations, and high-level donor cultivation. This team is positioned to deepen the Society's community footprint, expand its K-12 education initiatives, and strengthen its financial foundation.

The 2026–2027 Bach Festival Society Board Officers are: Mr. Richard O. Baldwin, Jr., President; Mrs. Jeanne Reynaud, Vice President; Mrs. Kate Byrne, Treasurer; and Mr. Victor Alexander Tiedtke, Secretary.

“We are deeply grateful for Kathy’s dedicated service to Bach over the past 4 years, especially her willingness to step into leadership when the organization needed it,” said Richard O. Baldwin, Jr., President of the Board of Trustees. “As the organization transitions, our new board leadership and Dr. Sinclair have the expertise required to elevate our artistic excellence, deepen our educational outreach, and usher in a landmark new era as we look toward our 100-year anniversary.”

About the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park

The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park celebrates the power of music to delight, inform, and inspire by presenting world-class performances of the music of JS Bach and the countless musicians influenced by him. Bach also offers robust music education programming in the local public school system. Founded in 1935 at Rollins College to present high-quality orchestral and choral presentations to the community, the Bach Festival Choir was recently described by London’s Royal Philharmonic conductor Sir John Rutter as “one of the world’s truly great symphonic choruses, equal to any musical challenge that comes their way, a pleasure to conduct, and a delight to listen to.”