Created by Yaron Lifschitz with the Circa Ensemble and based on the original production created with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and its Artistic Director, Paul Dyer, The Art of Fugue brings together two remarkable disciplines: the intellectual rigor of Johann Sebastian Bach’s final masterpiece and the physical mastery of contemporary acrobatics.
Featuring 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Silver Medalist Vitaly Starikov, Bach’s intricate and unfinished The Art of Fugue unfolds live at the piano while Circa’s internationally acclaimed ensemble responds through movement, balance, and aerial artistry. Under the direction of visionary circus creator Yaron Lifschitz, the performers translate Bach’s complex counterpoint into a striking physical language that explores precision, discipline, and human potential.
Renowned worldwide for redefining contemporary circus, Circa creates performances where exceptional athleticism and sophisticated artistry exist in equal measure. In The Art of Fugue, music and movement intersect in a work that examines the limits of both intellectual and physical achievement.
“Seamless marriage of music, balletic tumbling and mind-blowing balancing acts.” — The Daily Telegraph
“Eighty-five minutes of breathtaking physical performance.” — Limelight
Commissioned by the Moss Arts Center, Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center.
Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body, and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Presented in association with Aspen Music Festival and School
