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Evan Shinners
piano
Widely known as WTF Bach, Evan Shinners is a conductor and keyboardist with a deep focus on Baroque music. He is an alumnus of The Juilliard School where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal. Shinners began musical studies at age 10 in the European sacred choral tradition, singing and playing continuo.
In November of 2018, using funds awarded by the Music Academy, Evan opened 'The Bach Store' in a 5,000 sq. ft. former bank on 56th and Broadway in Manhattan. There, he performed Bach for five hours, every day, for 37 consecutive days. In the evenings, Mr. Shinners hosted different guest artists every night, showcasing 70 musicians performing Bach during the run. His efforts landed him on the front page of the New York Times Arts section.
The Bach Store reopened in the Financial District in 2019, in Erfurt, Germany in 2022 and 2024, and is set to open in Switzerland in 2026.
In May 2024, he debuted the first three of twenty-four albums, eventually encompassing the entirety of Bach's solo keyboard works.
A popular figure in music education, Shinners is the host of ‘The WTF Bach Podcast,’ the leading Baroque music podcast, where he dissects the music and interviews prominent musicians, navigating the complexities of Bach’s life and work.
A performer of many monikers, Mr. Shinners releases side projects under many nom de plumes. One, an album of songs for voice and piano by 'Charles Jameson' achieved cult-like status in France. He is a prolific writer, with sixteen volumes of poems/prose appearing under the series: The Annals of Joe Henry.
He resides in Europe and the U.K. with his wife. Mr. Shinners is a proud Yamaha Artist.