Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra presents its summer season final “Valley Vivaldi,” 7 p.m. Aug. 23, Wesley Church, Bethlehem.

The concert opens with violin soloist Dana Allaband in the slow, elegant French dance “Loure” and “Gavotte en Rondeau” from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006” (1720).

The work was given a significant honor when almost 50 years ago the “Gavotte en Rondeau” was included on the Voyager Golden Record propelled into space aboard Voyagers 1 and 2.

Although most known for his service to King Frederick the Great of Prussia, Johann Joachim Quantz composed “Trio Sonata in C major, QV2:Anh.3” around 1740 while serving the Dresden Court of the Electors of Saxony. The four-movement piece features Rainer Beckmann, recorder; Inna Eyzerovitch, violin; Noelle Casella, cello, and John Walthausen, harpsichord.

Violinist Linda Kistler is the featured soloist in Antonio Vivaldi’s “Violin Concerto in D major, RV 208, Il Grosso Mogul” (circa 1710). Composed during Vivaldi’s tenure as violin teacher and music director at the Ospedale della Pieta, Venice, Italy, it showcases the soloist’s virtuosic talent. Bach so enjoyed the work, he transcribed it for solo organ, “Organ Concerto in C major, BWV 594.”

Says Pennsylvania Sinfonia Concertmaster Simon Maurer, “After intermission, Nobuo Kitagawa opens with a newly-finished edition, prepared by Nobuo himself, of George Frideric Handel’s ‘Sonata in B-flat Major HWV 357.’”

Although Handel played harpsichord, violin and organ, he had special affection for the oboe, which may explain the large number of works he composed for oboe. Kitagawa is joined by cellist Casella and harpsichordist Walthausen.

Walthausen performs three movements from Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “Pièces de clavecin en concerts - Premier Concert” (1741) accompanied by Linda Kistler and Simon Maurer on baroque violins to provide a more historically-accurate balance to the piece.

Says Maurer, “The grand finale of our summer concert series is Bach’s double keyboard concerto in C Major BWV 1061,” adding, “John Walthausen and Gabriel Benton, both specialists in baroque music performance, are the soloists for this work.

“I believe that in the 50-plus years of ‘Valley Vivaldi,’ this wonderful, deeply-uplifting, and spiritual masterwork has never been presented before.”

Gabriel Benton studied harpsichord at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, received a master’s degree in historical performance from The Juilliard School and a degree in organ performance from Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music.

John Walthausen is an organ and harpsichord soloist and ensemble artist in Baroque literature and contemporary keyboard works. He was organist-in-residence at Sapporo Concert Hall, Hokkaido, Japan. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and the Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris.

“Valley Vivaldi,” Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, 7 p.m. Aug. 23, Wesley Church, 2540 Center St., Bethlehem. Tickets: at the door; Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra office, 1524 W. Linden St., Allentown; 610-434-7811; https://www.pasinfonia.org/valley-vivaldi/

“Classical View” is a column about classical music concerts, conductors and performers. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com