There were notable solo contributions from Ryan Brown, the group's concertmaster, Stephen Hammer and Marc Schachman, oboists, and Christine Gummere and Alyssa Pava, cellists.

Here, in Mr. Parrott's absence, the group is conducted by Stephen Hammer, its principal oboist and one of its founders.

Soloists for the concert include the soprano Emily van Evera, the tenor Marc Molomot, the bass Curtis Streetman, the violinist Cynthia Roberts and the oboist Stephen Hammer.

Kristian Bezuidenhout is the fortepianist, Stephen Hammer is the oboist and the violinist Daniel Stepner, the festival's artistic director, leads the period-instument ensemble.

Its series began on Tuesday evening, when Stephen Hammer was the recorder and oboe soloist in works by Italian and German composers.

(The principal oboist was, of course, the estimable Stephen Hammer, not "Rammor," as listed in the program.)

The strings played with conviction and a lively lilt, and there were excellent contributions from Stephen Hammer on oboe d'amore, the alto version of the instrument invented in the Leipzig area a few years before Bach's appointment.

"Perhaps New York and Early Music are just culturally incompatible," suggested Stephen Hammer, a leading period oboist.

They include stalwarts like Stephen Hammer, an oboist and the group's artistic director; Stanley Ritchie, the concertmaster, and Myron Lutzke, the continuo cellist, who were all heard to excellent effect.

The Philharmonic of New Jersey performs Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, with Peter Winograd, violinist, and Stephen Hammer and Nina Stern, recorder soloists.