The festival grew out of the Carmel Music Society, formed in 1927 by Henry and Edith Dickinson, who hosted visiting musicians at their home on Carmel Point. In 1935 the society co-sponsored the first Bach Festival, which began as three, then four days of open rehearsals, events and concerts.
Gastone Usigli became music director in 1938 and led it until his death in 1956. Sandor Salgo succeeded him and retired in 1991, and Bruno Weil then led the festival until 2010. In 2023 Grete Pedersen was named artistic director, the first woman in that role and the sixth director in the festival’s history.
The festival was cancelled from 1942 to 1945 because of the war, and again in 2020 because of the pandemic. Concerts take place at the Sunset Center.