Boosey & Hawkes

Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher and former manufacturer of musical instruments, with a history deeply intertwined with the development of classical and contemporary music. Formed from the merger of two established family firms, it became one of the world's most significant publishers of serious music, representing a vast catalog of works by leading composers from the 20th and 21st centuries. The company's influence extends from the production of high-quality brass instruments and woodwind instruments to its pivotal role in promoting and preserving major orchestral and operatic repertoire.

History

The company's origins trace back to the separate businesses of John Boosey, who founded a publishing house in the 19th century, and Henry Distin, a brass instrument maker whose manufactory was later acquired by William Henry Hawkes. The merger that created the modern entity occurred around 1930, combining the publishing strength of Boosey & Company with the instrument-making expertise of Hawkes & Son. Throughout the mid-20th century, the firm established its headquarters at 295 Regent Street in London, a location that became a cultural hub. A pivotal moment came in 1947 with the acquisition of the catalog of the renowned Russian publisher M. P. Belaieff, bringing a wealth of Slavic music into its fold. The company later expanded its reach by purchasing the catalog of the American publisher Rahter & Co. and, significantly, the opera department of Associated Music Publishers.

Instruments

For much of the 20th century, Boosey & Hawkes was a premier manufacturer of brass and woodwind instruments, celebrated for their craftsmanship and tonal quality. Its Besson brand was synonymous with world-class cornets and euphoniums, favored by leading brass bands and soloists. The company's woodwind division produced highly regarded oboes, clarinets, and bassoons under the Buffet Crampon and Lafleur names after key acquisitions. The Edgware factory was the center of British instrument manufacturing for decades, supplying instruments to the British Armed Forces and educational institutions worldwide. In 2003, the instrument manufacturing division was sold to The Music Group, ending its direct involvement in that industry.

Publications

The company's publishing arm holds one of the most important catalogs of classical and contemporary music globally. It is the principal publisher for a vast array of major 20th-century figures, controlling the rights to seminal works across genres. The catalog includes full orchestral scores, study scores, and instrumental parts for symphonies, concertos, and operas, distributed internationally. Boosey & Hawkes also publishes educational music, band arrangements, and a significant collection of contemporary choral works. Its operational divisions, such as Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd. and Boosey & Hawkes GmbH, manage complex international copyrights and licensing, ensuring the repertoire's availability for performances, recordings, and broadcasts.

Notable composers

The company's roster of represented composers reads as a who's who of modern music. It served as the primary publisher for Benjamin Britten, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Richard Strauss, managing their performance and mechanical rights. Other luminary figures in its catalog have included Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, John Adams, Steve Reich, and Harrison Birtwistle. Through strategic acquisitions, it also came to represent works by Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. This immense collection encompasses landmark works like Peter Grimes, The Rite of Spring, and West Side Story, cementing the firm's central role in music history.

Corporate structure

Following a period as a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange, Boosey & Hawkes was subject to a major takeover. In 2003, the instrument manufacturing assets were divested, and in 2008, the entire publishing business was acquired by the Imagem Music Group, a subsidiary of the Dutch pension fund ABP. This acquisition merged its catalog with those of other prestigious publishers like Rights & Co. and Rondor Music. In a further consolidation in 2017, the Imagem group was itself purchased by the global music conglomerate Concord. Today, the Boosey & Hawkes imprint operates as a division within Concord Music Publishing, maintaining its distinct brand identity and editorial offices in London, New York City, and Berlin while managing its historic catalog.