Boston Early Music Festival

Boston Early Music Festival
Name	Boston Early Music Festival
Location	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Years active	1980–present
Founders	Laurence Dreyfus, Scott Ross
Genre	Early music, Baroque music, Renaissance music
Website	www.bemf.org

Boston Early Music Festival. The Boston Early Music Festival is a major biennial event and presenting organization dedicated to historically informed performance of music from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras. Founded in 1980, it has grown into one of the world's preeminent festivals for early music, combining a prestigious concert series with a significant exhibition for the early music industry. The festival is renowned for its ambitious fully-staged Baroque opera productions, its influential artistic leadership, and its extensive discography on the CPO label.

History

The festival was co-founded in 1980 by harpsichordist and conductor Laurence Dreyfus and harpsichordist Scott Ross, with an initial focus on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Early leadership also included influential figures like John Gibbons and Andrew Parrott. After a period of reorganization in the late 1980s, the festival found renewed direction under the stewardship of artistic directors Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, who were appointed in the early 1990s. Under their guidance, the festival established its signature biennial pattern and launched its celebrated series of Baroque opera revivals. The organization's administrative home and primary performance venue has long been associated with the Emerson Colonial Theatre and other historic venues in Boston.

Festival and Exhibition

Held in odd-numbered years, the festival presents an intensive week of concerts, lectures, and masterclasses featuring leading international ensembles such as The Tallis Scholars, Jordi Savall, and William Christie's Les Arts Florissants. A central component is the Early Music Exhibition, one of the largest trade fairs of its kind, where builders, publishers, and record labels like Harmonia Mundi showcase historical instruments, sheet music, and recordings. The event attracts performers, scholars, and enthusiasts from across the globe, with ancillary events often hosted at institutions like New England Conservatory and Boston University.

Chamber Opera Series

A cornerstone of the festival's programming is its Chamber Opera Series, which presents fully-staged productions of rarely performed Baroque works. These critically acclaimed productions, often North American or modern-era premieres, have included operas by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Georg Philipp Telemann, and Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The series has featured collaborations with renowned stage directors like Gilbert Blin and choreographers such as Lucy Graham, with the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra and a roster of specialist singers providing the musical foundation.

Artistic Leadership

The festival's artistic vision has been shaped by the long-term co-artistic directors, lutenists and conductors Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs. They are supported by concertmaster and violinist Robert Mealy and artistic advisor Caroline Copeland. This core team collaborates with a wide array of guest artists, including conductors Philippe Herreweghe and Harry Bicket, and vocalists like Karina Gauvin and Aaron Sheehan. The administrative leadership has included executive directors such as Kathleen Fay.

Recordings and Publications

The festival's opera productions have been extensively documented, resulting in a celebrated series of recordings on the CPO label. These albums have frequently been nominated for and won major awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. The festival also produces scholarly program books and has collaborated on publications with entities like the University of Illinois Press. Recordings often feature the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra and vocal soloists, capturing performances of works by composers like Agostino Steffani and Francesco Cavalli.

Critical Reception and Impact

The Boston Early Music Festival has received widespread critical acclaim from publications like The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Gramophone. Its opera recordings have been honored with the Grammy Award and the German Record Critics' Award. The festival is credited with significantly elevating the standards and popularity of Baroque opera production in North America, influencing the programming of major institutions like the Metropolitan Opera and serving as a vital incubator for early music talent. Its exhibition and concert series form a crucial nexus for the global early music community.

Category:Music festivals in the United States Category:Early music festivals Category:Culture in Boston Category:Recurring events established in 1980 Category:1980 establishments in Massachusetts