EMAg Features

As we discover more about historical women musicians and share their stories with a 21st-century audience, writes keyboardist and theorist Paula Maust, we must create a narrative that does not put the protagonist in a position of deference to the important men around her.

'As regards my professional activities, life has really been divided in two — the scholarly and the practical, you might say. It’s maybe not so different from the early-music field as a whole, although I wish it were not divided at all.'

Baroque violinist, composer, and singer-song-writer Rebecca Scout Nelson is among the most intriguing musicians on today's historical performance scene, finding her voice in both early music and sounds that are entirely personal and confessional.

From the Executive Director: 'Regardless of your politics, I think we can agree that the last few months have been chaotic for the performing arts, with a variety of new federal policies creating uncertainty around the funding we rely on.' But EMA's 2025 Virtual Summit will allow for a global gathering.

Keyboardist Byron Schenkman reflects on growing up Jewish and finding connections in early music. 'I sometimes wonder how different my experiences might have been if I'd had Jewish mentors in my early years.'

Meet Andréa Walker, a silvery voiced soprano with a burgeoning career. Still a doctoral student, she balances research into gallant art songs with an ever-busier performance schedule. Her ensemble, Duo CPE, was part of EMA's Emerging Arts Showcase. Next week, June 11, they will join recent Showcase laureates for a concert at the Boston Early Music Festival.

A true contralto voice is rare and thus is often misunderstood or mistreated. In her Canto essay, a notable contralto makes the case for carefully nurturing what's as compelling a voice type as has ever existed on stage.

Historical performance is on an upswing across the U.S., and standards have never been higher. But the future of the field is not so clear for the next generation. There's some growth at the collegiate level but, alarmingly, more than a few losses. What's the national picture?

How do we keep up with what’s going on? In our field, it's the kind of writing that is variously called music journalism, criticism, public musicology, or haute vulgarisation. These terms all have in common that they're written by experts to be read by non-experts.

This past summer I was honored to be elected board president of EMA. My wish for continuous expansion: our awareness of each other within the field, our scholarships and support for young talent, our reach and service to include Latin America, and the scope of our art to include historical traditions and practices from around the world.