EMA FEATURES & PRESS RELEASES
Musicians of the Tenshō Embassy
Four Japanese boys, students at a Jesuit missionary school in the 1580s, were sent on an eight-year tour of Europe. Tracing this fascinating but fraught history for a concert program meant accepting a host of practical, historical, and ethical challenges.
Early Music on Tour. Who’s Buying?
Presenters and university concert series have been a place to catch some of the best period instrument ensembles on tour. We speak with a range of presenters and learn that while that’s becoming a harder sell at some venues, other locations have a loyal audience with open ears.
English Country Dance, an American Pastime
Gathering for an English country dance is like taking a walk through the history of social dance and music, much of it based on Playford's 'The English Dancing Master.' Always a popular and fun night out, the art form today attracts a broad range of participants and is sometimes backed by an early-music band.
‘Soul’ Between the Notes: Grete Pedersen on Historical Performance
Norwegian conductor Grete Pedersen is in demand everywhere just now. A finalist for the Bay Area's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, she'll become principal conductor of the Yale Schola Cantorum starting in 2026 and has been at the helm of the idyllic Carmel Bach Festival for the past three seasons. In a conversation along Carmel Beach, she talked about her organic approaches to early music.
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EMA RECORDING & BOOK REVIEWS
The Drama and Tensions of Opera and Theater
Historians over the past two centuries have tended to think of opera and tragic theater as developing along separate lines. This new collection of essays attempts to show developmental connections between them, as well as with other influential forms of opera and theater in the 17th and 18th century.
First Listen: New Flute Music by Marin Marais
French flutist François Lazarevitch and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien have released the first professional recording of a recent discovery: flute music by Marin Maris that was unknown till 2023. It's music of 'exceptionally high quality.'
A Shimmering Mirage from Kansas City Chorale
The latest recording from conductor Charles Bruffy and his Kansas City Chorale celebrates Marco Polo by connecting East with West. A recent reconstruction of music from Renaissance Spain pairs with Asian folk and art songs from China, India, and Mongolia.
Play, Music! Songs from Shakespeare
Shakespeare's plays are rich in song, with productions at the Globe Theatre featuring musically trained actors and a small instrumental band. We have the texts, but there is no surviving music from any of the Bard's plays. A new recording from the ensemble Theatro finds 'lost' songs from a range of sources, including popular Elizabethan songs.
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COMMUNITY NEWS & PRESS RELEASES
The Pandora Consort is set to premiere an original folk opera about women’s liberation in the United States through centuries of music and stories. The folk opera, The Fire Within ...
The Cambridge Society for Early Music presents Relaunch Celebration event CSEM will host a fundraiser concert to celebrate our return and kick off CSEM's first full concert season since 2020 ...
Jouyssance Early Music Ensemble will perform Renaissance music extolling the virtues, glories and agonies of love and marriage – from the sacred to very secular – in its upcoming Fall ...
In Mulieribus (IM), Portland's critically acclaimed early music women's vocal ensemble, is pleased to present its 2025-26 season, Murmurs of the Muse. This season is a thoughtful exploration of the ...
The York International Young Artists Competition is delighted to announce that applications are invited for next year’s competition. This prestigious longstanding competition which has launched the careers of many young ...
