EMA News Features & Press Releases

'A fellow vocalist,' writes Cecilia Duarte, 'mentioned to me that whenever she was onstage, she would hear the voices of every person that had ever criticized her. It became clear to me that our artistic community had a huge need...' 

In its annual survey of the field, REMA-European Early Music Network received alarming input from its members on funding cuts. The impact will be felt across the sector, even as many European organizations rely heavily on public subsidies. It may mean 'fewer concerts, safer and less diverse programming, less work for independent musicians, and more pressure on organizations that were already trying to hang on.'

Hailed as the top of its field, the York Early Music Festival celebrates a milestone anniversary in 2026 with a deluxe calendar of celebrated and emerging artists. Across its 50 years, they've made 'important scholarship come to life through vibrant and sometimes bewildering performances.’

Last week, on Friday the 13th, New York's Music Before 1800 hosted the U.S. premiere of 'Death of Gesualdo,' a ghostly retelling of the Renaissance composer's life and grisly crimes, set to his avant-garde music. Performed by puppets, actors, and the British vocal ensemble the Gesualdo Six, the show is the latest from Bill Barclay, whose 'Secret Byrd' was a revelation for putting ancient music in a profoundly living context.

The Sigal Music Museum, in South Carolina, is the only such public collection in the South and includes the oldest-known piano, from the 1770s, that was commercially build and sold in the nascent United States. With performances from its collection and substantive lectures on historical instruments, the Sigal is a treasure trove of musical history.

The Yudah School of Music, just a year old, offers free tuition for all its students, mostly Black and Latino elementary- and middle-schoolers. Late last year, Yudah founder Rasháwn King brought together students and professionals for a 'Messiah' with a historically informed approach. Along the way, he's challenging 'what it’s supposed to be, who’s supposed to play it.'

With more shows on its calendar and looking for new (and possibly younger) dancers, the New York Baroque Dance Co. put out an audition call. Experience in Baroque style was a plus, but not a requirement. At the same time, the 50-year-old company started weekly technique classes to keep their dancers in peak form. These two components are coming together as Baroque dance continues to expand.

For many of us, Christmas is past, as is New Year’s. But celebrations ought to continue with the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, which commemorates the arrival of the Magi to the manger, giving a few extra days of revelry. Another major feast is Feb. 2: Candlemas. Preparing for a concert, New York's A Golden Wire looks at the richness of music for the full holiday season.

One click at a time, readers picked the most popular EMA online stories of the past 12 months. It’s worth noting the broad range of this year’s list, from artificial intelligence and early-music education to church-bell ringers, English country dance, and a singer’s personal take on seeing representation (and being that representation) on stage.

A music-theater cabaret — reimagining a 1970s fantasy on gay freedoms in a society not ready to accept it — premiered in Europe to acclaim and just arrived in New York. Baroque instruments help create a soundworld where, 'paradoxically, historical instruments bring a quality of timelessness.'