EMA News Features & Press Releases

Like a jukebox musical, a pasticcio opera takes hit tunes from an artist or era and stitches them together with a bespoke plot. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Portland Baroque Orchestra is set to perform 'Dinner with Handel,' a pasticcio where the great composer is caught in a surprise dinner party—revealing the man and his complicated relationships.

Even before the ubiquity of Zoom, we were all conditioned to think that in-person musical interactions are always superior to anything online. Always. But what if a musician can't spend the money or time to connect in person? The author argues that newer technology allows us a more nuanced approach: we can pick solutions that are financially, logistically, and artistically preferable.

Los Angeles-based viola da gamba player Lucy Jones, the go-to seismologist after a California earthquake, is turning her scientific renown towards a bigger crisis. 'Tempo: Music for Climate Action' uses music to depict the science of climate change.

The latest installment of 'Early Music: the Americas' explores the life and impact of an important Cuban musician from the later 18th century, Esteban Salas. As a composer, pedagogue, and priest, Salas left a huge output of music, but research and performances are still lagging far behind.

As 2023 comes to a close, check out EMA’s 10 most popular features and reviews from the world of early music.

The Aston Magna Festival, which stakes a claim as the oldest period-instrument festival in the country, turned 50 this past summer. As its long-time artistic director, violinist Daniel Stepner, plans to retire, the venerable festival is in for major changes.

An early musician's rant about the streaming-service behemoth Spotify: We have better options! From sound and search to library size and liner notes, there are two newer services that will improve the quality of your early-music listening experience. They're somewhat more fair in artist compensation, too, a meaningful distinction for the consumer.

Meet Nuova Pratica, a stylish ensemble with a progressive-retro attitude. They reject the notion that everything's already been said in the Baroque language. By re-opening the book on Baroque composition, their new works are at turns fresh, varied, and imaginative.

The innovative, cross-cultural work of Salamone Rossi, a Jewish musician at the Gonzaga court in Mantua, has long stirred controversy and strong opinion. The Bay Area's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra will perform Rossi's 1623 'Songs of Solomon,' a set of Psalm settings in Hebrew in the Italian polyphonic style.

With the season in full swing and the holidays fast approaching, it's a good time to revisit one of the most-read EMA stories of 2023. First published in January, it's a top-10 list of "home stay" dos and don'ts. An early-music host shares his tips for making a home stay easy and low-stress for everyone. Share it with anyone who invites musicians into their house...and traveling musicians will be grateful.