Organization Member
Contact Information
(617) 661-1812
kathy@bemf.orghttps://bemf.org/
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Type of Organization
Festivals, Performing Ensemble, PresenterAbout
Recognized as the preeminent early music presenter and Baroque opera producer in North America, the Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) has been credited with securing Boston’s reputation as “America’s early music capital” (The Boston Globe). Founded in 1981, BEMF offers diverse programs and activities, including one GRAMMY® Award-winning and five GRAMMY® Award-nominated opera recordings, an annual concert series that brings early music’s brightest stars to the Boston and New York concert stages, and a biennial week-long Festival and Exhibition recognized as the “world’s leading festival of early music” (The Times, London). The twenty-third biennial Boston Early Music Festival, Love & Power, was held in June 2025 and featured Reinhard Keiser’s 1705 opera Octavia. The twenty-fourth Festival – themed Dragons & Divas, taking place from June 6-13, 2027 – will have as its centerpiece Georg Philipp Telemann’s 1728 opera Emma und Eginhard, a revival of BEMF’s popular Chamber Opera, John Frederick Lampe’s The Dragon of Wantley, and over a dozen concerts. BEMF’s Artistic Leadership includes Artistic Directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, Opera Director Gilbert Blin, Orchestra Director Robert Mealy, and Dance Director Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière.
