SYMPOSIUM: Global Early Musics, 9:30 - 10:30am

As Early Music America (EMA) celebrates its 40th year of supporting the development of the Early Music community in the U.S. and abroad, and as the Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) celebrates its 23rd biennial gathering for the field of Early Music, we find it relevant now, more than ever, to expand the definition and the scope of our art to include historical traditions and practices from around the world. Join us in this conversation where we will discuss our vision for the future of the field. Moderator: David McCormick, EMA Executive Director; Panelists: Kiya Tabbassian, Constantinople; Antonio M. Gómez, Trio Guadalevín, Immediate Past President of Western Arts Alliance; and Agathe Créac'h, Secretary General, REMA – European Early Music Network.

Exhibition, 10:00am - 5:00pm

The heart of the Boston Early Music Festival is our world-famous Exhibition. As the premier early music trade show in North America and among the largest in the world, the BEMF Exhibition features Early Music tradespeople from across the globe, with makers of period instruments, music publishers, dealers in rare books, prints, and manuscripts, and representatives from the world's leading conservatories and schools of music. The Exhibition is visited daily by hundreds of amateur and professional musicians, students, scholars, and enthusiasts from around the world seeking to purchase instruments, restock their libraries, renew old friendships, and immerse themselves in an unparalleled opportunity for enrichment and discovery.

With an inviting new venue – the Huntington Ballroom and Foyer at the Colonnade Hotel – only blocks from New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall where most of the evening concert take place, the 2025 BEMF Exhibition is sure to be a hub of activity. Nearby restaurants, cafés and fringe venues make this Back Bay location the perfect new home for the BEMF Exhibition.

Registration for the 2025 BEMF Exhibition is now open! Download a registration form below or contact Exhibition Manager Elizabeth Hardy at [email protected] for more information.

FREE CONCERT, Early Music America's Emerging Artists Showcase Concert, 11:00am - 12:30pm:

Artists of any age—who have not otherwise performed regularly in major festivals or concert series—can apply to EMA's Emerging Artists program. Presenting the rising stars of early music and historical performance since 2018, winners have been presented at Early Music festivals in Berkeley, CA, Bloomington, IN, and Boston, MA, and virtually through EMA's digital platforms. In 2023, the Showcase became a central element of the annual EMA Summit. This very special free concert will include four performances by recent Showcase laureates, including Duo CPE, The Fooles, Maryse Legault, and Marie Nadeau-Tremblay.

MASTERCLASS, Kola Owolabi, organ, 2:30 - 4:30pm:

First Lutheran Church of Boston

CONCERT, The Tallis Scholars, 5:00pm:

Inspired by the Sistine Chapel: Music of Palestrina, Allegri, Morales, and others
The legendary voices of The Tallis Scholars with Director Peter Phillips bring us a program inspired by the Sistine Chapel and the extraordinary Renaissance composers who wrote music to be sung in services there. The Choir of the Sistine Chapel served as the personal choir of the Pope and was at the center of the Vatican’s musical life. The musicians appointed as its singers came from across Europe; they were also expected to write music, with thrilling results. Prepare to be transported by music of timeless and transcendent beauty, from Allegri’s beloved Miserere, written for the Chapel’s exclusive use during Holy Week, to mass movements by Palestrina and motets by Morales, Josquin, and Festa.

PRE-OPERA TALK, 5:30pm:

PRE-OPERA TALKS will precede all four performances of Keiser's Octavia, offering audience members fascinating insights into Reinhard Keiser's life and work. Each will take place at the Emerson Cutler Majestic

The Power of Love and the Love of Power; presented by Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors

OPENING FANFARE, Keiser's Octavia, 6:40pm:

Members of the BEMF Orchestra, Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre

CENTERPIECE OPERA, Keiser's Octavia, 7:00pm:

The virtuous Empress Octavia is betrayed by her increasingly erratic husband, Nero, putting all of Rome on the brink of rebellion.
Written for the famed Hamburg Opera in 1705, Keiser's monumental work brings lavish spectacle and brilliant orchestration to a nuanced tale of the corruption of power and the resilience of love. A fantastical parade of philosophers, clowns, ghosts, and despots comes alive on the stage as the noble Octavia struggles to survive the turmoil and cruelty around her.

Tiridates, the King of Armenia, has come to Rome to pledge his allegiance to the Empire. Emperor Nero officially restores the king to his throne while growing infatuated with Tiridates' wife, Ormœna, much to the dismay of Empress Octavia. Tensions rise as the Roman citizens grow restless over Nero's lavish attempts to court the Armenian Queen and rid himself of his own bride. As Rome breaks out in open rebellion, Octavia must find a way to persevere amidst the chaos.

GRAMMY-winning Musical Directors Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs and acclaimed Stage Director Gilbert Blin lead an all-new production replete with opulent stagecraft and impeccable musicianship. Breathtaking sets, sumptuous, period-inspired costumes, exquisite Baroque dance, and beautifully evocative music combine in an operatic feast sure to delight.

CONCERT, Trio Mediæval with Catalina Vicens, 8:00pm:

Love abounds in everything: Music of Hildegard von Bingen and Leonel Power
The crystalline voices of Trio Mediæval have captivated audiences since the group was founded in Oslo in 1997, earning them two GRAMMY nominations and renown across the globe for performances that are both pristine and intensely immersive. They make their long-awaited return to the BEMF concert stage alongside the stunning organetto virtuoso Catalina Vicens in a program of music by Hildegard von Bingen and Leonel Power. Traverse the ancient soundscapes of these two contrasting Medieval masters, from the soaring chants of the 12th-century abbess, Hildegard, to the influential early 15th-century English polyphony by Power.

CONCERT, The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, 10:30pm:

Love without Words—Music of the Song of Songs: Music of Palestrina, Victoria, Grandi, Giovanni Gabrieli, and Merulo
Now in their 32nd year, the exceptional musicians of The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble make their much-anticipated BEMF début at the 2025 Festival. In addition to regular recitals, these Gramophone Award–winning performers are in high demand for collaborations with such powerhouse vocal groups as I Fagiolini, The Tallis Scholars, Alamire, and many others. Enjoy a program of music perfectly suited to the unique sounds of cornetts and sackbuts with the sensuous love poetry of the Song of Songs in settings by Palestrina, Victoria, and Grandi alongside instrumental canzonas and sonatas by Giovanni Gabrieli and Merulo.

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