Early Music America is a North American community of people who find joy, meaning, and purpose in studying and experiencing historically informed performance. Since 1985, EMA has enriched the field of early music in North America by developing and supporting interest in the music of the past, so that it informs and shapes our lives today. The breadth of EMA’s membership – including professional performers, students, educators, ensembles, presenters, instrument makers, amateur musicians, philanthropists, and many more – has made it an important advocate for early music throughout North America. Through its membership publications and activities, EMA supports the performance and study of early music and promotes public understanding of its potential impact on people and communities coast-to-coast.
As Grove Music Online describes it, early music is “a term once applied to music of the Baroque and earlier periods, but now commonly used to denote any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises, instruments and other contemporary evidence.”
MISSION, VISION & VALUES
EMA’s mission is to develop, strengthen, and celebrate early music in North America by supporting the people and organizations that perform, study, and find joy in it, and by championing the contributions they make to the health and vibrancy of their communities.
EMA believes that early music provides a valuable way to understand histories and human cultures; that historically-informed performances provide important musical insights and experiences; and that all people and communities should have access to learning, performing and enjoying early music.
SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY
EMA commits to supporting early music communities, cultivating the joys and passions that inspire and connect our members and the field.
INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE
EMA celebrates and embraces an inclusive and respectful dialogue, enriching and affirming our shared and diverse journeys in early music.
A THRIVING FUTURE
EMA models responsible stewardship, best practices, fairness, integrity, and meaningful attention to sustainability in our operations and governance to ensure that our organization continues to thrive for future generations.
