EMA FEATURES & PRESS RELEASES
A Half-Century of the York Early Music Festival
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.’
When Good Music Happens to Really Bad People
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.
A Deep South Collection of Old Instruments
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.
Collegiate Early Music: You Forgot the Students
In a Letter to the Editor, a soprano reacts to a much-discussed EMAg article on higher education in our field. She say the reporting left out an essential component: the students. 'As a graduate of two early-music programs, I frequently find myself questioning the value of my degrees.'
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EMA RECORDING & BOOK REVIEWS
Anonymous is Star of the Arundel Choirbook
An early 16th-c. illuminated manuscript of English sacred music, known as the Arundel (or Lambeth) Choirbook, contains polyphony by known composers and the equally skilled Anonymous. A compelling new album offers seven world premieres by these mysterious creators.
Banjo & Fiddle: Early Black Music in the Americas
Fiddle and banjo music played by free and enslaved Blacks before the 1860s is a key element of American musical and cultural history. But the evidence is scant. In 'Go Back and Fetch It,' authors Kristina R. Gaddy and Rhiannon Giddens explore more than three centuries of songs in this landmark new book.
Edmond Dédé’s Morgiane: A Hit Opera, 138 Years Late
The oldest known opera by a Black American composer, Edmond Dédé's 1887 'Morgiane,' had its world premiere last spring and now has its debut recording. Rich string writing, a variety of obbligato parts, and snappy dance rhythms point to a composer with an ear for traditions both formal (French grand opera) and folk (his New Orleans upbringing).
Dazzling Telemann from Amanda Forsythe & BEMF
Amanda Forsythe is the star of this Telemann recording with the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra. In a favorite cantata and showy opera arias, the soprano and ensemble deliver fiery intensity and emotional depth. And it's a 2026 Grammy winner for Best Classical Solo Album.
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COMMUNITY NEWS & PRESS RELEASES
In summer 2026, the American Musicological Society (AMS) will host a two-week residential Institute for Higher Education Faculty entitled Studying Early Music with Computers: Tools, Formats, and Strategies, to be ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Blue Hill Bach Presents: Bach's Birthday ConcertAn Evening of Baroque Chamber Music with North Star Baroque Friday, March 27, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Doors open at ...
Recorder Fest! March 7 at Temple University’s Rock Hall, Philadelphia Ferrara: Splendor of the Renaissance March 13 - Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Sq., Philadelphia March 14 - Presbyterian ...
Sarasa Ensemble stirs up delicious works from 17th-century Bologna in ‘alla Bolognese’ program February 27-March 1, 2026 Sarasa Chamber Music Ensemble performs the fourth concert-set of its 2025-26 Concert Series ...
Piffaro, the Renaissance Band announces Spring 2026 Season Recorder Fest! March 7 at Temple University’s Rock Hall, Philadelphia Ferrara: Splendor of the Renaissance March 13 - Church of the Holy ...
