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Ensemble

 

The Boston Early Music Festival Chorus is a renowned classical music ensemble that specializes in performing music from the Baroque and Renaissance periods. Founded in 1981 by a group of musicians and scholars, the ensemble has since become one of the most respected and sought-after early music groups in the world. The founding members of the Boston Early Music Festival Chorus were drawn together by a shared passion for the music of the Baroque and Renaissance periods. They were all experienced musicians and scholars who had studied and performed early music extensively, and they saw a need for a dedicated ensemble that could bring this music to a wider audience. The early years of the ensemble were marked by a series of successful performances and collaborations with other early music groups and musicians. The ensemble quickly gained a reputation for its high level of musicianship and its commitment to authenticity in performance, using period instruments and historical performance practices to recreate the sound and style of early music. One of the highlights of the Boston Early Music Festival Chorus's early years was its collaboration with the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, which was founded in 1980. Together, the two ensembles performed a wide range of early music repertoire, including works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi. Over the years, the Boston Early Music Festival Chorus has continued to grow and evolve, adding new members and expanding its repertoire to include music from other periods and styles. Today, the ensemble is made up of some of the finest early music singers in the world, many of whom are also accomplished soloists and scholars in their own right. One of the most notable members of the Boston Early Music Festival Chorus is its current artistic director, Paul O'Dette. O'Dette is a renowned lutenist and early music scholar who has been a member of the ensemble since its early days. He has also served as the artistic director of the Boston Early Music Festival since 1997, and has been instrumental in shaping the ensemble's artistic vision and direction. Over the years, the Boston Early Music Festival Chorus has performed at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals in the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Salzburg Festival. The ensemble has also collaborated with many of the world's leading early music groups and musicians, including Jordi Savall, William Christie, and Andrew Lawrence-King. One of the most notable performances in the Boston Early Music Festival Chorus's history was its 2011 production of Handel's opera "Acis and Galatea." The production, which was directed by Gilbert Blin and conducted by Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, was widely praised for its innovative staging and its faithful recreation of the opera's original performance practices. In addition to its many performances and collaborations, the Boston Early Music Festival Chorus has also received numerous awards and accolades over the years. In 1997, the ensemble was awarded the Noah Greenberg Award by the American Musicological Society, in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the performance of early music. The ensemble has also been nominated for several Grammy Awards, and has won numerous other awards and honors from organizations such as the Boston Music Awards and the Early Music America Awards.

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