PAUL O’DETTE & STEPHEN STUBBS , Artistic Directors
WELCOME TO OUR SEASON!
For the past 36 years, it has been our privilege to welcome Boston concert audiences to performances featuring some of the world’s most captivating Early Music superstars. Each and every year, we are committed to presenting programs of enthralling variety and impeccable quality—from familiar masterpieces reinvigorated by astounding performers to rare delights cultivated by peerless specialists. We invite you to join us for these truly unique musical experiences showcasing the world’s finest artists and ensembles.
A cherished holiday tradition since 2008, our own GRAMMY-winning BEMF Chamber Opera Series returns on Thanksgiving weekend in Boston. This November, we offer a sultry romp straight from the Neopolitan Riviera with Stellidaura’s Revenge by Francesco Provenzale featuring three soloists back from our June 2025 Festival Centerpiece Opera!
We look forward to greeting you at all ten programs in Boston and Cambridge—nine of which will be available for virtual viewing to our fans around the world. There are substantial discounts when you order a subscription package of three or more programs, so be sure to order today and enjoy the very best seats in the house!
KATHLEEN FAY
PAUL O’DETTE STEPHEN STUBBS
Executive Director Artistic Co-Director Artistic Co-Director
SEASON 617-661-1812
COVER PHOTO: Hannah De Priest (Livia) in BEMF's 2025 production of Octavia, photo by Kathy Wittman.
“Once again, BEMF has brought a Baroque opera back to life.” —BACHTRACK
PHOTO: KATHY WITTMAN
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VIRTUAL TICKETS
9 programs in our 25/26 SEASON will be available to watch virtually. Our Virtual Concerts are recorded and edited by an acclaimed production team including cinematographer Kathy Wittman of Ball Square Films and GRAMMY-winning recording engineer Antonio Oliart Ros. Videos can be viewed on our secure online platform for a period of at least two weeks and will premiere about one to two weeks after the in-person performance. Where available, Virtual Tickets will be included FREE with in-person tickets or can be purchased on their own.
2024 | Don Quichotte
PHOTO: KATHY WITTMAN
We are profoundly grateful for the generosity and enthusiasm of our friends and fans from around the world. Your support is invaluable as we continue our mission of bringing you thrilling performances by today’s finest Early Music artists.
Revenue from ticket sales—even from sold-out performances—make up less than half of the total cost of producing our operas and concerts. The remainder is derived almost entirely from devoted patrons like you.
Please consider supporting the Boston Early Music Festival with a contribution accompanying your ticket purchase. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION.
PHOTO: KATHY WITTMAN
n FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2025
8PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY:
October 31 to November 14, 2025
OPERA PRIMA
CRISTIANO CONTADIN, Director & viola da gamba
AMANDA FORSYTHE, soprano
GRAND TOUR: Virtuosic music of the Galant | Celebrated viola da gamba virtuoso Cristiano Contadin and his renowned ensemble Opera Prima return to BEMF with a program of music exploring the Galant style that was in vogue across western Europe during the middle of the 18th century. The complexity and formal structure of the Baroque gives way to a charismatic beauty and captivating elegance that was still grounded by a virtuosic basso continuo. The magnificent soprano Amanda Forsythe—a favorite of BEMF audiences and longtime collaborator with Contadin is showcased in sparkling arias alongside charming concertos and sinfonias from such Galant masters as Hasse, Tartini, C. P. E. Bach, the brothers Johann Gottlieb and Carl Heinrich Graun, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Abel.
Federico Guglielmo, Adriane Post, Chloe Fedor & Susanna Ogata, violin; Gianni Maraldi, viola; Robin Michael, violoncello; Heather Miller Lardin, double bass; Lorenzo Feder, harpsichord; Cristiano Contadin, Director & viola da gamba
“Amanda Forsythe is a sheer delight.” —THE SUNDAY TIMES
n FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025
8PM | St. Paul Church, Cambridge
STILE ANTICO
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY:
November 22 to December 6, 2025
THE PRINCE OF MUSIC: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina | Stile Antico marks its 20th season by honoring the quincentenary of the undisputed master of the style which gives the group its name: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. In an era when even the most celebrated composer could be forgotten in a single generation, Palestrina was an emphatic exception as his legend as “the prince and father of music” only grew after his death. Palestrina’s stellar career was inextricably linked with the Papacy and the great churches of Rome for which he composed. One of the world’s most vibrant and expressive vocal ensembles, the intensely collaborative singers of Stile Antico explore the music Palestrina himself would have sung at the Sistine Chapel, the changes in his style demanded by the CounterReformation, his tragic personal life, and his influence on his successors. The repertoire is sumptuous, including several of Palestrina’s most beloved and timeless motets, gems by other leading composers active in Rome, and a new work by leading British composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad, written especially for Stile Antico and this program.
“A magnificent display of the very best kind of polyphonic music.”
—BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
“An
SEASON 617-661-1812
BOSTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL CHAMBER OPERA SERIES PRESENTS
FRANCESCO PROVENZALE Stellidaura’s REVENGE
A courtly love triangle is torn apart by violent passions in this sultry romp!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2025 | 8PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2025 | 3PM
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY: December 14 to December 28, 2025
When her beloved Armidoro is shot by the jealous Orismondo, beautiful Stellidaura is out for REVENGE!
Provenzale was a hugely influential figure in Neapolitan opera and he wrote his zany tragicomedy to be performed at a prince's summer palazzo in 1674. Breathtaking laments combine with lively tarantellas to produce a wildly entertaining cavalcade of romance, murder, and intrigue. Follow our star-crossed lovers as they navigate mistaken identities, bumbling servants, and attempted assassinations to find out whether they are destined for a happy ending or an early grave.
GRAMMY-winning Musical Directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs join with internationally acclaimed Stage Director Gilbert Blin to create this all-new production featuring exceptional musicianship, period-inspired staging and lavish costumes. The stellar cast features soprano Hannah De Priest as vengeful Stellidaura, GRAMMY-winning tenor Aaron Sheehan as Prince Orismondo, tenor Richard Pittsinger as loyal Armidoro, and baritone Giuseppe Naviglio and soprano Mary Riley as long-suffering servants Giampetro and Armillo. Enjoy this earthy, Shakespearean drama, fully of twists and turns and set to one of the most beautiful musical scores of the 17th century. A must-see event!
PAUL O’DETTE & STEPHEN STUBBS, Musical Directors
GILBERT BLIN, Stage Director
ROBERT MEALY, Concertmaster
SETH BODIE, Costume Designer
MARIE-NATHALIE LACOURSIÈRE, Assistant to the Stage Director
KATHLEEN FAY, Executive Producer
BOSTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
Robert Mealy & Sarah Darling, violin; Kathryn Montoya & Gaia Saetermoe-Howard, recorder; David Morris, viola da gamba; Maxine Eilander, Baroque harp; Michael Sponseller, harpsichord; Paul O’Dette, theorbo; Stephen Stubbs, theorbo & Baroque guitar
GIUSEPPE NAVIGLIO Giampetro MARA RILEY Armillo
RICHARD PITTSINGER Armidoro
AARON SHEEHAN Orismondo
HANNAH DE PRIEST Stellidaura
Pietro Fabris, Tarantella a Palazzo Donn'Anna sullo sfondo del Vesuvio
n FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2025
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY: 8PM | St. Paul Church, Cambridge December 13 to December 27, 2025
THE TALLIS SCHOLARS
PETER PHILLIPS, Director
MOTHER & CHILD: English music for the Virgin Mary | For more than 50 years, the legendary singers of The Tallis Scholars have earned international acclaim for performances of unparalleled purity and clarity and for the past 37 years it has been BEMF's privilege to welcome them annually to Greater Boston. Director Peter Phillips leads these transcendent voices in a seasonal program of music from the English repertoire written about the Virgin Mary. Whether celebrating her own divinity in Byrd’s Votive Mass or her role as the mother of Christ as in Tallis’s epic Missa Puer natus, these selections are some of the most glorious works of the Renaissance. The program also includes Britten’s timeless A Hymn to the Virgin and a newly commissioned piece by Matthew Martin.
“The rock stars of Renaissance vocal music.” THE NEW YORK TIMES
n SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2026
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY:
8PM | First Church in Cambridge, Congregational February 13 to February 27, 2026
PAUL O’DETTE, lute
NEW DISCOVERIES: The extraordinary manuscripts of Orazio Albani da Urbino | Hailed as the “greatest living lutenist” (Stereophile), Paul O’Dette has amassed innumerable accolades and honors and a reputation as a virtuoso with singular technical skill matched by his ebullient charisma. While a regular presence on the BEMF Concert and Opera stages as our Artistic CoDirector, he makes his first solo appearance on BEMF’s annual concert series in over 26 years. Join him for a journey through a collection of recently discovered manuscripts copied out in the 1590s by Orazio Albani da Urbino (1576–1653), a nobleman who studied the lute in Rome as a child prodigy. The composers represented are among the most acclaimed lutenists of the time, whose groundbreaking music was studied and performed throughout Europe. The Albani manuscripts include a large number of previously unknown pieces by Lorenzino Tracetti and the “Knight of the Lute”, Vincenzo Pinti: outstanding works which run the gamut from soulful fantasias to flamboyant toccatas to kaleidoscopic variations on the Folia and Romanesca, containing passages that may have inspired Monteverdi. This collection represents one of the most important musical discoveries of the past thirty years.
“The clearest case of genius ever to touch his instrument.”
TORONTO GLOBE AND
n SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2026 VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY: 8PM | First Church in Cambridge, Congregational February 28 to March 14, 2026
ACRONYM
SEELENBRÄUTIGAM: The Drese Effect | Before “Bach” was synonymous with “musician” in the German state of Thuringia, the name “Drese” was already associated with the musical leadership of this region. Adam Drese and his cousin Johann Samuel Drese helped shaped the musical landscape that Johann Sebastian Bach entered into Johann Samuel was even Kapellmeister in Weimar during Bach’s tenure in the city. While much of their repertoire has been lost to history, the Drese cousins were hugely influential, including on the young Bach.
A mainstay of our June Festivals since 2019, the American chamber ensemble ACRONYM débuts on our annual concert series in a program that assembles for the first time nearly all of the extant works by the Drese cousins, along with several of Bach’s arrangements of them. Comprised of some of North America’s finest young Early Music specialists, ACRONYM is joined by an all-star roster of guest artists, including historical brass players, for the modern premiere of Adam Drese’s funeral motet, Wie selig sind die Toten, the earliest-known work written for slide trumpet.
“Consummate style, grace, and unity of spirit.”
Edwin Huizinga, Adriane Post & Johanna Novom, violin; Beth Wenstrom, violin & viola; Kyle Miller, viola; Loren Ludwig & Kivie Cahn-Lipman, viola da gamba; Doug Balliett, violone; Daniel Swenberg, theorbo & guitar; Elliot Figg, harpsichord & organ; WITH GUEST ARTISTS: Clara Rottsolk, soprano; Elisa Sutherland & Sylvia Leith, mezzo-soprano; Aaron Sheehan & Jacob Perry, tenor; Jonathan Woody; bass; Perry Sutton & Steven Marquardt, slide trumpet; Liza Malamut, Ben David Aronson & Garrett Lahr, trombone
n SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: This performance 3PM | First Church in Cambridge, Congregational will not be available virtually.
TAFELMUSIK BAROQUE ORCHESTRA & JUILLIARD415
ROBERT MEALY, director
CAROLINE COPELAND & JULIAN DONAHUE, dancers
RAMEAU AND THE ART OF DANCE | For over four decades, Tafelmusik has been an Early Music powerhouse with dynamic, engaging, and soulful performances informed by scholarship, passion, and artistic excellence. They make their BEMF début in a special side-by-side collaboration with the brilliant students of Juilliard415 in a pas de deux that bridges generations of Baroque expertise. Robert Mealy, BEMF’s Orchestra Director and director of Juilliard’s Historical Performance department, leads a celebration of the theatricality and elegance of Rameau’s music, featuring stirring overtures, brilliant chaconnes, and a parade of endlessly inventive dances. Rameau wrote some of the most kinetic dance music before Stravinsky, with rhythms so vivid that his own dancers remarked admiringly that he taught them how to dance. His music is brought to life with choreographies by renowned Baroque dancer Caroline Copeland, who is partnered with BEMF Dance Company regular Julian Donahue.
“The kind of committed, passionate music making that guarantees a concert that people remember for a long time.” —TORONTO STAR
TAFELMUSIK
JUILLIARD415
n FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY:
8PM | First Church in Cambridge, Congregational March 27 to April 10, 2026
LE CONSORT
THÉOTIME LANGLOIS DE SWARTE & SOPHIE DE BARDONNÈCHE
, violin
HANNA SALZENSTEIN, violoncello; JUSTIN TAYLOR, harpsichord
A
TRIO
SONATA
SOIRÉE | Celebrating their 10th anniversary season in 2026, the young musicians of Le Consort have already established an international reputation for performances full of enthusiasm, sincerity, unmatched virtuosity, and modernity. Join them in their BEMF return on a voyage through Baroque Europe where the trio sonata was chamber music’s quintessential formation. Their whirlwind program spotlights famous composers alongside unjustly neglected Baroque masters, illustrating the immense expressive range and creativity of this repertoire. After embarking from France, travel from the Venice of Albinoni and Gentili to the Naples of Porpora, with a visit to Telemann and Bach in Germany. The lively soirée concludes with a magnificent setting of “La Folia” by Geminiani—the era’s most recognizable melody, and one which still resonates today.
A great journey awaits you!
“Brilliant throughout, daring, sensual, Le Consort delights us.” —DIAPASON
n SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2026
4PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY:
April 26 to May 10, 2026
JORDI SAVALL with HESPÈRION XXI, TEMBEMBE ENSAMBLE
CONTINUO & LA CAPELLA REIAL DE CATALUNYA
UN MAR DE MÚSICAS (A sea of music): 1440 to 1880 | Jordi Savall has established a singular legacy as one of the most captivating artists of his generation, inspiring audiences around the globe with performances that unite intellectual curiosity, meticulous research, and vibrant musicianship. He returns to Boston with an ensemble featuring more than 30 singers, dancers, and instrumentalists representing Cuba, Haiti, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Mali, and more. These collaborative artists take the stage for a monumental dialogue that honors the more than 25 million people from across the sea enslaved by European colonial powers over more than four centuries, celebrating their heritage with readings, traditional music from many countries, and works by Gaspar Fernandes and other composers.
Neema Bickersteth, slave songs of Afro-American origin; Sekouba Bambino, Griot chant; Yannis François, baritone & dance; Ballaké Sissoko, kora & voice; Mamani Keita, Tanti Kouyaté, Fanta Sissoko, choirs & dance; Maria Juliana Linhares, soprano; Zé Luis Nascimento, percussion; Teresa Yanet, voice; Lixsania Fernández, voice & bass viol; Marlon Rodríguez, percussion & choirs; Frank Pereira, guitar, tres cubano & choirs; Sylvie Henry, voice; Iván García, bass; HESPÈRION XXI (Pierre Hamon, flutes; Béatrice Delpierre, flute & shawm; Daniel Lassalle, sackbut; Josep Borràs, dulcian; Jordi Savall, treble viol & direction; Xavier Puertas, violone; Xavier Díaz-Latorre, theorbo, guitar & vihuela de mano; Andrew Lawrence-King, Spanish Baroque harp; David Mayoral, percussion); TEMBEMBE ENSAMBLE CONTINUO (Ada Coronel, voice & dance; Leopoldo Novoa, marimbol, marimba de chonta & tiple colombiano; Ulises Martínez, violin, vihuela, leona & voice); LA CAPELLA REIAL DE CATALUNYA (Anna Piroli, soprano; David Sagastume, countertenor; Víctor Sordo & Lluís Vilamajó, tenor)
“A magical musician.” WASHINGTON POST
n SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2026
VIRTUAL AVAILABILITY: 8PM | St. Paul Church, Cambridge May 9 to May 23, 2026
PHILIPPE JAROUSSKY & ARTASERSE
LA GELOSIA: Italian Baroque cantatas exploring jealousy | Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky has established himself as a worldwide superstar with an impressive mastery of vocal technique and performances full of nuance and vocal acrobatics. He makes a triumphant return to BEMF, again bringing his own ensemble, Artaserse, in a brilliant collection of chamber music from 18th-century Italy exploring the passion and anguish of jealousy. Thrill to the captivating theatrics of music exploring this romantic torment by Antonio Vivaldi, Alessandro Scarlatti, Nicola Porpora, Domenico Scarlatti, Francesco Durante, and Baldassare Galuppi in this exhilarating program of shimmering melodies and sparkling vocalizations from one of the world’s most singular interpreters of the Baroque vocal repertoire.
“There are countertenors, and then there is Mr. Jaroussky.” —THE
Enjoy world-class opera and concerts presented by the Boston Early Music Festival and available virtually in the comfort of your own home!
WATCH SEPTEMBER 5 TO
28, 2025!
For fans who could not attend our June 2025 Festival in person—or for those wishing to experience the Festival magic again—we invite you to enjoy the exceptional talent of BEMF artists in the comfort of your own home. Our ENCORE! 2025 Virtual Festival showcases a curated selection of operas and concerts recorded live at the June 2025 Festival.
Individual Tickets start at $25 for the Concerts and Telemann’s Pimpinone & Ino, and $30 for Keiser’s Octavia. SAVE 10% when you subscribe to the complete ENCORE! Serpent Package and receive all 4 programs AND a digital copy of the 2025 Festival Program Book for just $99!
ENCORE! 2025 VIRTUAL FESTIVAL BEMF. ORG
2025 | Octavia | PHOTO: KATHY WITTMAN
ORDER TODAY!
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ALL IN-PERSON TICKET BUYERS RECEIVE:
• COMPLIMENTARY VIRTUAL TICKETS for in-person ticket purchases, when available.
• FREE TICKET REPLACEMENT: If you lose your tickets, just contact the Box Office and we will replace them at no charge.
• SPECIAL DISCOUNTS: Seniors, students, and groups of 10 or more can save $5 off regular ticket prices. These discounts cannot be combined with a subscription.
With the purchase of a single VIRTUAL TICKET, you and your household can watch the performance as many times as you would like during the availability period and on multiple devices, but only on one device at time. Virtual Premieres will be about one to two weeks following the in-person performance. Premiere dates and availability periods are listed in this brochure and at BEMF.org.
In lieu of Pre-Concert Talks at the venue, we will present online PRE-CONCERT VIDEOS with informative discussions featuring scholars and artists the week before each program FREE to watch on YouTube or at BEMF.org.
All sales are final. Non-subscription tickets cannot be exchanged. Programs are subject to change.
SEASON 617-661-1812
n SEATING CHARTS
DRESS CIRCLE n A n B n C n D n
NEC’S JORDAN HALL
30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA
FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE, CONGREGATIONAL
11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA
ST. PAUL CHURCH
Bow & Arrow Streets, Cambridge, MA
Please note: many D Level seats have a partially obstructed view of the stage.
Dress Circle seats will be A Level seats for performances without Dress Circle seating.
When available, Virtual Tickets will be included FREE with all in-person tickets or can be purchased on their own.
BALCONY
n FULL SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS | Save 15%
on all programs!
When available, Virtual Tickets are included FREE with in-person subscriptions or can be purchased on their own.
DRESS + A l A l B l C l D l VIRTUAL* TOTAL ___@$1,011 ___@$892 ___@$595 ___@$467 ___@$297 ___@$191 $_______
Dress/A/B/C/D: Select your Stellidaura performance: Sat, 11/29 Sun, 11/30
*Please note, The Tafelmusik & Juilliard415 program will not be available virtually.
n SAMPLER SUBSCRIPTIONS | Save 10% on 3 or more
programs!
You may purchase differently priced tickets to different concerts, as well as different quantities of tickets, as long as you select at least 3 different programs. When available, Virtual Tickets are included FREE with in-person tickets or can be purchased on their own.
12/5 The Tallis Scholars __@$140 __@$105
OCTOBER 17, 2025
OPERA PRIMA
NOVEMBER 7, 2025
STILE ANTICO
NOVEMBER 29 & 30, 2025
BEMF CHAMBER
OPERA SERIES
DECEMBER 5, 2025
THE TALLIS SCHOLARS
JANUARY 31, 2026
PAUL O’DETTE
FEBRUARY 14, 2026
ACRONYM
MARCH 1, 2026
TAFELMUSIK & JUILLIARD415
MARCH 13, 2026 LE CONSORT
APRIL 12, 2026
JORDI SAVALL
APRIL 25, 2026
PHILIPPE JAROUSSKY
Boston Early Music Festival
International Baroque Opera • Celebrated Concerts • World-famous Exhibition
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