Recent Conference
Focus on the Future of Early Music; June 15-17, 2011 at the Boston Early Music Festival
Wednesday, June 15
- 9am-12pm. Workshop “Embracing Entrepreneurship” by David Cutler, author of The Savvy Musician. The workshop is intended primarily for students and young professionals building their careers, including participants in EMA’s Young Performers Festival, but all are welcome.
Thursday, June 16
- 10am-11am. Panel discussion on “The Future of Early Music in Higher Education,” moderated by Angela Mariani (Texas Tech early music director and host of the radio show Harmonia). Panelists will include Paul Leenhouts and Richard Sparks (University of North Texas); Adam Gilbert (USC); Wendy Gillespie (Indiana University); Martin Pearlman (Boston University); and Ben Sosland (Juilliard School). Notes from panel session: The Future of Early Music in Higher Education; blog posting supplied by Bernard Gordillo.
- 11am-12pm. Networking and small group discussions for early music directors, students, and others interested in the future of early music in higher education. Topics to be developed and announced at 11am.
Friday, June 17
- 10am-12pm. Panel discussions on “The Future of Early Music” moderated by EMA Board Member Gene Murrow (Executive Director of Gotham Early Music Scene, NYC).
- 10am-11am. The critics and media speak: panelists include Allan Kozinn (NY Times); Heidi Waleson (Wall Street Journal); Robert Aubry Davis (Millennium of Music); Angela Mariani (Harmonia).
- 11am-12pm. The artists speak: panelists include Anne Azéma (medieval/Renaissance voice, Boston Camerata); Joan Kimball (Renaissance winds, Piffaro); Rachel Barton Pine (violin, both Baroque and modern, Chicago); Matthew White (Baroque opera/voice, Seattle and Canada).
Past Conferences
Early Music America held an early music conference June 10-12, 2010 in Berkeley, CA. The conference, “400 Years of Vespers,” commemorated the 400th anniversary of Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, a masterpiece which has sparked numerous performances across North America in 2010. The conference, which was part scholarly “academy” and part participatory workshop, provided an opportunity for scholars, teachers, professional and amateur performers, and early music enthusiasts to interact with and learn from each other in an informal setting.
Click here for a summary of events during the 2010 Early Music America Conference and Exhibition during the Berkeley Festival.
National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC) held at the Denver Convention Center, June 10-14, 2008. EMA hosted special sessions for members on Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14.
"The Early Music Entrepreneur" June 8-10, 2006
Berkeley City Club, Berkeley, California during the 2006 Berkeley Early Music Festival and Exhibition. Conference brochure (PDF; 391KB)
"The Future of Early Music in America" June 10-13, 2004
EMA's 2004 national conference featured a variety of professional development sessions and networking forums, in addition to keynote speakers and panels of early music artists and administrators. A vendor's exhibition, featuring the works of period instrument makers, music publishers and record labels, was also included.
Concurrent with the Early Music America conference and exhibition (June 10-13, 2004), a series of concerts by Bay Area and other performers also took place. As "Early Music on the Fringe," the series consisted of over twenty self-produced performances. Two featured performances were by Chanticleer and members of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. The San Francisco Early Music Society (SFEMS) served as a clearing house for these programs, providing guidance and support on dates, venues, and publicity. Conference brochure (PDF; 398KB)