OPERA CONCERTS EXHIBITION
JUNE 8–15, 2025 IN BOSTON, MA
2019 | Orlando generoso
PAUL O’DETTE & STEPHEN STUBBS
Artistic Directors
GILBERT BLIN
Opera Director
ROBERT MEALY Orchestra Director
KATHLEEN FAY Executive Director
PHOTO CREDITS | Row 1 (l-r): BEMF Exhibition, photo by Kathy Wittman; Vox Luminis and Quicksilver at the 2019 Festival, photo by Kathy Wittman; Row 2: Campra’s Le Carnaval de Venise (2017), photo by Kathy Wittman; Telemann’s Ino (2021), photo by Kathy Wittman; BEMF Exhibition, photo by Kathy Wittman; Row 3: BEMF Exhibition, photo by Kathy Wittman; BEMF Orchestra, photo by Matt Wan; Monteverdi’s Poppea (2015), photo by David Morris; Row 4: Artistic Co-Director Stephen Stubbs with the BEMF Chamber Ensemble, photo by Kathy Wittman; Lully’s Idylle sur la Paix (2022), photo by Kathy Wittman; Dancer Caroline Copeland with the BEMF Orchestra at the 2019 Festival, photo by Kathy Wittman; Row 5: Campra’s Le Carnaval de Venise, photo by Kathy Wittman; BEMF Exhibition, photo by Kathy Wittman
“A constant delight of anticipation.”
—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
OPERA • CONCERTS • EXHIBITION
2025 FESTIVAL | Love & Power
Since our inaugural Festival in 1981, the Boston Early Music Festival has been North America’s premier celebration of Early Music, offering a spectacular week full of opera, concerts, and more. We invite you to join us for our 23rd biennial Festival, JUNE 8–15, 2025, as we bring the world of Early Music to downtown Boston with breathtaking Baroque OPERA, one-of-a-kind CONCERTS, the world-famous EXHIBITION (now at The Colonnade Hotel), and so much more!
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Secure the best seats in the house when you order your tickets today, before our comprehensive Festival brochure is released early next year. Select a subscription package of four or more events of YOUR CHOICE and SAVE 10% or GET IT ALL and SAVE 20%!
PHOTO: KATHY WITTMAN
PHOTO: KATHY WITTMAN
REINHARD KEISER’S OCTAVIA THE ROMAN REBELLION
The virtuous Empress Octavia is betrayed by her increasingly erratic husband, Nero, putting all of Rome on the brink of rebellion. Written for the famed Hamburg Opera in 1705, Keiser’s monumental work brings lavish spectacle and brilliant orchestration to a nuanced tale of the corruption of power and the resilience of love. A fantastical parade of philosophers, clowns, ghosts, and despots comes alive on the stage as the noble Octavia struggles to survive the turmoil and cruelty around her.
JUNE 8, 11, 13 & 15, 2025
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston, MA
Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors
Gilbert Blin, Stage Director | Robert Mealy, Orchestra Director
Hubert Hazebroucq, Choreographer | Kathleen Fay, Executive Producer
2025 FESTIVAL CHAMBER OPERA
Explore the depth of Telemann’s genius with a fascinating pairing of stylish slapstick and scintillating drama for an evening of show-stopping virtuosity!
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2025
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors
Gilbert Blin & Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, Stage Directors
Robert Mealy, Orchestra Director | Melinda Sullivan, Choreographer
Kathleen Fay, Executive Producer
BARÁTH WILLIAMS
2025 OPERA & CONCERT SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
n 3:30PM | Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston
OCTAVIA
THE ROMAN REBELLION
MONDAY, JUNE 9
n 5PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston ACRONYM
Amor Temporalia: Music of Bertali, Schmelzer, Valentini, and others
n 8PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston THE TALLIS SCHOLARS | Peter Phillips, Director & THE ENGLISH CORNETT & SACKBUT ENSEMBLE
Jubilate! Music of Lassus, Palestrina, Gombert, and Andrea Gabrieli
n 10:30PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston AARON SHEEHAN, tenor & PAUL O’DETTE, lute
The Excellency of Wine: Songs of Love, Laughter, and Drinking by Dowland, Guédron, Moulinié, and Henry Lawes
TUESDAY, JUNE 10
n 5PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston ENSEMBLE CASTOR with SHEREZADE PANTHAKI, soprano
Music of Keiser, Handel, Bach, and Telemann
n 8PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston THE BOSTON CAMERATA | Anne Azéma, Director A Gallery of Kings: On the Uses and Abuses of Power, ca. 1300
n 10:30PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston PACIFIC MUSICWORKS | Stephen Stubbs, Director with DANIELLE REUTTER-HARRAH, soprano
Murder, Mayhem, Melancholy, and Madness: Music of Johnson, Dowland, William Lawes, Tomkins, and Purcell
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11
n 5PM | Emmanuel Church, Boston
THE TALLIS SCHOLARS | Peter Phillips, Director
Inspired by the Sistine Chapel: Music of Morales, Palestrina, and Allegri
ACRONYM
THE TALLIS SCHOLARS
O’DETTE
SHEEHAN
ENSEMBLE CASTOR
PANTHAKI
THE BOSTON CAMERATA
PACIFIC MUSICWORKS
n 7PM | Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston
OCTAVIA
THE ROMAN REBELLION
n 8PM | Emmanuel Church, Boston TRIO MEDIEVAL with CATALINA VICENS, organetto
Caritas abundant in omnia / Love abounds in everything: Music of Hildegard von Bingen and Leonel Power
ENRICO GATTI
n 10:30PM | Emmanuel Church, Boston THE ENGLISH CORNETT & SACKBUT ENSEMBLE
Songs without words: Music of Palestrina, Victoria, Grandi, Gabrieli, and Merulo
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
THE ENGLISH CORNETT & SACKBUT ENSEMBLE
MARCELLO GATTI
BEMF ORCHESTRA VICENS
LANGLOIS DE SWARTE & TAYLOR
CONSTANTINOPLE
n 9AM–4PM | First Lutheran Church, Boston ORGAN MINI-FESTIVAL
9am: Part One | KOLA OWOLABI; 11:30am: Part Two | CATALINA VICENS, organetto 2pm: Part Three | ERICA JOHNSON
n 5PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston ENRICO GATTI, violin, MARCELLO GATTI, flute & FRIENDS
Telemann’s Paris Quartets
n 8PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston BOSTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Robert Mealy, Orchestra Director
Caroline Copeland & Hubert Hazebroucq, dancers Rivers of Splendor: Handel’s & Telemann’s Water Music
n 10:30PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston THÉOTIME LANGLOIS DE SWARTE, violin & JUSTIN TAYLOR, harpsichord
The Power of Love: Music of Rameau, Couperin, Bach, Corelli, and others
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
n 9AM–4PM | First Lutheran Church, Boston KEYBOARD MINI-FESTIVAL
9am: Clavichord | YI-HENG YANG; 11:30am: Fortepiano | FEDERICO ERCOLI 2pm: Harpsichord | JUSTIN TAYLOR
n 5PM | Emmanuel Church, Boston CONSTANTINOPLE | Kiya Tabassian, setar, voice & director with HANA BLAŽÍKOVÁ, soprano
Bach & Khayyam
n 7PM | Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston
OCTAVIA
THE ROMAN REBELLION
n 8PM | Emmanuel Church, Boston VOX LUMINIS | Lionel Meunier, Artistic Director
Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas: Music of Rossi and Carissimi
n 10:30PM | Emmanuel Church, Boston CONCERTO ROMANO
Alessandro Quarta, Director | Luca Cervoni, tenor
An Operatic Nanny Romp through 17th-Century Italy
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
n 5PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston EXTRAVAGAMBA! | Christel Thielmann, Director
A Feast of Favorite Consorts for 2 to 16 viols
n 8PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston
VOX LUMINIS
n 10:30PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston BOSTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLE & FRIENDS
Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors
Emőke Baráth, Amanda Forsythe, Danielle Reutter-Harrah & Teresa Wakim, soprano
Aaron Sheehan & Jason McStoots, tenor | Christian Immler, bass-baritone
Starry, Starry Night: Music of Monteverdi, Rossi, Carissimi, and Steffani
SUNDAY, JUNE 15
n 12:30PM | NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston BOREAS QUARTETT BREMEN
Caleb Mayo, narrator | Kathryn Montoya, recorder
Shakespeare in Love
n 3:30PM | Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston
OCTAVIA
THE ROMAN REBELLION
CONCERTO ROMANO
THIELMANN
BARÁTH
WAKIM
McSTOOTS
BOREAS QUARTETT BREMEN
