Who are we? The San Francisco Early Music Society is the Bay Area’s portal for early music, promoting engagement with historically informed performance spanning centuries and cultures, and creating a community reflective of our region’s diversity.
Our 2024-25 Season
We welcome you to embark with The San Francisco Early Music Society for Voyages—An Odyssey in Sound, our organization’s 48th concert season. First, Les Talens Lyriques, directed by internationally-renowned harpsichordist & conductor Christophe Rousset, will transport you to the heart of Versailles in the Baroque period. Our voyage continues with The Boston Camerata (We’ll be There!...) in a trailblazing exploration of the American spiritual tradition. We’ll also encounter an uncanny, upside-down world with Shira Kammen and the musicians of In Bocca al Lupo (Mundus Inversus).
Next, we spend a dramatic evening exploring the "stile moderno" of the early modern period with Quicksilver (Early Moderns: Extravagant New Music from the Seventeenth Century). We reflect on the legacy of migration with Ensemble Affect (Home Away from Home), delving into the works of composers who traveled from their home countries and settled abroad during the Baroque era. Closing the concert season is Ensemble Constantinople (Traversées) whose performance takes us on journey from from Asia, Africa, and the Americas in an intimate musical dialogue between Persian setar master Kiya Tabassian, and Senegalese kora master Ablaye Cissoko.
Next up
Boston Camerata
We'll Be There!
American spirituals, Black and White, 1800–1900
Experience the rich tapestry of American spiritual music with the Boston Camerata! Celebrating their 70th anniversary season, the Boston Camerata continues its trailblazing exploration of American musical traditions. Drawn from early Black and white songbooks, "We'll Be There!" explores the intertwined traditions that have bound our nation together through generations of joy, sorrow, and striving.
Witness the evolution of musical styles from modal folk hymns to gospel melodies as the Boston Camerata brings this uniquely American art form to life.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 7:30 PM
First Church Berkeley UCC (First Congregational)
2345 Channing Way
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 7:30 PM
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
1111 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco
We suggest a ticket price between $35 and $45 per ticket. Anything is appreciated, and if you can pay more, please do!
Join us for our new series of one-day workshops! Kick off with the Sing-Along Workshop with the Boston Camerata on January 28 at the Chan National Queer Arts Center in San Francisco, where you’ll have the opportunity to engage and sing with the Camerata as part of their Berkeley & San Francisco performances (Jan 30 & 31) featuring 19th-century American spirituals. Then, on February 8, join Adam Gilbert at Loper Chapel in Berkeley for the Medieval & Renaissance Workshop, offering a fun preview of this summer's musical magic. Finally, on March 8, join the Baroque Workshop at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Berkeley for a joyful play-in led by Lindsey Strand-Polyak, celebrating the birthdays of Bach and Telemann, complete with music and cake!
Don’t miss out on these wonderful opportunities to connect through music!
SFEMS 2025–26 Season
SFEMS is now requesting main stage concert proposals for our 49th season in 2025–26. We are seeking Bay Area, national, and international artists and ensembles that perform with historical performance considerations in mind, focusing on music from c. 1000–1850 CE.
Call for Concert Proposals
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