2024/25 Concert Season

For forty-seven seasons, SFEMS has been your portal for early music in the Bay Area. From the rarely-heard to the revolutionary; from local heroes to international stars—SFEMS provides all you expect (and more) from historically informed performance. Embark on a musical journey with our thrilling 48th season, Voyages—An Odyssey in Sound.

Our season odyssey begins and ends with two outstanding international ensembles. The French ensemble Les Talens Lyriques, directed by internationally-renowned harpsichordist & conductor Christophe Rousset, will transport you to the heart of Louis XIV’s Versailles with our season opening, one-night-only special event (The Sound of Music in Versailles, Nov. 12). Finishing our journey is Montreal-based Ensemble Constantinople, whose performance takes us on a journey through Asia, Africa, and the Americas in an intimate musical dialogue between Persian setar master Kiya Tabassian and Senegalese kora master Ablaye Cissoko (Traversées, May 9–11).

In between, our journey continues with The Boston Camerata’s trailblazing exploration of the American spiritual tradition, examining the intertwined traditions that have bound our nation together (We'll Be There! American Spirituals, Black and White, 1800–1900, Jan. 30–31). We will also encounter an uncanny world where the familiar is turned upside down, as Bay Area early music legend Shira Kammen and the musicians of In Bocca al Lupo draw upon the Roman de Fauvel and the Carmina Burana to show how things can all go topsy-turvy (Mundus Inversus, Feb. 28–Mar. 2). 

Spend a dramatic evening exploring the musical innovations of the early modern period with renowned ensemble Quicksilver delving into the emotionally charged "stile moderno" (Early Moderns: Extravagant New Music from the Seventeenth Century, Mar. 24). We will also reflect the legacy of migration with Ensemble Affect, exploring the works of composers who traveled from their home countries and settled abroad during the Baroque era, mixing their native compositional styles with their new country’s traditions. (Home Away from Home, Mar. 28–30).

Up Next

Les Talens Lyriques

"The Sound of Music in Versailles."

Internationally renowned harpsichordist & conductor Christophe Rousset leads Les Talens Lyriques in “The Sound of Music in Versailles,” presenting works by Lambert, de Montéclair, Couperin, and Lully. Featuring the remarkable young French mezzo-soprano Ambroisine Bré the Paris-based musicians of Les Talens, performing in an intimate chamber ensemble, will transport you to the heart of Versailles in the baroque period. Join SFEMS in a special one-night-only performance opening the concert season.

TUESDAY, NOV 12, 7:30 PM
First Church Berkeley UCC
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley

We suggest a ticket price between $35 and $45 per ticket. Anything is appreciated, and if you can pay more, please do!

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