Early Music Festivals

Festivals

For additional early music festivals and faires not listed here, visit Early Music America. For the current month's early music events listings, go here. Select the early music events listings for another month: June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010 January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011

Bach Week Festival

Founded in 1974 by Karel Paukert and directed by Richard R. Webster every May since, the Bach Week Festival in Evanston, Illinois combines the Bach Week Festival Chorus with professional instrumentalists from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera Orchestra, and Northwestern University.  The music of Bach predominates, but works by other Baroque composers have been added selectively, particularly works by worthy but lesser-known composers not widely performed elsewhere.  One critic called the Bach Week Festival "the most comprehensive celebration of J. S.'s music west of Leipzig."
The 2010 Bach Week Festival will take place at the Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, Illinois.
2009-2010 season Bach Week Festival events will take place on:  10/11/2009, 4/23/2010, 4/25/2010, 4/30/2010.
Photos of the Bach Week Festival here.
Location:  Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, Illinois.
For more info:  write Bach Week Festival, P.O. Box 1832, Evanston, IL 60204-1832; e-mail info @ bachweek.org; visit this site.

Bristol Renaissance Faire

Saturdays and Sundays, from early July through early September, including Labor Day Monday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Spend a day filled with revelry and merriment, the arts, enlightenment, and delightful family fun.   Discover the entertainment on 16 open air stages; discover the feasting by sampling delectable treats from 50 food booths; discover the marketplace--over 180 high quality arts and crafts shops.
Location:  Bristol, Wisconsin (near the Illinois/Wisconsin border).
For more info:  call 847-395-7773; visit this site.

Chicago Early Music Festival

Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Chicago Office of Tourism, and representing an unprecedented collaboration amongst the City of Chicago and some of Chicago's leading Early Music ensembles and organizations, the first-ever CEMF, April 20-25, 2010, will feature free and ticketed performances; lectures and master classes.
View the Festival press release
Read more Festival information here.
Chicago Early Music Festival 2010 events on:  4/20/2010, 4/20/2010, 4/20/2010, 4/21/2010, 4/21/2010, 4/21/2010, 4/21/2010, 4/22/2010, 4/22/2010, 4/22/2010, 4/22/2010, 4/23/2010, 4/23/2010, 4/23/2010, 4/24/2010, 4/24/2010, 4/24/2010, 4/25/2010, 4/25/2010, 4/25/2010.
Location:  Various venues around Chicago, including (for 2010) Harris Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Art Institute of Chicago, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, St. James Cathedral, Fourth Presbyterian Church, and others.
For more info:  e-mail dcaprograms @ yahoo.com; visit this site.

Evelyn Dunbar Memorial Early Music Festival

 
The Evelyn Dunbar Memorial Early Music Festival is celebrated (typically every spring) at the Northwestern University School of Music.
Location:  Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
For more info:  e-mail j-schwartz @ nwu.edu or swa440 @ northwestern.edu.

Handel Week Festival

The Handel Week Festival is an annual week-long festival to celebrate the music of George Frideric Handel.  The Festival is typically held in February of each year at Grace Episcopal Church, in Oak Park, Illinois.  Founded in 2000 by Dr. Dennis E. Northway and Charles Chauncey Wells, Handel Week is patterned after the highly sucessful Bach Week Festival.
Handel Week 2010 events on:  2/20/2010, 2/26/2010, 3/7/2010. 
Location:  Grace Episcopal Church, 924 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois.
For more info:  Call 708-383-2261; e-mail info @ handelweek.com; or visit this site.

Indianapolis Early Music Festival

The Festival is a production of Indianapolis Early Music (IEM).  IEM was founded in 1966 as the U.S.' second early music organization and has the distinction of being the nation's oldest early music presenter in continuous operation.  Now under the direction of Mark Cudek, all Festival concerts take place every June and July at the Indiana History Center, Indianapolis, Indiana.  IEM also offers a Spring concert as well as educational opportunities in area schools.  (IEM was known for many years as the Festival Music Society.)
Indianapolis Early Music Festival 2010 events on:  6/25/2010, 6/26/2010, 6/27/2010, 7/9/2010, 7/11/2010, 7/23/2010, 7/25/2010.
Location:  Frank & Katrina Basile Theater at the Indiana History Center on the Downtown Canal, 450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.
For more info:  call 317-577-9731; e-mail fms @ emindy.org; or visit this site.  Newsletter sign-up:  e-mail newsletter @ emindy.org.

Madison Early Music Festival

The Madison Early Music Festival brings world-renowned ensembles and artist/teachers together for eight days of workshop classes and a seven-concert series.
MEMF 2010 is titled "England: Merry & Musical before Elizabeth".
The 2010 Madison Early Music Festival runs July 10-17, 2010.  MEMF concerts will be performed on 7/10/2010, 7/11/2010, 7/12/2010, 7/13/2010, 7/15/2010, 7/16/2010, 7/16/2010, 7/17/2010.
Location:  University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
For more info:  write Chelcy Bowles, Program Director, Madison Early Music Festival, 21 N. Park Street, 7th Floor, Madison, WI 53715 USA; call 608-265-5629; e-mail music @ dcs.wisc.edu; visit this site.
More also here.

Peoria Bach Festival

The Peoria Bach Festival is organized and offered as gift to the city of Peoria and Central Illinois during the first weekend of June every year by Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Peoria.  Since its founding in 2003 by Trinity's Cantor Martin Dicke and Dr. John Jost, Director of Choral activities at Bradley University, the Peoria Bach Festival has quickly grown from a local arts event into a significant regional festival. It seeks to not only showcase Peoria's own musicians, but also to attract national and international talent.
The 2009 Peoria Bach Festival will be held June 1-7, 2009.
Peoria Bach Festival 2009 events on:  6/2/2009, 6/3/2009, 6/4/2009, 6/4/2009, 6/5/2009, 6/5/2009, 6/6/2009, 6/7/2009, among others (visit the Festival website).
Location:  Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 135 NE Randolph Avenue, Peoria, Illinois.
For more info:  write Peoria Bach Festival, c/o Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 135 NE Randolph Avenue, Peoria, IL 61606-1920; call 309-676-4609; e-mail peoriabachfestival @ trinitypeoria.com; or visit this site.

Friday August 27 thru Sunday September 5, 2010.
Holland Festival Oude Muziek.
Location:  Utrecht, Netherlands.
For more info:  write Stichting Organisatie Oude Muziek, Postbus 19267, NL-3501 DG, Utrecht, The Netherlands; call 30 23 29 000; e-mail info @ oudemuziek.nl; visit this site.

Thursday September 16 thru Sunday September 19, 2010.
Montreal Recorder Festival.
Location:  Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
For more info:  write Ensemble Caprice, 4043 Marlowe Avenue, Montreal, QC H4A 3M3 Canada; call 514-523-3611 or 514-903-9238; e-mail caprice.info @ videotron.ca; visit this site.

Thursday September 16 thru Monday September 20, 2010.
East Cork Early Music Festival.
Location:  East Cork, Ireland.
For more info:  write East Cork Early Music Festival, 95 Main Street, Midleton, County Cork, Ireland; call 353 21 4636761; e-mail info @ eastcorkearlymusic.ie; visit this site.

SiteSearch