Early Music Seattle

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, 
flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”  

– Plato

All Donations Matched Up To $25,000 Thanks To A Generous EMS Patron! 

Thank you for supporting our mission! Your gift during GiveBig this year will support our 2025-26 Beyond Baroque Season and our newest Emerging Artist Program, a multi-year supporting system for young artists to ensure a bright future for Early Music. 

Why do you GiveBig? 

“When I Give Big, it is because Early Music Seattle gives a voice and an attentive audience to me and my community.” —Babak Khiavchi

“When I Give Big, it is because Early Music Seattle gives a sense of belonging.” —Gus Denhard

“When I Give Big, it is because Early Music Seattle gives me a sense of pride in being human.” —Jim Hessler

“When I Give Big, it is because Early Music Seattle gives me the opportunity to discover, embrace, learn, and share - cultures, history, ways of doing, thought, people, sounds.” —Sarah Thomson

“When I Give Big, it is because Early Music Seattle gives Big Rewards to me” —Richard Ginnis

“When I Give Big, it is because Early Music Seattle gives hope to me” —Ricardo de la Torre

Our Mission

Every day, Early Music Seattle aims to present outstanding early music, enrich cultural heritage via education and outreach, and engage new audiences through inclusivity and openness. 

With your support, we are designing a new way of thinking about Early Music: from the traditional European music of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods to the wider story of all cultures and communities, enriching our understanding of the cultural interconnectedness that forms the foundations of the world’s great music traditions.

Values

- Artistic Excellence: Compelling, historically informed performances by great artists.
- Education: Greater awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of early music.
- Community Outreach: Inclusivity and equity for audiences and performers. 

About Us

Formed in 1977 as Early Music Guild, Early Music Seattle is now the area’s largest presenter of Early Music and through its most recent format Beyond Baroque seeks to celebrate the interconnectedness of cultures by bringing excellent performances from across the world, together with Seattle local artists, organizations and partners - establishing Seattle as the home for groundbreaking, diverse artistry and outreach in the world of Early Music. 

Musicians are travelers by nature, we wander.  Since early times, our physical wanderings – sometimes freely undertaken, sometimes coerced – have brought us into contact with others with whom we have shared our art. We change and grow, we influence others, and through this process of renewal, new beauty emerges.  In more recent times we have had some additional help from technological advancements. Starting with wax cylinders, radio, records, tapes, CDs, and ending with Spotify and YouTube, we have taken inspiration from what we hear and see and then imagine ourselves into new creative states of being. But there’s nothing quite like being there in person, as any host or guest can attest.

The timeless process of connecting and sharing will begin anew as we prepare to bring you the 2025-26 Beyond Baroque Season in the weeks and months ahead. Musical artists from around the world will converge on Seattle for three 4-day festivals, two showcase concerts, and other special events to display the artistry that can occur when people and their ideas and talents can freely cross borders.

With nine featured concerts, we have a fresh mix of the familiar, the new, and the wildly experimental for you to sample and enjoy. We are thrilled to welcome back Constantinople, Tafelmusik and Twelfth Night Ensemble, as well as celebrating the debut of Wade Davis, Infusion Baroque and countertenor Philippe Jaroussky. 

Our sincere hope is that you attend what has given you pleasure in the past as you also take chances on the unknown. Be that brave party guest who attends without knowing anyone but the host! We guarantee you’ll find friendly faces and a warm welcome.

Until we meet at a concert!