Emmanuel Music

Specialties

Emmanuel Music is dedicated to enriching the life of the community through the transformative power of music. Expanding on a 40-​year tradition of presenting weekly Bach cantatas in a liturgical setting, we perform concert repertoire from baroque to contemporary in large and small ensembles, inviting audiences to explore and discover familiar and unfamiliar masterworks. The commitment and discipline of performing together more than 50 times a year nurtures a core of established and emerging musicians and fosters unparalleled artistic excellence. In our outreach we are committed to training the next generation of musicians, mentoring young students, and inspiring broad audiences in free concerts, lectures, and master classes.

History

Established in 1980.

In residence at Emmanuel Church in Boston, the ensembles and soloists of Emmanuel Music present approximately 50 concerts annually in three series: the Cantata Series, the Evening Series, and the Chamber Series. Emmanuel Music was founded in 1970 when Craig Smith, who had recently been appointed music director of Emmanuel Church, began conducting performances of the complete cycle of approximately 200 sacred cantatas by J.S. Bach in the liturgical setting for which they were intended. During the 1970’s, concurrent with the weekly cantata series, Craig Smith instituted an orchestral series and a chamber music series, which gradually led to what is now Emmanuel Music, Inc. In 1980, Emmanuel Music incorporated, with its own program and Board of Directors.

Following the death of its founder Craig Smith in 2007, composer and Principal Guest Conductor John Harbison assumed the title of Acting Artistic Director, with Michael Beattie serving as Associate Conductor. In 2010, Ryan Turner