This biennial event is designed for a wide audience, and particularly for lovers of early music from the medieval to the baroque, dance and visual arts. Thanks to the widespread and generous support of people in our community WEMF has been successful since its inaugural year, June 2004. A different country or cultural focus is featured each year. Past festivals were:
- 2004 “Music of England”
- 2005 “Spain and the New World”
- 2006 “Musica Antica d’Italia,” – Music of Italy
- 2008 “From Hildegard to Bach” – Early Music Masterpieces from Germany
- 2010 “La Musique Magnifique” – Early Music Masterpieces from France
In 2006, we decided to move to an every other year format, to alternate years with the Boston Early Music Festival, and provide more time for development and planning.
In 2007, we initiated a special weekend of events in response to the public demand for “a taste of early music” on the “off” year. We continued this in 2009 with a Gala Concert featuring eight performing groups in one concert evening.
Our programs seek to be diverse and inclusive of many aspects of musically-centered culture. We include lectures, special art tours based on the Festival’s theme, post-concert receptions to encourage discussion between audience and performers, demonstrations of period instruments, and workshops that have focused on – dance, medieval and renaissance; instrumental, baroque and medieval; vocal, renaissance/baroque choral, medieval chant.
Previous Festival performances include concerts hosted by the National Gallery of Art, and concerts by the premiere Washington DC based early music specialists including Armonia Nova, Arco Voce, Ensemble Gaudior, the Folger Consort, Hesperus, Opera Lafayette, Modern Musick, National Gallery Chamber Players, The Suspicious Cheese Lords, The Vivaldi Project and the Washington Bach Consort. The Festival philosophy is an inclusive one. We emphasize performances by the many excellent early music performers in our area, including the well established and those who are early in their careers. We are also welcome early musicians from other areas of America and from other countries. Previous performers include world-renowned countertenor, Drew Minter, and his ensemble Trefoil; the Dutch ensemble, Camerata Trajectina; superb recorder player Matthais Maute from Montreal, Canada, the Renaissance wind band Piffaro, Repast Baroque Ensemble, and the Baltimore Consort among others.
The Festival demographics include a younger and more diverse audience than is often seen at many music events. The audiences include students, families, and young couples as well as the more mature audience support base typical of early music events. It also draws a highly educated and sophisticated group of business and government people. Our audiences are enthusiastic. We have an established and loyal audience base. It is also common for us to see new people attending one concert, becoming excited about the Festival program, and returning to attend several more concerts.
The Festival has received encouragement and support from major cultural institutions in the Washington area, most notably The National Gallery of Art, which has been a major supporter since 2005, hosting Festival events and assisting with publicity. Additional supporters have included the Folger Consort, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, The Italian Cultural Institute, the German Embassy, and the French Embassy. Several historic Washington churches, notably St. Mark’s on Capitol Hill and Christ Church on Capitol Hill, have hosted multiple concerts and workshops, and receptions, and have supported Festival development and publicity.
Washington is a magnificent city with much to offer our audiences between concerts and so we are centering most performances in the city, with special emphasis on Capitol Hill. All of our venues are accessible by public transport. Our audience comes largely from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, but we also attract visitors from as far away as New York, California, and Hawaii. We create an informal and welcoming atmosphere for all, young and old, seasoned early music lovers and people giving it a first try.
Our goal is to provide the Washington area community with high quality early music performances that are affordable (most concerts range from $5-20), while remaining a fiscally prudent and sound organization. The organizers of the Festival are professional musicians and community members who volunteer their time and talents throughout the year to create a festival full of music both instrumental and vocal, and dance. Unlike many events in Washington D.C., the Festival is not subsidized. We depend on the generosity of individuals and cultural organizations to continue this musical offering to our community. We feel the excitement of creating an early music festival tradition in the Washington D.C. area, and hope you will also.