Handel & Haydn Society

The Handel and Haydn Society is among the oldest continuously performing arts organizations in the United States. Founded as a choral society in 1815 by a group of Boston merchants, the society performed the American premieres of Handel's Messiah in 1818 (and annually since 1854), Haydn's Creation in 1819, Verdi’s Requiem in 1878, and Bach’s B Minor Mass in 1887. Since 1986, when Christopher Hogwood first came on board as artistic director, the society has been a leader in Historically Informed Performance (HIP), using only the instruments and performance techniques known to composers in their day. The Period Orchestra is made up of a core group of musicians from the U.S. and abroad who are specially trained to play period instruments. The fully professional Chorus is a virtuoso ensemble featuring New England's most talented singers. Recently the H&HS has teamed with acclaimed director Chen Shi-Zheng to stage opera performances incorporating Asian dance and innovative special effects. The world premiere CD of Sir John Tavener's Lamentations and Praises, with the vocal ensemble Chanticleer, won a Grammy Award in 2003. Website: handelandhaydn.org Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.