• Tickets now on sale for EMSI’s 37th Season!

    Join us as we bring back live concerts in a beautiful performance space.

    ConcertsTickets

  • EMSI is On the Move!

    New venues for the 2021-22 season.

    Venue Info

  • Now live!

    A new initiative from EMSI to support our local amateur and professional musicians.

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Upcoming Concerts

  • Dec 18 | Wassail, Wassail! Music for the Yuletide Season
    • Wassail, Wassail! Music for the Yuletide Season

    • SPECIAL EVENT! The Baltimore Consort (USA) Danielle Svanavec soprano With its always festive cornucopia of instruments — lute, cittern, viols, crumhorns, recorders, rebec and percussion—the Baltimore Consort offers old carols […]

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  • Jan 8 | The (Very) First Viennese School
    • The (Very) First Viennese School

    • Quicksilver (New York) Music in Vienna had its first great flourishing long before Mozart and Haydn. The Emperors of the 17th century were great connoisseurs and brought together virtuosi from […]

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  • Feb 5 | Wind Quintets: the Origin Story
    • Wind Quintets: the Origin Story

    • Canova Winds (USA) Canova Winds explores the emergence of one of classical music’s most loved ensembles. Concertgoers may be familiar with well-known wind quintets by Nielsen, Hindemith and Barber, but […]

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  • Mar 5 | Dancing in the Isles
    • Dancing in the Isles

    • Musica Pacifica (CALIFORNIA) This high-energy program of rousing folk and dance music from eighteenth-century England, Ireland and Scotland has something for everyone. Soulful tunes and merry jigs are juxtaposed with […]

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  • Apr 9 | Bach’s Easter Oratorio
    • Bach’s Easter Oratorio

    • SPECIAL EVENT! Ensemble Caprice (MONTREAL) Ensemble Vocal Arts-Québec On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, EMSI is pleased to present one of Bach’s towering achievements performed by one of the world’s […]

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  • Apr 30 | Imaginario: the Making of an Imaginary Songbook
    • Imaginario: the Making of an Imaginary Songbook

    • Armonia Concertada (ARGENTINA)  María Cristina Kiehr soprano Ariel Abramovich vihuela Two of Europe’s leading performers of Early Music showcase the work of Juan Vasquez (c. 1500 – 1560) in songs […]

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  • May 14 | Music for Two Flutes
    • Music for Two Flutes

    • Soile Strakauskas baroque flute (Victoria) Janet See baroque flute (Seattle) Caroline Nicolas viola da gamba and cello Kevin Payne lute The eighteenth century was the golden age of the flute […]

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Next concert

Wassail, Wassail! Music for the Yuletide Season
December 18

SPECIAL EVENT! The Baltimore Consort (USA) Danielle Svanavec soprano With its always festive cornucopia of instruments — lute, cittern, viols, crumhorns, recorders, rebec and percussion—the Baltimore Consort offers old carols […]

Read More
Past Concerts

Welcome

to The Early Music Society of the Islands!

Founded in 1985 and based in Victoria BC, the Early Music Society is a non-profit, volunteer-run society dedicated to offering  accomplished performances of music composed prior to 1800.

EMSI embraces the idea that early music deserves to be heard with close to its original intent. To that end, our concerts feature period instruments, accurate scores, and historical performance practices.

Renowned artists, both international and homegrown, have graced our stage.

Sponsors

The list of soloists and ensembles presented by EMSI is a who’s who
of the international early music scene:

Anonymous 4 Ensemble Clement Janequin Monica Huggett Orlando Consort Stile Antico Boston Early Music Festival Nancy Argenta Fretwork Dame Emma Kirkby Red Priest Tafelmusik Baltimore Consort The Harp Consort Ton Koopman Jordi Savall Daniel Taylor Concerto Koln John Holloway London Baroque Sequentia Collegium Vocale Gent

EMSI News

Covid Safety Plans

25 Oct 2021 UPDATE: Despite the lifting of provincial capacity restrictions for indoor events as of today, EMSI will continue to limit the audience size to 325 (50% capacity) for the Baltimore Consort in December, and require masks to be worn…
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Tickets on sale now!

The Early Music Society of the Islands has partnered with Tix to bring you easy, no-fee ticket purchases. Thanks to Tix, we are able to replace our traditional subscription packages with the new Flex Pass. Choose to join us for 5 or more concerts…
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Membership renewals available soon!

The Early Music Society of the Islands is gearing up for an exciting new series of concerts for our upcoming 37th season. Annual memberships for the 2021-22 season will be available beginning in June, so please check back soon, or subscribe…
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