EARLY MUSIC SWEDEN

…is Sweden’s representative organisation for early music and the overarching term for its activity fields: National Stage for Early Music, Stockholm Early Music Festival, Early Music Day, and SEMF Christmas Edition.

With its distinctly international profile, EMS works to bring 1000 years of our common music history to life, at the highest level of quality.

Stockholm Early Music Festival

…is the largest international event in the Nordic countries for baroque, renaissance and medieval music.

With variety and quality as its motto, the festival highlights the diversity of early music and offers every year a rich selection of well-known and new discovered early music from all over the world, with both Swedish and international artists of the highest reputation. Held annually in the historic surroundings of Stockholm´s Old Town since 2002, the programme includes lunchtime, afternoon and evening concerts, seminars and masterclasses, where music and locations meet in a uniquely atmospheric way.

The Stockholm Early Music Festival was founded in 2002 by Peter Pontvik. It is organised by the non-profit association Stockholm Early Music Festival (SEMF), which was formed in 2003 with the aim of increasing knowledge of and access to early music. SEMF works to ensure that more than a thousand years of shared musical history and living cultural heritage are given a natural place in Swedish and European musical life.

National stage for early music

…at the concert house Musikaliska in Stockholm is a genre-specific focal point for baroque, renaissance and medieval music run by EARLY MUSIC SWEDEN. An attractive platform that brings 1000 years of cultural heritage and music history to life in the present and a permanent stage where the Swedish and international interpreters of early music meet to give the Swedish public high-quality artistic experiences in the sign of passion – all year round.

The National Stage for Early Music opened on 4 September 2022 on Musikaliska’s main stage – Stockholm’s oldest concert hall – with a guest performance by one of the world’s leading baroque ensembles: Les Arts Florissants (FR). Within the framework of the concert series, Orkiestra Historyczna (PL), Stile Antico (GB) Voces Suaves (CH), Federico Fiorio & La Florida Capella (IT), Staffan Liljas & ensemble (SE), Barokksolistene (NO), Ensemble Villancico (SE) and Handel Anthems! a gala concert in collaboration with Drottningholm Palace Theatre.

At the moment, the activities are temporarily paused due to Musikaliska’s uncertain situation and lack of funding.

Early Music Day

…is a unifying celebration of music´s richness, offering hundreds of concerts across Europe and beyond on 21 March, the birthday of J S Bach and the first day of spring. A wonderfully encouraging development of a concept that puts early music in perspective.

Early Music Day was initiated in 2013 by Peter Pontvik, then President of REMA (European Early Music Network). Conceived as an open, international, visionary, collaborative, expansive, future-oriented event and celebration of our shared early music heritage, Early Music Day is, after more than a decade, a resounding success story.

Early Music Day is coordinated by REMA under the patronage of the European Commission and in cooperation with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

SEMF Christmas Edition

 …is EARLY MUSIC SWEDEN’s frosty winter festival with a high cosiness factor! Since 2010, SEMF Christmas Edition is an annual event on the 2nd of Advent in the beautiful acoustics of the German Church. Early Christmas music from around the world, from afternoon to late evening performed by top international artists, is waiting for you!

See you at the XIV SEMF Christmas Edition on Saturday 5 December 2026!

It’s never too cold for early music!