The mission of the Handel and Haydn Society is to perform Baroque and Classical music for chorus and period-instrument orchestra at the highest level of artistic achievement. Founded as a choral society in 1815 by a group of Boston merchants, Handel and Haydn is among the oldest continuously performing arts organizations in the country. From its earliest years, the Society established a tradition of innovation, performing the American premieres of Handel’s Messiah in 1818, Haydn’s Creation in 1819, Verdi’s Requiem in 1878, and Bach’s B Minor Mass in 1887. The Society began performing Handel’s Messiah annually in 1854. Throughout its history the Handel and Haydn Society has brought the world’s most beautiful music and its greatest artists to local audiences, setting a standard for orchestral and choral performances that remains unparalleled.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Harry Christophers, the Society is a leader in Historically Informed Performance, in which music is played using the instruments and performance techniques available to the composers in their day. The Orchestra is made up of a core group of musicians from this country and abroad who are specially trained to play period instruments. The fully professional Chorus stands alone as a virtuoso ensemble, featuring the voices of New England’s most talented singers.

The Society’s recordings have garnered international acclaim. The world premiere CD of Sir John Tavener’s Lamentations and Praises with the vocal ensemble Chanticleer won a Grammy Award in 2003. The 2004 recording of PEACE (Barber, Elgar, Thompson, Rachmaninov) has received rave reviews worldwide and debuted at #5 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Chart in March 2004 and returned to the #5 spot in January 2006. Handel and Haydn reissued a disc of Haydn Arias and Cantatas with soprano Arleen Auger, conducted by Christopher Hogwood, in the fall of 2005. The Society’s latest CD, All is Bright, made its debut at #10 on the Billboard Chart January 2006.

While the Handel and Haydn Society’s music is rooted in the past, its place in the musical present is vital and dynamic. The Massachusetts Cultural Council has praised the Society for its “vitality” and willingness to “take risks and explore new musical horizons.” Through its Educational Outreach Program, the Society provides music workshops, concerts and pre-professional vocal instruction to more than 10,000 children annually in public schools throughout Greater Boston. The Handel and Haydn Youth Chorus, noted for its artistry and diverse membership, sang for the opening of the Leonard Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in 2003 and at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004. Following a rigorous selection process and in recognition of its talents and achievements the Youth sang for the annual convention of the American Choral Directors Association in February 2006 in New York City.

Handel and Haydn performs a subscription series in Boston’s Symphony and Jordan Halls and at selected venues in Boston, reaching an annual audience of over 35,000, the largest audience for any organization giving historically performed performances in North America. Handel and Haydn’s performances have reached a worldwide audience through tours and award winning recordings. The Society may also be heard nationally on National Public Radio’s SymphonyCast and on local public radio stations.

Recent achievements include fully staged productions of Monteverdi’s Vespers (2003) and Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas (2005) conducted by Grant Llewellyn and directed by acclaimed Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng. The Society offered fully staged performances of Monterverdi’s Orfeo (2006) directed by Chen in a co-production with the English National Opera. Artistic Director Designate Harry Christophers first joined the Society to conduct its Continental debut at the Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria, in September 2006. On July 23, 2007, Handel and Haydn Society made its London and BBC Proms debut at Royal Albert Hall under the direction of Sir Roger Norrington.

From 2006 until 2009, artistic advisor Sir Roger Norrington, principal conductor Grant Llewellyn, and conductor laureate Christopher Hogwood, were the artistic leadership team for the Society. On September 25, 2008, Harry Christophers was appointed Artistic Director of the Society, effective in the 2009-2010 Season.