Cambridge Society for Early Music presents New England Baroque, an ensemble of prestigious local players in a Baroque program with Handel, Telemann & more.

Friends and Rivals brings to life a circle of 17th-century European composers living in or strongly influenced by the booming baroque musical city of Venice. This program discovers their influences and relationships through their music, especially highlighting the fond long-distance friendship between George Frideric Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann, and the competitive rivalry between Handel and Nicola Porpora.

In an effort to make our concerts accessible to all, tickets for our three 2025-26 Concert Season programs will be Pay-What-You-Can, with a suggested donation of $25/person. 

We hope you will consider making a donation at a higher level if you’re able, to support us in bringing acclaimed ensembles and musicians to the Greater Boston area, providing  engaging public programs, and welcoming audiences of all means.

New England Baroque was formed in 2025 by principal players of Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society, and is a dynamic period-instrument ensemble embracing the musical aesthetics of the 17th and 18th centuries. United by passion for historically informed performance, and driven by a desire to connect deeply with contemporary audiences, New England Baroque brings Early Music, both masterpieces and lesser-known gems, vividly to life with a fresh, communicative, and modern sensibility.