Early Music Foundation (www.EarlyMusicNY.org) was founded by Frederick Renz and other members of the New York Pro Musica Antiqua in 1974. Upon its inception, EMF was invited to become Artist-in-Residence at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City.

Early Music Foundation presents historically informed performances of the highest artistic quality and scholarship, through its performing enterprise, Early Music New York (EM/NY). Among NYC early music ensembles, Early Music New York—in its forty-first performance season—is unique in that it offers programs spanning the gamut of historical repertoire, from the medieval period through the 18th century. Additionally, EMF supports the NYC historical performance community in service-to-the-field projects, and helps preserve the historical repertory in a growing catalogue of recordings through its recording label, Ex cathedra Records.

Early Music New York reaps international acclaim for vibrant and provocative performances of historically informed repertoire from the Middle Ages through the Classical eras. In New York City, EM/NY can be heard and seen in an annual subscription series “In-Residence” at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (presented by the Early Music Foundation). In addition, EM/NY is frequently invited to perform for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, the Pierpont Morgan Library, the Hayden Planetarium, Columbia University, the New York Botanical Gardens, the Century Club, as well as other select New York City venues.

EM/NY has made 21 recordings, the last eleven of which were produced on Ex cathedra Records, the in-house label of the EMF created in 1998. Nine of the recordings have been produced in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ex cathedra recordings are distributed through The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s store and catalog, on Amazon.com, at EM/NY events, EMF’s web page, and several digital downloading sites.