Largest fundraising effort in H+H’s 210 year history positioned to raise $53 million to elevate artistic quality and provide accessible, broadly inclusive programming
BOSTON | The Handel and Haydn Society today announced You Are the Music, the most ambitious and comprehensive fundraising campaign in H+H’s 210 year history. Generating a total of $47 million in generous donations from members of the Board and other major gifts during its quiet phase, You Are the Music is well positioned to raise a total of $53 million to elevate H+H’s artistic excellence, engage a broader audience, and significantly grow H+H’s endowment to support long-term sustainability. “More than 200 years ago, a group of music-loving Bostonians recognized the unifying power of music when they came together as the Handel and Haydn Society,” said Robert N. Shapiro, Chair of the Handel and Haydn Society Board of Governors. “This campaign celebrates that same spirit. Our mission is to connect *all of us* with our shared humanity through the experience of magical music; that’s what makes this community so special. You Are the Music gives our most loyal champions the opportunity to ensure the sustainability of H+H and invites a new generation of supporters to help shape our future.”
You Are the Music Funding Priorities
Elevate Artistic Excellence
H+H is a leader in Historically Informed Performance (HIP), striving to fulfill the vision of the great composers of the Baroque and Classical eras with the same dedication, freshness, and energy that they felt when writing their music. To achieve this H+H musicians play on the period instruments these composers knew and composed for– winds are made from wood, strings are gut instead of steel, brass do not have valves, and more. Led by Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen, You Are the Music will fuel H+H’s continuing artistic achievement in HIP, including attracting and retaining highly specialized and talented musicians, performing a broader range of repertoire, and increasing the variety of performance formats to reach more audiences locally, regionally, and nationally.
“One of the youngest Artistic Directors in H+H history, Jonathan understands that performing on period instruments is not an academic exercise,” said David Snead, Philip and Marjorie Gerdine President and CEO of the Handel and Haydn Society. “His approach to music-making creates a sense of immediacy, connection, and engagement between musicians, audience, and composer. He inspires musicians to perform the music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and their contemporaries– including, of course, our namesakes Handel and Haydn, with the freshness and vibrancy of new music, regardless of when it was written.”
H+H is dedicated to fostering a more diverse and representative community for Baroque and Classical music through the groundbreaking H+H Stone Fellowship . A first of its kind among period instrument orchestras, the Fellowship fosters the development of early-career musicians whose socio-cultural identities have been historically underrepresented in the field. The Fellowship launched in 2023 with two string instrumentalists and provides a two-year learning experience, including performances, mentorship, and training with H+H musicians and partners at the New England Conservatory.
Engage a Broader Audience
You Are the Music will support efforts to welcome a younger and more diverse audience to the passion and power of Baroque and Classical music, including the development of programming that showcases the vibrancy and expansiveness of this repertoire, such as Crossing the Deep . Premiered by H+H in 2023 and returning in January 2025, Crossing the Deep highlights resonances between European sacred music in the Classical period and Negro spirituals composed by enslaved individuals in the Americas.
This November H+H will launch CitySing, a celebration of the vitality of Boston’s singing community. For the inaugural CitySing, H+H will welcome 30 members of choral ensembles from around Boston to join the H+H Chorus on the Symphony Hall stage for performances of Handel’s Messiah , a work that has been synonymous with H+H since the Society sang the “Hallelujah” chorus during its first concert on Christmas Day in 1815. In future years, CitySing will be paired with other H+H concerts and repertoire.
H+H will continue to sponsor teaching artists to bring weekly music programming to Boston Public Schools that would not otherwise have access to music education, and expand the H+H Youth Choruses (celebrating 30 years) to allow even more young singers to learn and grow through music. Current-use funds raised through You Are the Music will support a robust campaign to engage new audiences locally and beyond New England and increase support for subsidized tickets, including $2.50 tickets for college students with an H+H Masterpass.
Long-term Sustainability
The most ambitious fundraising effort in H+H’s history, You Are the Music will significantly grow H+H’s endowment to support long-term sustainability and increase annual support of operations and programs. Increased financial flexibility from the campaign will allow H+H to develop innovative programming and performances, embark on new partnerships and collaborations, and creatively engage with new audiences to ensure the future enjoyment and advancement of Baroque and Classical music.
The Handel and Haydn Society opens its 210th consecutive season with Mozart Requiem at Symphony Hall on September 27 + 29. Immediately following each performance, all are invited to join the musicians, soloists, Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen, and the H+H Executive Leadership and staff for a reception to celebrate the public launch of You Are the Music. To learn more about the campaign, please visit handelandhaydn.org/yatm .
“You Are the Music provides an incredible opportunity to make a lasting impact on America’s longest-running performing arts organization and a pillar of Boston’s cultural scene,” added David Snead, Philip and Marjorie Gerdine President and CEO of the Handel and Haydn Society. “We are incredibly grateful to our Board and loyal donors whose vision and generous support have played an integral part in our fundraising thus far.”
About the Handel and Haydn Society
Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society performs Baroque and Classical music with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. Called “one of the most exciting ensembles of historically informed performances in the world” (OperaWire), H+H has been captivating audiences for 210 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States), speaking to its singular success at welcoming new audiences to this extraordinary music, generation after generation.
H+H performed the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah in its first concert in 1815, gave the American premiere in 1818, and ever since has been both a musical and a civic leader in the Boston community. During the Civil War, H+H gave numerous concerts in support of the Union Army (H+H member Julia Ward Howe wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) and on January 1, 1863, H+H performed at the Grand Jubilee Concert celebrating the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. Two years later, H+H performed at the memorial service for Abraham Lincoln.
H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 76,000 listeners annually through concerts at Symphony Hall and other leading venues as well as radio broadcasts. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Learning and Education Program, H+H supports seven youth choirs of singers in grades 2–12, and provides thousands of complimentary tickets to students and communities throughout Boston, ensuring the joy of music is accessible to all. H+H has released 16 CDs on the CORO label and has toured nationally and internationally. In all these ways, H+H fulfills its mission to inspire the intellect, touch the heart, elevate the soul, and connect all of us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music.