Folger Consort’s 2025–26 Season Bridges Centuries with Style

Early music gets a fresh twist this season as the Folger Consort, the renowned ensemble-in-residence at the Folger Shakespeare Library, unveils its 2025–26 concert lineup. With collaborations, poetic pairings, and centuries-spanning sounds, the new season offers a rich slate of performances designed to enchant both longtime fans and curious newcomers.

The season opens in November with Virtuosos of Violin and Verse (Nov. 7–9), a partnership with the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series. Poet and performer Rose Solari joins the Consort for a lyrical program blending 17th- and 18th-century violin works with Baroque settings of Italian poetry… proof that good art transcends time.

December brings a festive favorite with Holiday Music from Spain and Portugal (Dec. 5–14). Expect bright villancicos, lush Renaissance motets, and spirited dances from composers like Vicente Lusitano and Cristóbal de Morales, performed on period instruments that include lute, viols, and wind ensembles. The concerts align with the Folger’s Frost Fair, making this a seasonal standout.

For Valentine’s Day weekend, Love Songs of the 15th Century (Feb. 13–15) offers romantic chansons with a twist: these medieval tunes are sung from a woman’s perspective, including a rare setting of poetry by Christine de Pisan, author of The City of Ladies.

The season closes in May with An English Garden (May 8–10), a program of Elizabethan songs and poetry curated by Mary Springfels. Soprano Emily Noël returns, joined by an ensemble of viols and lute, for a spring celebration as fragrant as it is musical.

Each concert series is preceded by an Early Music Seminar, where founding director Robert Eisenstein dives into the historical and cultural roots of the works.

Season subscriptions start at $156 (with discounted options for patrons under 35) and are available now. Single tickets go on sale September 8 at folger.edu

*Lead image: Portion of an illustration by Yunyi Dai