Who is SoHIP?

The Society for Historically Informed Performance grew out of the local early music community’s desire for more performance opportunities, as interest in early music grew during the 1980s. Members of six ensembles collaborated on a summer concert series in 1987, endeavoring to share in the work, and later to give a helping hand to other groups that were trying to get a start in the field. In the years since, the SoHIP Summer Concert Series has become a beloved tradition which continues to provide opportunities for new projects by New England musicians.

Over the years, countless harpsichords have been tuned, hundreds of music stands placed onstage, and thousands of audience members have embraced the talent and grace of SoHIP’s summer series musicians. In our nearly four decades of presenting the region's best early musicians, we have presented over 600 concerts by over 100 different ensembles.

SoHIP's mission is to promote and enrich public appreciation and understanding of historically informed performance of early music in New England, and to support the development of new projects and ensembles with ties to the region.

We look forward to celebrating our 40th year in 2026, and to many more years of uniting inspired audiences with beautiful music.

1987 Concert Series
The Boston Shawm & Sackbut Ensemble “Northern Music in Renaissance Italy”
The Musicians’ Gallery “Jubilate: A Celebration of the 350th Birthday of Dietrich Buxtehude”
Schola Cantorum of Boston “Dufay: Missa Ave Regina Coelorum”
The Greenwood Consort “Alla Veneziana: Music of 16th-century Venice”
Dunstable Singers “Sing We At Pleasure: Music of Renaissance England, Italy, & France”
Ensemble Chaconne “Music from 18th-century France & Germany”