The Eric Herz Memorial Fund

The Boston Early Music Festival was conceived in 1980 by a group of Boston-based musicians, instrument makers, and scholars. Eric Herz—December 10, 1919 to May 25, 2002—an important member of the Boston School of harpsichord making and early music revival, was one of those founders, and he gave deeply of his time and talents to the Festival, including serving for four years as its President. We are eternally grateful to Eric for his efforts in the early years of BEMF.

The Eric Herz Memorial Fund will serve as an endowment for the BEMF Exhibition, ensuring its world-leading role as an international showcase for the performing arts, and a respected forum for builders, scholars, and the public to display, compare, learn, exchange ideas, and be inspired. Some special projects under consideration include organological research grants with the results published in the BEMF Yearbook and a public discussion on the topic of instrument building, all in the name of Eric Herz.

The Ann Monks Barry BEMF Opera Fund

Ann Monks Barry—April 30, 1940 to July 18, 2003—a beloved member of the BEMF family serving as a Director on the Board since 1997, was a passionate devotee of early music and opera in particular. Prior to her monumental leadership on the BEMF Board, Ann served as President of the Board of Boston Lyric Opera for many years and performed with Musica Sacra as a mezzo-soprano. We are very pleased, proud and grateful to Ann and her family for the establishment of the Ann Monks Barry BEMF Opera Fund; contributions to this Fund will be dedicated to the perpetuation of BEMF’s ground-breaking work in the publication, production and recording of fully-staged Baroque opera.

To make a donation to these memorial funds,
please contact Kathleen Fay at the BEMF office.
617-661-1812