Statements by Lucie Horsch and Sarah Jeffery, 2026 ambassadors

"Being an ambassador for Early Music Day 2026 is a great honour for me! Early music is of course the foundation of our musical heritage, but I believe performing it in the present requires humility, curiosity and also courage. Having respect for who came before us and learning from our past, is in my opinion essential in all times and historically informed performance practice helps us understand this.

As a recorder player, I am especially aware of how closely my instrument is connected to early music. In the classical music world, the recorder is often still underestimated, yet its directness, expressive capacity and history make it a natural voice for early music. Through this ambassadorship, I hope to help share and promote the relevance of early music today, and to encourage new generations of listeners to discover music that is part of our shared musical DNA."

Lucie Horsch — 2026 Ambassador

"For me, early music stands for essential premises: exploration, inspiration, and community. I am thrilled to be invited to act as Ambassador for the REMA Early Music Day 2026, as in my eyes this event represents everything that early music stands for!

Exploration. Although by necessity the early music we engage with has all already been composed, it feels as if we will never exhaust it! Each new discovery is a gem, shedding light on and challenging what we already know. I greatly enjoy taking part in this quest, and opening a door for others to discover and fall in love with early music is an important part of why I do what I do.

Inspiration. There are so many ways to interpret and perform each piece of music we come across, and this creative palette of possibilities is what inspires me as a musician. A piece of music belies a hidden story: where does it come from, what can the history and practices of its time tell us? Will we bring it to life with the utmost reverence... or irreverence? The ideas the music alone gives us can be magnified endlessly by the inspiration brought by combining forces with our musical colleagues.

Community, because early music would be nothing without community. Every ensemble, festival, publication, and even YouTube channel is a collaborative effort. An interlinked web of performers, educators, programmers, instrument builders, composers, and more. No concert or recording would be complete without ears to listen, and early music would be nothing without a community that shares it together.

As we head into Early Music Day 2026, I am excited to hear from the wider early music community, and continue raising its profile, making this information accessible, and most of all, reveling in the joys of how it feels to play and listen to this glorious music!"

Sarah Jeffery — 2026 Ambassador