The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is one of the world’s first and foremost period-instrument orchestras, with concerts across six continents and over 250 recordings since its formation by Christopher Hogwood in 1973. The orchestra takes its name from a London concert society which was established in 1726 for the purpose of studying and performing ‘old’ music, defined initially as music composed at least a century earlier, but soon to include more contemporary composers such as Handel.

The present-day Academy of Ancient Music is especially well known for its pioneering recordings under Christopher Hogwood. In addition to numerous recordings of baroque repertoire, especially Handel, the orchestra was the first to record all of Mozart’s symphonies on period instruments and has since recorded the complete piano concertos and symphonies of Beethoven. It is also involved in recording the Mozart piano concertos with fortepianist Robert Levin and the complete Haydn symphonies.

At the start of the 2006–07 season Richard Egarr became music director and Christopher Hogwood assumed the title of emeritus director. Egarr continues the AAM’s strong recording tradition with a series of Handel releases while Hogwood conducts Handel operas in concert each year leading up to the Handel anniversary in 2009. As well as associate conductor Paul Goodwin, the AAM performs under the direction of a number of guest conductors and instrumental directors, including Pavlo Beznosiuk, Giuliano Carmignola and Masaaki Suzuki. The orchestra works regularly with Edward Higginbottom and the Choir of New College, Oxford, with concerts throughout Europe and recordings of Handel, Purcell, Boyce and Pergolesi.