The Boston Camerata is an early music ensemble based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Narcissa Williamson, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as an adjunct to that museum's musical instrument collection.
The Camerata incorporated as an independent nonprofit in 1974. It was directed from 1969 to 2008 by Joel Cohen, who remains Music Director Emeritus. Since 2008, the company's artistic director has been French-born singer and scholar Anne Azéma. Azéma has produced several new programs with the Camerata, featuring repertoire that spans eight centuries of music. The Camerata has a regular subscription series for Boston-area residents, as well as tours in the United States and abroad.
From 1992 onwards the Boston Camerata and Joel Cohen collaborated with the still-functioning community at Sabbathday Lake and recorded together two albums of Shaker songs.
In 2011, Camerata was in residence in Reims, France, contributing five programs of medieval French music to the 800th anniversary celebration of the Reims Cathedral.