BOOSEY&HAWKES

Boosey & Hawkes is a global publishing House, well-known for its extensive catalogue of printed music and its specialization in classical music. With offices in New York, London, and Berlin and a network of agents in every major country, the publisher promotes its repertoire throughout the music world. B&H catalogues include music for virtually every combination of instruments and voices: for soloists, ensembles, choirs, bands and orchestras and is used for performances, education as well as for leisure.

200 years ago, back to the 1760, John Boosey founded Boosey & Company, a music lending library in London, which acquired the rights of famous composers such as Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi and eventually Elgar and Vaughan Williams. In 1850 the company begun manufacturing brass and wind instruments. Almost 100 years later, in 1865 William Henry Hawkes founded his own company named Hawkes & Son, which followed a rival course to Boosey & Company, focusing on band and orchestral music publishing and instrument manufacturing as well. Boosey & Hawkes originated from the 1930 merger between these great family businesses, Boosey & Company and Hawkes & Son. From 1930 until 2003 Boosey & Hawkes continued its involvement in both music publishing and manufacture of musical instruments activities. The sale in 2003 of the instrument division, left Boosey & Hawkes focusing only on music publishing and becoming very soon a significant force on the international publishing market.

Following the 1930 merger and through a series of acquisitions the company became the publisher of Bartók, Kodály, Delius and Britten. When Hawkes moved to the USA during the war, Stravinsky, Copland and Martinu were added to its growing list of composers. Back in England, the London Company signed a contract with Richard Strauss in 1943. 

Boosey & Hawkes acquired the distinguished German publishing Houses, Bote & Bock and Anton J. Benjamin, which lead to the creation of a significant German publishing centre. The company’s catalogue referring to the music of the 21st century is unrivalled including the works of distinguished composers such as Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Steve Reich, Sir Harrison Birtwistle and John Adams, James MacMillan and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Nowadays new composing talents are also published from the Berlin office including Michel van der Aa and Olga Neuwirth. In 2006 Boosey & Hawkes in New York launched a jazz catalogue, signing Chick Corea, David Benoit and Andrew Hill, and taking on the representation of Second Floor Music, a historic jazz standards catalogue.
Furthermore, Boosey & Hawkes, supporting its reputation for excellence and innovation, entered the synchronization sector, providing music for film, TV and advertising.