Boosey & Hawkes originated from the 1930 merger between two great family businesses, Boosey & Company founded in the 1760s, and Hawkes & Son founded in 1865. Both were involved in music publishing and the manufacture of musical instruments. From 1930 the merged company continued this twin business activity for many decades until 2003 when the instrument division was sold, leaving Boosey & Hawkes focusing solely on music publishing.

Boosey & Hawkes became a significant force on the international publishing scene through the purchase of Koussevitzky’s Édition Russe and landmark contracts signed with Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Benjamin Britten and Aaron Copland. By the turn of the new millennium, Boosey & Hawkes had built an illustrious roster that encompassed the most iconic composers of the modern era. In 2017 Boosey & Hawkes joined Concord as the group’s first classical music business.

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