The American Handel Society was founded in 1986 by Howard Serwer, Paul Traver, and J. Merrill Knapp. Its mission is to foster the study of the life, works, and times of George Frideric Handel, and to encourage and support the performance of his music. To this end, the Society sponsors a biennial conference featuring papers and panel discussions by international scholars and performers, presents the Howard Serwer Lecture, nominates two members to the Editorial Board of the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe, and offers the J. Merrill Knapp Research Fellowship for advanced graduate students and scholars in the early stages of their careers to support work in Handel studies or related fields. The Society publishes a newsletter three times a year. Major projects of the Society include compiling databases of all recorded Handel music and of all published bibliographic materials pertaining to Handel.
