Ars Lyrica Houston Announces 2019/20 Season “National Treasures”

Ars Lyrica Houston, the Grammy nominated early music ensemble, celebrates its 15th-year anniversary with the announcement of the 2019/20 season entitled "National Treasures." This season explores iconic moments in diverse European cultures, from Venice in the late 17thcentury through Madrid in the early 19thcentury. With a range of musical styles and genres accompanied by dance, visual art, and dramatization, this season illuminates defining moments in French, Italian, English, German, and Spanish cultural history.

Dancing at the Palaisopens the season with a full Baroque orchestra of strings and winds plus the return of The New York Baroque Dance CompanywithCatherine Turocyas artistic director. This program includes instrumental suites from two vibrantly colorful French Baroque operas, both first seen at the Palais-Royal in Paris. Period choreography, paired with period instruments, recreates a refined artform that was de rigueurthroughout Europe during the 17thand 18thcenturies. The suites featured on this program include the American premiere of dance music from André Campra's Hésioneplus suites from Les Indes Galantesby Jean-Philippe Rameau. A pioneer in historical choreography, dance technique, and stage movement, Turocy has directed numerous highly acclaimed productions of Baroque operas in the US and in Europe. She returns to Houston during the 2020/21 season for a new production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Ars Lyrica's second full-length Baroque opera.

The season continues with Handel in Love. Amorous duets, arias, and instrumental works mix freely on this tribute to the Baroque era's finest musical dramatist. A truly cosmopolitan figure, George Frederic Handel combined a sturdy German musical heritage with sophisticated Italian training, in works that remain emblematic of his adopted English home. Soloists for this program include soprano and Rice University graduate Joanna Latini, tenor Richard Trey Smagurof the Houston Grand Opera Studio, and Baroque oboe virtuoso Kathryn Montoya.

On New Year's Eve 2019, Ars Lyrica celebrates the legacy of Antonio Vivaldi and his Venetian predecessors with Venetian Carnival, a program of flamboyant concerts for flute, violin, and multiple instruments. Featured artists include Baroque flautist Colin St-Martinand Baroque violinists Elizabeth Blumenstock(longtime concertmaster of Philharmonia Baroque) and rising star Alana Youssefian. This festive evening begins with a three-course dinner and concludes with a lively post-concert party.

The turbulent environment of the Spanish artist Francisco Goya takes center stage in the production of Goya's World: Reflexión y Revolución. This multi-media event includes projections of Goya's artwork alongside performances of lively instrumental and vocal music by his contemporaries, including works by Francisco Courcelle, Fernando Sor, Vincente Garviso, as well as one of Luigi Boccherini's guitar quintets. "Francisco Goya was a man of contrast and conflict. In his paintings he depicted all aspects of late 18th and early 19th century Spanish life: the leisure class enjoying a day on the banks of the Rio Manzañeras, a traditional bullfight, a tavern brawl, common people dancing a bolero or fandango, poverty, military might, royal majesty (albeit sometimes as a parody) and, most deliberately, the horrors of war", says curator and guest director Richard Savino. A guitarist and lutenist, Savino is joined by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarteand a string ensemble led by violinist Adam LaMotte.

As a special treat offered exclusively to full-season subscribers and guests, Artistic Director Matthew Dirst performs a recital entitled Bach on Harpsichordat the Shepherd School of Music's Duncan Recital Hall at Rice University. This exceptional event, the first Ars Lyrica program in many years to spotlight Dirst as a solo artist, features Bach's iconic "Italian Concerto" and two of his most sumptuous French dance suites for harpsichord.

The season finale, entitled Bach Goes Greek, brings the full ensemble to the stage along with six outstanding singers for an evening of Bach cantatas with characters drawn from Greek mythology. Bach and his librettist turned the legendary competition between Phoebus (Apollo) and Pan into a lively singing contest, one Ars Lyrica recreates in modern dress for its 2019/20 season finale. Tara Fairclothdirects Bach's comic masterpiece and Matthew Dirst conducts. This program features sopranoDominique McCormick, countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, tenors Derek Chesterand Christopher Bozeka, and baritonesThomas Glassand Mark Diamond.

Subscriptions for Ars Lyrica Houston's 2019/20 season are on sale now. To purchase tickets or view the season brochure, please visit www.arslyricahouston.orgor call the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at 713.315.2525 (Press 4 for Ars Lyrica Houston).

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