Ars Lyrica Houston Celebrates Baroque Music From Hispanic Cultures in CROSSING BORDERS

GRAMMY-nominated ensemble Ars Lyrica Houston will present Crossing Borders on Tuesday, December 17 at St. Philip Presbyterian Church, a festive evening of music from the 17th and 18th century Spanish and Latin American eras. Featured artists include soprano Camille Ortiz and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte, alongside six period instrument specialists. A critically acclaimed program that has toured to New York City, San Diego, and Tucson, Crossing Borders returns to Houston three years after its premiere.

The two vocalists share the stage with six long-time colleagues and Ars Lyrica performers: violinists Stephanie Noori and Maria Lin, cellist Eric Taeyang Mun, Richard Savino on Baroque guitar and theorbo, Jesús Pacheco Mánuel on percussion, and Artistic Director Matthew Dirst on harpsichord. 

This festive program for the holiday season includes villancicos and romances for voices and ensemble plus instrumental works drawn from the rich repertoire of 17th- and 18th-century Spanish and Latin American cultures. Musical selections by Jusan del Encina, José Duran, Antonio de Salazar, Manuel José Quiroz, Sebastián Duron and others illustrate the multiple and creative ways music traverses cultural and national borders.

Artistic Director Matthew Dirst shares that “Crossing Borders explores a crucial moment in the musical history of the New World: when European musical traditions began to mingle with traditional folk music practices. This ‘festive stew’ of 17th- through 18th-century Spanish music, written by Central and South American and colonial composers, includes works that bridge the sacred and the secular divide.”  

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