Letter from the Directors
“Ars Lyrica’s 2024/25 season celebrates one of music’s principal virtues: across eras and cultures, it creates durable Ties that Bind. Some of our subscription programs highlight shared values or belief systems while others establish links across geographic and temporal boundaries. Each has a distinct focus, with the entire season spanning some four centuries of European and American history."
Join us for a spectacular 21st season of world-class, imaginative Baroque music by purchasing subscriptions or single tickets today!”
In Praise of Virtue
Friday, Sept 20 at 7:30 pm – Zilkha Hall
In Praise of Virtue features soprano Hannah DePriest and countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen in two rarely heard solo cantatas: J. S. Bach’s beautifully reflective Ich bin vergnügt (BWV 84) and G. F. Handel’s glittering Splenda l’alba in oriente (HWV 166). Excerpts from Johann Adolph Hasse’s Marc-Antonio e Cleopatra set this noble love story with luscious melodies and spectacular virtuosity, in arias and duets for both soloists.
Featured artists:
Hannah DePriest, soprano°
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, countertenor
° Ars Lyrica debut
Madrigals of Love and War
Friday, Nov 8 at 7:30 pm – Zilkha Hall
Claudio Monteverdi’s Madrigals of Love and War transformed a venerable genre—the Renaissance part song—into dramatic scenes that rival the flamboyant art of Caravaggio or Bernini. By updating an old musical form, Monteverdi created a repertoire that is both timeless and singular: few madrigals from any age hold a candle to these masterworks for multiple voices and instruments.
Featured artists:
Erica Schuller, soprano
Amia Langer, soprano
Michael Skarke, countertenor
Steven Brennfleck, tenor
Thomas O’Neill, tenor
Enrico Lagasca, bass
Crossing Borders
Tuesday, Dec 17 at 7:30 pm – St Philip Presbyterian Church
Back by popular demand, Crossing Borders celebrates the rich flowering of music across Hispanic cultures during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, from the “Old” to the “New” World. This festive holiday program includes villancicos and romances for voices and ensemble plus instrumental works that illustrate how music knits together cultures across time and space.
Featured artists:
Camille Ortiz, soprano
Cecilia Duarte, mezzo-soprano
Please note: there are no digital livestream tickets available for this performance.
Old Meets New
Sunday, Jan 19 at 4pm – Duncan Recital Hall, Rice University
Old Meets New expands our own favored repertoire to include contemporary as well as Baroque music for period instruments. Featuring core string players with ALH Artistic Director Matthew Dirst at the harpsichord, this program features keyboard concerti by W. F. Bach and Karol Beffa and chamber works by Jean-Marie Leclair, Gregory Spears, and Emma Kent Wine.
Featured artists:
Matthew Dirst, harpsichord
Stephen Redfield, violin
Eric Taeyang Mun, cello
Please note: there are no digital livestream tickets available for this performance.
Handel’s Theodora
Saturday, Mar 29 at 6 pm – Zilkha Hall
Handel’s final masterpiece tells the story of Theodora, an early Christian martyr, who is persecuted by a corrupt and wicked Roman president. Bacchanal and piety compete in this deeply moving oratorio, which features five soloists, chorus, and orchestra. Its central message, that faith triumphs over death, is common across religious traditions.
Featured artists:
Nola Richardson, soprano (Theodora)
Cecilia Duarte, mezzo-soprano (Irene)
Douglas Williams, bass-baritone (Valens)
Cody Bowers, countertenor (Didymus)°
Brian Giebler, tenor (Septimus)°
The Moores School Concert Chorale
° Ars Lyrica debut
Classical Collaborations
Friday, May 23 at 7:30 pm – Zilkha Hall
Classical Collaborations brings together the central genres of the Viennese classical “school”—concerto, sonata, symphony, and variations—while foregrounding the contributions of women to this fabled musical culture. Featured works include Marianna Martines’s Concerto in G Major for Fortepiano and Orchestra, Mozart’s “Auernhammer” Sonata in F Major (K. 376), Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 48 (“Maria Theresia”), and Josepha Auernhammer’s “Papageno Variations.”
Featured artists:
Patricia Garcia Gil, fortepiano°
Cynthia Roberts, violin°
° Ars Lyrica debut
Enjoy a wide range of benefits when you subscribe today!
In-Person Subscription Benefits:
Invitations to post-concert receptions on stage at Zilkha Hall with artists
Free Zilkha Hall ticket exchanges (exchange your Zilkha Hall concert ticket for another 24/25 Ars Lyrica Zilkha Hall concert)
10% off additional tickets to all 24/25 Ars Lyrica Zilkha Hall concerts
Choice of seating in Zilkha Hall
Priority seating for programs at St. Philip Presbyterian Church and Rice University
Live and replay access to all Zilkha Hall concert streams
Digital Subscription Benefits:
Live and replay access to all Zilkha Hall concert streams
Exclusive virtual offerings (bonus concert recordings, digital content)
24/25 Season Calendar
Learn more about each concert by clicking on the graphic!
In Praise of Virtue
Friday, September 20, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Zilkha Hall
Madrigals of Love & War
Friday, November 8, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Zilkha Hall
Crossing Borders
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 7:30 PM
St. Philip Presbyterian Church
Old Meets New
Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 4 PM
Duncan Recital Hall, Rice University
Handel’s Theodora
Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 6 PM
Zilkha Hall
Classical Collaborations
Friday, May 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Zilkha Hall