Ars Lyrica Houston Presents A Celebratory Season Finale On May 13

Grammy-nominated ensemble Ars Lyrica Houston closes out their 22/23 season with a celebratory concert on Saturday, May 13th at 7:30 pm in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Songs of Zion features six stellar singers alongside Baroque orchestra and highlights music from the rich legacy of psalm settings of the Jewish and Christian traditions.

The concert showcases spectacular music of the 17th and 18th centuries, with a special focus on works that set the beloved Psalter to music. The program features well-known works like Rameau's In convertendo (Psalm 126) and Bach's motet Lobet den Herrn (Psalm 117), alongside lesser known but equally delightful pieces like Buxtehude's Domine salvum, fac regem (Psalm 19).

Speaking to the revelry that links all the programmed pieces, Artistic Director Matthew Dirst remarks, "these psalms are all upbeat and celebratory; no long laments here. We're looking forward to ending the season on a high note!"

Six soloists of diverse backgrounds will fly into Houston to join Ars Lyrica for this festive season finale. Young talent include male soprano Elijah McCormack, who has been praised for his "pristine clarity" (Washington Post) and "fresh timbre" (South Florida Classical). Another rising early music specialist, non-binary countertenor Scottie Rogers, joins the ensemble after recently winning the First Prize in the NINA Solo Competition in Bergen, Norway.

Ars Lyrica is also thrilled to welcome back local favorites and veterans of early music performance. Three soloists work as Professors of Voice, including University of Houston professor Timothy Jones, whose rich bass-baritone voice has been hailed as "stentorian and honeyed" (The Boston Globe). Baylor University professor and tenor Mark Diamond returns after impressing in an "open and sonorous" (Arts and Culture Texas) performance in the title role of Ars Lyrica's production of Purcell's opera, Dido and Aeneas, last season.

University of Chicago professor and soprano Erica Schuller, described as having a "gorgeous tone (Stage and Cinema) and "bright, clear soprano" (Chicago Classical Review), returns to perform with Ars Lyrica after nearly a decade. Finally, the fabulous ensemble of six is completed with tenor Steven Brennfleck, who has been praised as "dramatically astute" and a "stand out" performer (New York Times).

Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Zilkha Hall, The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

In-person tickets ($39 - 75) and student tickets ($25) are available for purchase at the Hobby Center website. Digital passes ($20 per household) are available for purchase at the Ars Lyrica website.

Founded in 1998 by harpsichordist and conductor Matthew Dirst, Ars Lyrica Houston presents a diverse array of music in its original context while creating connections to contemporary life. Imaginative programming features neglected gems alongside familiar masterworks, and extracts the dramatic potential, emotional resonance, and expressive power of music. Its local subscription series, according to the Houston Chronicle, "sets the agenda" for early music in Houston. Ars Lyrica appears regularly at international festivals and conferences because of its distinctive focus, and its pioneering efforts in the field of authentic performance have won international acclaim.

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