Friday, April 16, 2026 at 7:30PM
Sunday, April 18, 2026 at 2:00PM
Moores Opera House, University of Houston (800 Bagby St, Google Maps)

Inspired by Euripides's Iphegeneia in Tauris, Handel's 1734 opera Oreste is a family drama of arbitrary cruelty and hard-won justice. It is filled with some of the composer’s favorite arias, many of which he adapted from his previous Italian operas. For this local premiere of Oreste, Ars Lyrica collaborates with the Moores Opera Center at the University of Houston. An all-student cast is accompanied by the Moores School Symphony Orchestra, augmented by key players from Ars Lyrica Houston.

Featured artists:
Kathleen Belcher, stage director and producer
Matthew Dirst, music director and conductor

On the program:
Handel, Splenda l'alba in oriente HWV 166
Bach, Ich bin vergnügt BWV 84
Telemann, Concerto for Two Oboes and Violin in E Minor TWV 53:e2
Excerpts from Hasse, Marc'Antonio e Cleopatra

Single in-person tickets will go on sale in August 2026.