Handel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo

Concert Broadcast Premiere:
Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 7:00PM
Zilkha Hall, The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

The lovers Acis and Galatea, another famous couple from Ovid, must contend with a meddling monster: a cyclops named Polyphemus, whose lust leads to Acis’s death and his metamorphosis as a river. Aci, Galatea e Polifemo (Naples, 1708) is Handel’s first setting of this tale; a decade later he created the better-known Acis and Galatea. Ars Lyrica is delighted to present the Houston premiere of the former serenata, whose fiery score provides abundant opportunities for vocal display.

Featured artists:
Lauren Snouffer, Aci
Cecelia McKinley, Galatea
Douglas Williams, Polifemo