Monteverdi’s Orfeo

Concert Broadcast Premiere:
Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 7:30PM
Zilkha Hall, The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

There is perhaps no better operatic subject matter than Orpheus, whose exceptional singing melts the hearts of the living and the dead. Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo stands at the head of a long list, and not just because of its early date. Together with librettist Alessandro Striggio, Monteverdi created in 1607 the first great opera. Its vivid recitative, toe-tapping arias, lavish accompaniments, and potent dramatic arc breathe life into his era’s revolutionary ideas about musical expression. Ars Lyrica’s new production, a collaboration with the New York Baroque Dance Company, is directed and choreographed by its Artistic Director Catherine Turocy and conducted by ALH Artistic Director Matthew Dirst.

Cast:
Karim Sulayman, Orfeo
Amia Langer, La Musica/Euridice
Hanna De Priest, Proserpina/Ninfa
Cecilia Duarte, Messaggera/Speranza
Enrico Lagasca, Caronte
Tzvi Bat Ahserah, Plutone