Matthew Dirst
Artistic Director

Founder and Artistic Director of Ars Lyrica Houston, Matthew Dirst is widely admired for his stylish playing and conducting. Winner of major international prizes in both organ and harpsichord, he is featured on two new recordings: Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, and Alessandro Scarlatti’s 1710 oratorio La sposa dei cantici (both from Acis Productions). About the latter, Early Music America notes that “Dirst brilliantly brings it all to life,” in a “historically informed and compelling performance…of this rarely heard work.” Dirst’s other recordings with Ars Lyrica have received similar critical acclaim, including a Grammy nomination for Best Opera (2011). As Professor of Music at the Moores School of Music, University of Houston, Dirst teaches courses in musicology and performance. He is the author of Engaging Bach: The Keyboard Legacy from Marpurg to Mendelssohn (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and Bach’s Art of Fugue and Musical Offering (Oxford University Press, 2023). His academic degrees include a PhD in musicology from Stanford University and the prix de virtuosité in both organ and harpsichord from the Conservatoire National de Reuil-Malmaison, France, where he spent two years as a Fulbright scholar. For more information, visit www.matthewdirst.com.

Contact: mdirst@arslyricahouston.org

Kinga Ferguson
Executive Director

Kinga Ferguson has experience in both arts administration and vocal performance that spans three countries. She holds an MBA from the University of Lyon, France, and has worked, in Paris, for the Jacques Thelen Agency and European Artistic Management. She has also worked with the USA International Harp Competition and a number of arts organizations in Poland. She holds a Masters and Performer’s Diploma in Voice from Indiana University and has sung with Chicago Opera Theatre, Chicago Humanities Festival, Marion Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Opera Company of the Highlands, Indiana University Opera Theatre, and Houston’s own Opera Vista. She holds an Artist’s Diploma in Piano from the State School of Music in Lodz, Poland. Ferguson is a Fellow of the Paul Daisy Soros Foundation for New Americans.

Contact: kferguson@arslyricahouston.org

Matthew Reynolds
Operations & Outreach Manager

Matthew Reynolds is delighted to join the Ars Lyrica Houston team. An active vocalist in the Houston area, Matthew regularly performs with the Houston Grand Opera Chorus and the Mercury Chamber Ensemble, and has been featured across the country with companies including the Ohio Light Opera, Opera Neo, and the Messiah Festival of the Arts. Matthew has served as a private voice instructor in the Greater Houston area for multiple years, and he is passionate about making the arts accessible, engaging, and joyous for audiences of all backgrounds. Originally from Waco, Texas, Matthew holds dual Master of Music degrees in Voice Performance and Musicology from the University of Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Urban Studies from Trinity University.

Contact: mreynolds@arslyricahouston.org

Adrian Ponce
Marketing & Events Manager

Adrian Ponce’s career spans arts administration, music education, and performance, with over a decade of experience in the Houston metro area and South Texas. He has served as Manager of the Texas Medical Center Orchestra, overseeing concert logistics, and developing education and community engagement programs. Adrian collaborates with the Houston Symphony and AFA through the In Harmony Deluxe program, bringing transformative music education to underserved communities. As an active performer, Adrian plays with several ensembles across Southeast Texas and Louisiana. A passionate advocate for the arts, Adrian is dedicated to fostering inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring the power of music reaches audiences of all backgrounds.

Contact: aponce@arslyricahouston.org