L’Armonica, Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783) Introduction: Un poco Lento-Allegro di molto-Lento Aria: "Ah perche col canto mio" Recitative: "Ardir Germana" Aria: "Alla stagion di fiori" ARTISTIC PERSONNEL Matthew Dirst, Artistic Director, conductor, harpsichord Sherezade Panthaki, soprano Dennis James, glass harmonica VIOLIN 1: Elizabeth Blumenstock, Maria Lin, Oleg Sulyga, Hae-a Lee VIOLIN 2: Alan Austin, Noel Martin, Nadia Lesinska, Matthew Detrick VIOLA: Erika Lawson, Yvonne Smith CELLO: Barrett Sills, Eric Smith VIOLONE: Deborah Dunham TRAVERSO: Colin St-Martin, Alaina Diehl BAROQUE OBOE: Meg Owens, Pablo Moreno NATURAL HORN: Paul Avril, James Wilson BASSOON: Benjamin Kamins Sweet Philomela Friday, September 22, 2017 at 7:30 pm Zilkha Hall / Hobby Center For The Performing Arts, Houston, Texas Opening night of our 2017/18 season of Artful Women features exotic musical works inspired by Philomela, mythical princess of Athens, whose transformation into a nightingale has fascinated poets and musicians for centuries. Soprano Sherezade Panthaki returns to the Zilkha Hall stage for evocative arias from Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato and Johann Adolph Hasse’s lyric cantata L’Armonica, while Dennis James makes his Ars Lyrica debut on the glass harmonica, an instrument whose ethereal sounds fascinated both Hasse and Mozart. The ensemble of strings and winds soars as well, with one of C. P. E. Bach’s vibrant symphonies for twelve obbligato instruments. ©Ars Lyrica Houston 2017 | www.arslyricahouston.org Video and Audio produced by Runaway Productions LLC