Chi desia, Francesca Caccini (1587–c1641)

Italian Sirens Sunday, November 12, 2017 at 6pm Zilkha Hall | Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston, Tx At prominent Italian courts and in forward-looking cities like Venice, the decades around 1600 saw a remarkable flowering of female musical talent—virtuoso singers especially—who took advantage of new opportunities for professional musicians. Italian Sirens is devoted to these unique voices, as realized in the work of three remarkable early 17th-century composers: Isabella Leonarda, Francesca Caccini, and Barbara Strozzi. This musical tricolore spotlights a trio of exceptional Houston singers in the company of a colorful continuo band of violins, cello, Baroque harp, theorbo, and harpsichord. A R T I S T I C P E R S O N N E L Matthew Dirst, Artistic Director, conductor, harpisichord, organ Sydney Anderson, soprano Alexandra Smither, soprano Cecilia Duarte, mezzo-soprano Kurt Johnson & Stephanie Raby, Baroque violin Barrett Sills, cello Michael Leopold, theorbo & Baroque guitar Jesus Pac