Aci, Galatea e Polifemo – January 12-14, 2024 LiveEvents January 4, 2024 654 Arion Baroque Orchestra presents Aci, Galatea e Polifemo During a brief respite from his busy Roman sojourn, Handel left for Naples from May to July 1708, where he had been commissioned to write the serenata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo for the wedding of the Duke of Alvito and Beatrice di Sanseverino. This short opera, for three voices and orchestra without chorus, is remarkable for the variety of its instrumental accompaniment with, in addition to strings and continuo, oboe, recorders, and trumpets. The singers in their arias and recitatives also carry us from the most languorous sighs to the extremes of virtuosity. Leading Arion for the first time is the award-winning Italian conductor and harpsichordist Francesco Corti, principal guest conductor of il Pomo d’Oro orchestra. Artists Francesco Corti, harpsichord and direction Born in a family of musicians, Italian harpsichordist and conductor Francesco Corti studied organ in Perugia, then harpsichord in Geneva and Amsterdam. He won two international competitions (2006 and 2007) and then appeared in recitals and concerts as a soloist and conductor, all over Europe, in the USA and Canada, in Latin America, in Asia and in New Zealand. He participated to numerous festivals such as Mozart Woche, Musikfest Berlin, Utrecht Early Music Festival, Festival Radio France Montpellier and performed in famous halls of many European big cities. He is a member of Les Musiciens du Louvre (Minkowski), Zefiro (Bernardini), the Bach Collegium Japan (Suzuki), Les Talens Lyriques (Rousset) and Le Concert des Nations (Savall). Since 2018, he is principal guest conductor of il Pomo d’Oro, with whom he has collaborated on many European tours and numerous recordings. He also conducts Les Musiciens du Louvre, Tafelmusik, Freiburger Barockorchester, B’Rock and the Nederlandse Bachvereniging. Since January 2023, he is musical director at the Drottningholm Royal Court Theater (Sweden). Kateryna Kasper, soprano Margherita Maria Sala, contralto Lisandro Abadie, bass-baritone Program HANDEL Aci, Galatea e Polifemo Bourgie Hall Friday, January 12, 2024 – 7:30pm Saturday, January 13, 2024 – 4:00pm Sunday, January 14, 2024 – 2:30pm To purchase your tickets visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/