St. Andrew's Bach Society is going where it has never gone in its 25 summers: to the opera.
The venerable summer classical music series will wrap up its 25th anniversary season in August with a concert performance of Henry Purcell's Baroque opera "Dido and Aeneas." Tucson Chamber Artists will make its series debut in the performance, which also features Tucson fave soprano Kathryn Mueller singing the role of Belinda and mezzo-soprano Thea Lobo in the role of Dido.
Benjamin Nisbet, the society's artistic director, said this could be the first time "Dido and Aeneas" has been performed in Tucson.
"I've been looking around to see if it has been done and I can't find anywhere that it has," he said.
Nisbet, a Tucson Symphony Orchestra violinist, will join his Kingfisher String Quartet colleagues to open the series on June 2.The group formed in 2008 and played its first ever concert with the series that summer. In the years since, Kingfisher has become one of Tucson's most respected ensembles.
All concerts start at 2 p.m. at Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. Tickets are $12, $5 for students at www.standrewsbach.org or at the door. Details: 808-2122.
The series:
• June 2, The Kingfisher String Quartet - "Beethoven: Beginning to End," featuring a quartet from each of Beethoven's early, middle and late periods.
• June 30, Duo Alexander - "Bach Lives," a virtuoso flute and piano recital of works by Johann Sebastian Bach.
• July 21, husband-and-wife duo mezzo-soprano Korby Myrick and pianist Richard Hereld - works by Bach, Handel, Brahms, Rodrigo and more.
• Aug. 4, conductor Bruce Chamberlain, oboist Lindabeth Binkley and the St. Andrew's Bach Society Chamber Orchestra - "Bach Lives."
• Aug. 18, Tucson Chamber Artists and guest soloists - Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas."
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@azstarnet.com or 573-4642.
