The most respected countertenor of his generation, Iestyn Davies is praised for his sensitive musicianship and the beauty and technical dexterity of his voice. An esteemed Handelian, he is a Grammy winner and recipient of multiple Gramophone awards, and has collaborated with many of today’s leading composers, including Thomas Adès, George Benjamin, and Nico Muhly. At Cal Performances, Davies sang the role of Bertarido in Rodelinda with The English Concert several seasons ago, and now he returns in recital with Oliver Wass, the first harpist ever to win the prestigious Guildhall Gold Medal, for a ride through 400 years of music from the Old and New Worlds.
“One of those hallowed few countertenors who can take a single note on a single syllable and spin it out into a long-breathed thing of immaculate beauty—shifting, modulating, and shaped to tug at the heartstrings”—Bachtrack
Patron Sponsor: Bernice E. Greene
| TRABACI | Toccata Seconda & Ligature per l’arpa |
| MONTEVERDI | Laudate Dominum in sanctis eius SV 287 |
| FRESCOBALDI | Se l’aura spira F 7.15 |
| CAVALLI | Delizie contente from Il Giasone |
| PURCELL | Strike the Viol from Ode on the Birthday of Queen Mary II, Z323 |
| DEBUSSY | Clair de Lune from Suite Bergamasque |
| POULENC | Le Bestiaire FP 15
Le Dromadaire |
| SCHUBERT | ‘Im frühling’ Op.101, no.1, D.882
‘Seligkeit’ D.433 ‘An den Mond’ Op.57, 3 D.193 |
| BEACH | ‘Ecstasy’ Op.19, no.2 |
| ANNA MEREDITH | ‘Fin like a flower’ |
| PURCELL | ‘Sweeter than Roses’ |
| DE FALLA | ‘Spanish Dance’ from La Vida Breve |
| NICO MUHLY | Traditional Songs
A Brisk Young Lad |
| BRITTEN | Suite for Harp Op. 83 |
| HANDEL | ‘Sento amor’ from Partenope
‘Oh Lord Whose Mercies Numberless’ from Saul |
Program notes will be available approximately one week before the performance.
3pm
There is a $20 service charge on all subscription orders, and a $15 per order service charge on ticket purchases made by phone or online that are not part of a subscription package. There is no fee for tickets purchased in person at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office unless they are part of a subscription.
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2026–27 Season Guides
Some of you want your mind blown. Some want your heart broken. Some want to see a legend before they stop touring. Whatever brings you through those doors, we’ve built a guide for it. Explore the six patron guides below to find the performances that were made for you!
3pm
There is a $20 service charge on all subscription orders, and a $15 per order service charge on ticket purchases made by phone or online that are not part of a subscription package. There is no fee for tickets purchased in person at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office unless they are part of a subscription.
2026–27 Season Subscriptions go on sale noon May 5
Single tickets for 2026–27 Season events go on sale at noon Aug 11
