Dolcissima Speranza: Featuring Renowned Tenor Thomas Cooley

The Washington Bach Consort presents *Dolcissima Speranza*, a Chamber Series program exploring the earliest flowering of the Baroque in seventeenth-century Italy. Renowned tenor Thomas Cooley leads the musical journey through the emergence of a new expressive language, highlighting the emotional intensity, rhetorical daring, and evolving vocal style of the period.

The program features pioneering works by Jacopo Peri, Giulio Caccini, and Claudio Monteverdi, whose *seconda prattica* transformed musical expression, alongside distinctive compositions by Sigismondo d’India and Barbara Strozzi. Cooley is internationally recognized for his interpretation of Baroque and pre-Baroque repertoire, with more than two decades of performances at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, and the Berlin Philharmonie.

When: October 23 and 24, 2026

Showtimes: 7:00 p.m. on both evenings

Schedule and Venues: October 23 at Live! at 10th & G; October 24 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Series: Washington Bach Consort Chamber Series

Featured Performer: Thomas Cooley, tenor

Composers: Jacopo Peri, Giulio Caccini, Claudio Monteverdi, Sigismondo d’India, and Barbara Strozzi

Run time: Approximately 65 minutes without intermission

Tickets: Price not available