This concert is a celebration of the restoration of a painting in the Collection by the artist Carle Vanloo, The Grand Turk giving a concert to his mistress, c.1737, features a soprano singing an aria by Handel from his opera Admeto (1727).

In 1733 Vanloo married the celebrated opera singer Christina Antonia Somis (1704–1785), and she featured as the singer in this painting. Christina was the daughter of the celebrated violinist, Giovanni Battista Somis (1686–1763), who flourished in Turin. Somis had studied under the great Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713) and had a number of important students of his own including Jean-Marie Leclair (1697–1764) and Jean-Pierre Guignon (1704–1774).

This programme will feature Handel arias, including the one depicted in the painting, sung by the exciting young soprano, Sofia Kirwan-Baez, as well as solo works by Somis, Leclair and Guignon performed by The London Handel Players directed from the violin by Adrian Butterfield.

Performers:
Sofia Kirwan-Baez soprano
The London Handel Players
Adrian Butterfield violin, director