L'Egisto

Spring 2026

The backstory centers on two pairs of star-crossed lovers: Egisto (a son of the god Apollo) loves Clori in Delos, and Lidio and Climene are about to be married on the island of Zakintos. But Clori and Egisto are captured by rival gangs of pirates and separated. On her wedding night, Climene is also taken by pirates and carried off, leaving Lidio with no bride.

One year later, Clori has been taken to Zakintos, where she is ransomed by local wealthy youth Hipparco (brother of Climene), who falls madly in love with her. But she, imagining that Egisto is dead, has already met and fallen in love with Lidio, who has conveniently forgotten about Climene. Meanwhile Egisto and Climene, brought together in pirate servitude, manage to escape and make their way to Zakintos to seek their loves.

Behind the scenes, Venus, whose grudge against Apollo is ancient yet always fresh, is the cause of Egisto’s misfortune and thwarted love, while Apollo is working to make things right for his son and Clori.

Eleven undergraduate singers, accompanied by a band of period instruments led by Herreid, bring the extraordinary music of Dido and Aeneas to life.