Baroque Artists in Champaign and “Orpheus in the Underworld” in Urbana

Since their founding in 1996, the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana have explored the major choral works of George Frideric Handel, including of course the famous oratorios like Messiah and Israel in Egypt. On Sunday afternoon, they’ll present two of Handel’s large but lesser-known anthems, written for British royals and nobles. I’ll talk with the Baroque Artists’ music director, Chester Alwes, on the Wednesday edition of “Live and Local.” We'll also hear about a production of the operetta Orpheus in the Underworld at the University of Illinois, opening on Thursday.