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Spotlight: Belcea Quartet — Friday, Perelman Theater
Concert-goers in Philadelphia are spoiled to have a group like the Belcea Quartet return so soon after its last PCMS concert, less than a year ago. This award-winning ensemble boasts a repertoire that combines the deep classics with newly composed music, some of which they commissioned themselves.
Friday night’s program is the perfect embodiment of this versatility. The concert starts with Mozart’s Quartet in C Major — what some refer to as his “Dissonance” quartet because of its mysterious opening section. The middle of the program invites listeners to try something new, with a work by Australian composer Brett Dean that has never been performed in Philadelphia before. To close things out, the final work that Beethoven completed: his String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135. All 3 works make for an evening that will be sure to provide depth, inspiration, and maybe even a sense of catharsis.
Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $32; tickets and information.
Variant 6 — Friday, University Lutheran Church
The vocal ensemble Variant 6 was derived from members of the Grammy Award-winning group The Crossing. For the past decade, they have been an incredible creative outlet for some of Philadelphia’s finest vocal talents. They have a knack for finding a hook or theme to tie in repertoire from drastically different time periods, and this week’s offering continues that trend. Featuring three of their members who sing in the higher soprano ranges, they present a program titled Nexus. Attendees will hear a cappella music from the Medieval era through today.
Oct. 24 at 8 p.m., University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut Street, $15-$40; tickets and information.
The Medium — Friday and Saturday, Powel House
The Delaware Valley Opera Company started over four decades ago, and for many years, performed in an outdoor venue attached to a mansion in Fairmount Park. Since 2007, they’ve opted for indoor performances, and aim to be a point of entry for those interested in dipping their toes into the world of opera. This time around, they present an opera by the Italian-born Gian Carlo Menotti, who has a deep connection to Philadelphia. He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 1933, and later joined as a member of their composition faculty. His style is rooted in the tradition of the late Romantic-era composers, with a healthy influence from the stylings of film score music that became popular during the peak of his output. This work, The Medium, is a perfect addition to your Halloween festivities. It’s centered around a fortune-teller Madame Flora, who plays tricks on her clients and also is visited by spooky voices when she is alone.
Oct. 24 and 25 at 7 p.m., Powel House, 244 South 3rd Street, $45-$100; tickets and information.
Yannick Conducts Tchaikovsky — Friday through Sunday, Marian Anderson Hall
A typical orchestra concert might follow the formula of overture, concerto, intermission, symphony. This week’s program from The Philadelphia Orchestra is a refreshing break from that norm, and brings us three works that stand on equal footing. The concert starts with the most standard, yet electrifying, piece on the program: Sibelius’s Violin Concerto. The Orchestra is joined by Lisa Batiashvili, one of the most sought-after violinists around today. After that comes Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto for Orchestra, which they commissioned and premiered in 2002. It has Higdon’s distinctive modern flare, and features solo moments for every section of the orchestra. The closer is Tchaikovsky’s symphonic poem Francesca da Rimini, which was inspired by Dante’s Inferno. This slightly lesser-known work by one of the most popular composers of all time will bathe you with his signature lush and romantic sound world.
Oct. 24 and 26 at 2 p.m., Oct. 25 at 8 p.m., Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $29-$228.76; tickets and information.
Aubree Oliverson Plays Dvořák — Saturday and Sunday, Richardson Auditorium, Princeton, NJ
For those who live in New Jersey and might not feel like heading into downtown Philly, you have an amazing option this weekend. The Princeton Symphony Orchestra draws on some of the finest musicians between Philly and New York City to make up an orchestra that punches well above its weight. Their music director, Rossen Milanov, is a longtime staple in this area holding positions with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Symphony in C in decades past. Known for being a consummate artist, he will bring depth to the repertoire including a work by fellow Bulgarian native Dobrinka Tabakova. The Princeton Symphony also welcomes the return of violinist Aubree Oliverson to perform Dvorak’s Violin Concerto. An arrangement of Brahms' mighty Piano Quartet in G Minor closes the program, and is sure to please just about any audience member.
Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 26 at 4 p.m., Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall, 68 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ, $20-$124; tickets and information.
