Maybe the recent brutal weather caused cabin fever in so many of us that now everyone is flooding into the city’s concert halls. Whatever the case, some of this week’s offerings are at capacity. But that said, remember that “life happens” and people change their plans, sometimes at the last minute. It never hurts to get on a waiting list. And remember: you can receive these weekly listings straight to your inbox; subscribe here!
Spotlight: La Passion de Simone — Thursday and Saturday, Philadelphia Film Center
What are the odds that not one, but two operas by the late Kaija Saariaho would appear in the region over the next few months? In April at The Metropolitan Opera, the company will present Innocence, her final work. But meanwhile, Philadelphia audiences have a rare opportunity: two chances to hear La Passion de Simone (2006), staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre directed by Marcus Shields, with the Curtis New Music Ensemble conducted by Mark Lowenstein. Saariaho’s frequent collaborator, Amin Maalouf, based the libretto on writings of Simone Weil, the French activist and philosopher. Subtitled “A Musical Journey in 15 Stations,” the opera examines “a fearless thinker who challenged the limits of thought.” At press time, tickets are limited, but there is a waiting list.
Feb. 26 at 7 pm and Feb. 28 at 2 pm, Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street, $36; tickets and information.
Nathalie Joachim: Solitude + S P A C E — Wednesday, American Philosophical Society
A Grammy-nominated flutist, vocalist, and composer, Nathalie Joachim was one of the ten composers who contributed music to Complications in Sue, the revolutionary production unfurled by Opera Philadelphia earlier this month. Created a few years earlier, Joachim’s evening-length work, Solitude + S P A C E (for voice, flute, violin, electronics, and sampled field recordings) examines “the psychological implications of loneliness and connectivity in an increasingly isolating yet hyperconnected world.” Her collaborators include Grammy Award-winning violinist Yvonne Lam and acclaimed lighting designer Nicholas Houfek. For those who can’t attend in person, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society will livestream the concert on the organization’s YouTube channel.
Feb. 25 at 7:30 pm, American Philosophical Society, Benjamin Franklin Hall, 427 Chestnut Street, $27; tickets and information.
Xian Zhang and The Philadelphia Orchestra in Britten, Haydn, and Tchaikovsky — Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Marian Anderson Hall
For some listeners, hearing The Philadelphia Orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony would be a draw all by itself. Others will be pulled into this concert by the rare chance to hear principal cellist Hai-Ye Ni in the second of Haydn’s two cello concertos. Still others will be enchanted with the opener, Britten’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell. And finally, many listeners will be on hand for guest conductor Xian Zhang, widely acclaimed for her performances as music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. As of fall 2025 Zhang also heads the Seattle Symphony and is principal guest conductor of the NCPA Orchestra in Beijing.
Feb. 26 at 7:30 pm, Feb. 27 at 2 pm, Feb. 28 at 8 pm; Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 S Broad Street, $29-$230; tickets and information.
Jasper String Quartet: Monuments — Thursday, Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting
Few people have heard of Maddalena Laura Lombardini Sirmen (1745-1818), considered one of the earliest creators in the string quartet genre. Her String Quartet No. 5 was published in 1769 — around the time some fellow named Haydn was first starting to cause a ruckus — and the 12-minute opus will make an imaginative opener for the Jasper String Quartet. They continue with a new work by Michelle Ross, part of a series of commissions celebrating the group’s 20th anniversary. After intermission, cellist Raman Ramakrishnan joins the foursome for Schubert’s great final work, the String Quintet in C Major (the so-called “Cello” quintet). As another enticement, the venue — the Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting — has a ceiling artwork crafted by the artist James Turrell.
Feb. 26, 7:30 pm, Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, 20 East Mermaid Lane. Free, suggested donation $25/Adult, $10/Student; tickets and information.
Le donne musicali (“Musical Women”) — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (various locations)
Two years ago, Tempesta di Mare presented Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans, the composer’s oratorio written for the women of the Ospedali grande, the Venetian sanctuary for abandoned babies. Last fall Tempesta again brought Baroque-era women into the spotlight with Hidden Virtuosas, and now they return with Le donne musicali (“Musical Women”). The program includes rarely heard works by Francesca Caccini, Isabella Leonarda, Agata Cantora della Pietà, and Anna Bon, plus music by Vivaldi and Porpora written expressly for named women in the Ospedali. Gabriela Estephanie Solís is the mezzo-soprano soloist, with Gwyn Roberts (recorder and flute), Emlyn Ngai and Francis Liu (violins), Lisa Terry (cello), and Richard Stone (lute).
Friday, Feb 27, 2026, 7 pm: Christ Church Christiana Hundred, 505 E. Buck Road, Wilmington, DE; Saturday, Feb 28, 2026, 7 pm: Trinity at 22nd, 2212 Spruce Street; and Sunday, March 1, 2026, 4 pm: Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Avenue; $35 to $45, students free with ID; tickets and information.
Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi — Saturday (and dates in March), Academy of Vocal Arts
If this opera sounds familiar, it might be because Opera Philadelphia presented it in 2002, but it hasn’t been seen here since. Some companies, like the Metropolitan Opera, have never staged it — despite many performances of Norma and I Puritani. Bellini derived much of this 1830 score from his previous opera Zaira, considered unsuccessful, but for many listeners, recycled Bellini is head-and-shoulders above other choices. Conductor Michelle Rofrano leads a cast of AVA artists, with direction by John de los Santos, and scenic design by Cameron Anderson. At press time, all four performances are sold out, but thankfully there’s a waiting list.
Feb. 28, Mar, 3, 5, and 7 at 7:30 pm., Academy of Vocal Arts, Helen Corning Warden Theater, 1920 Spruce Street, sold out. Call 215-735-1685 to join the waiting list; more information.
