Delaware’s tourism slogan is “Endless Discoveries,” and given the number of related events in our column this week, who are we to argue? Whether you like a fine string quartet or a bit of opera, “The First State” has you covered (and makes a great day trip). But for Philadelphians, we also have some excellent options closer to home
Spotlight: Raphaël Feuillâtre — Wednesday, Benjamin Franklin Hall
One of today’s classical guitar superstars, Raphaël Feuillâtre brings a generous program to the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the intimacy of Benjamin Franklin Hall should show off both his artistry as well as his lustrous instrument, created by the Australian luthier Greg Smallman. Some of the composers are known quantities for guitar aficionados — Albéniz, Piazzolla, and Villa-Lobos — but others will be discoveries, like Leo Brouwer and Antonio Lauro. The evening ends with “Fuoco” from French guitarist Roland Dyens (1955-2016) who wrote it as the finale of his Libra Sonatine Suite (1985).
Like a few other recommendations this week, this concert is sold out, but there’s good news: the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society is livestreaming the evening (free, or pay-what-you wish). And still more good news: if you’re totally maxed out with obligations on Wednesday, PCMS makes the broadcast available for 72 hours afterward.
Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m., Benjamin Franklin Hall at the American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut Street, sold out; to join the waitlist, call 215-569-8080, or email boxoffice@pcmsconcert.org; more information.
Calidore Quartet — Monday, Gore Recital Hall, University of Delaware
We’re in a golden age for string quartets, and one of those ensembles is showing up this week at the University of Delaware. When the best-known composer in the lineup is probably Caroline Shaw (represented here by Blueprint, followed by And So, respectively from 2016 and 2022), you know you are in store for an adventurous program. The afternoon opens with Mark-Anthony Turnage, who in 2025 looked to the finale of Beethoven’s last piano sonata and devised Arietta: Variations on an Arietta by Beethoven for String Quartet. The closer is Samuel Adams’s String Quartet No. 3 (2024), subtitled “Alma,” a nod to the Amsterdam-based quartet that commissioned it.
Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m., Gore Recital Hall, Roselle Center for the Arts, the University of Delaware, 110 Orchard Road, Newark, DE, $17; tickets and information.
Karen Dekker with Tempesta di Mare — Thursday, Saturday and Nov. 15, multiple locations
For this series, Tempesta di Mare presents the same concert in three contrasting venues — a historic town hall, a Quaker meeting house, and a beloved Rittenhouse Square church — and the first one, on Thursday, is free. Dutch-born violinist Karen Dekker and harpsichordist Gabriel Benton present a recital with an all-Baroque lineup, including gems from J.S. Bach and Jean-Marie Leclair, among others.
Nov. 12 concert at 12:30 p.m. Old Town Hall, 512 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE, free.
Nov. 14 at 5 p.m., Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting House, 20 East Mermaid Lane, Philadelphia; and Nov. 15 at 3 p.m., Trinity at 22nd, 2212 Spruce Street, $30 or free for students with ID; tickets and information.
Fernanda — Friday and Sunday, OperaDelaware Studio, Wilmington, DE
In 1932, Federico Moreno Torroba introduced Madrid audiences to Luisa Fernanda, considered by some to be the apex of the zarzuela, a Spanish form combining music with speech. Now Jorge Parodi — artistic and general director of Opera Hispánica — has adapted the piece for chamber orchestra, which will be conducted by Julian Grabarek and directed by Malena Dayen. Federico Romero and Guillermo Fernández Shaw wrote the libretto, about the title character caught in a romantic triangle.
Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 2 p.m., The OperaDelaware Studio (Ethel L. Sayre Recital Hall), 4 South Poplar Street, Wilmington, DE, $35-$65; tickets and information.
Carmen — Friday and Sunday, Covenant Community Services, Wilmington, DE
For yet more Latin American opera excitement, Wilmington Concert Opera presents Bizet’s classic, Carmen, as part of its tenth anniversary season with an admirably concise, self-explanatory title: Strong Women. Collaborating with Philadelphia’s Opera Fresca, the WCO has a cast and chorus of over twenty singers, including one familiar to WRTI listeners, John T.K. Scherch. Kirsten C. Kunkle sings the title role and Kevin Patrick directs the semi-staged production, all conducted by Connor Fluharty.
Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 2 p.m., Covenant Community Services, 503 Duncan Road, Wilmington, DE, free (suggested $20 donation); more information.
Next week, two more performances will take place on Nov. 20 and Nov. 22 at St. Alban’s, 3625 Chapel Rd, Newtown Square, PA, with ticket details to be announced at a later date.
Princeton Symphony Orchestra — Saturday and Sunday, Richardson Auditorium, Princeton, NJ
On the heels of her acclaimed 2025 debut album, ad tendo, Simone Porter joins the Princeton Symphony Orchestra as the soloist for Mozart’s fifth and final violin concerto, the exhilarating “Turkish,” with conductor Rossen Milanov at the helm. Also on the menu: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Overture in C Major (c. 1832), her sole outing for orchestra, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 88, the first written after his famous six “Paris” symphonies.
Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 4 p.m., Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University, 68 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ, $12-$117; tickets and information.
Handel at Home — Nov. 15, Powel House
As yet another peek into America’s past, Handel at Home offers not only music (and yes, that would be Handel), but a glimpse of a Philadelphia architectural gem, Powel House, to give audiences a taste of Philadelphia’s musical salon life during the mid-18th century. WRTI host and mezzo-soprano Meg Bragle — also an artist-in-residence at Penn — joins soprano Mary Wilson and harpsichordist Hanbyeol Lee, for an event that combines music, architecture, and history. Both performances are sold out, but don’t let that keep you from adding your name to the waitlist. (And one more caveat: accessibility. The building is from 1765, so there are two flights of stairs to reach the performing space.)
Nov. 15 at 3 and 7 p.m., Powel House, 244 South 3rd Street, sold out; to join the waitlist, call 215-898-3900, or email pla-boxoffice@upenn.edu; more information.
