Singers take center stage this week, with a choral film installation, an American opera, Italian arias, and art songs of Schubert and Schumann. You’ll have a chance to hear both rising operatic and instrumental stars, as well as world premieres performed by The Crossing and Network for New Music.
Spotlight: Frederica von Stade and the Met’s Young Artists — Friday, Perelman Theater
Legendary mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade joins three rising stars — soprano Jazmine Saunders, tenor Jonghyun Park and baritone Yeongtaek Yang — for this special evening at PCMS. Saunders, Park, and Yang are all part of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. The program is very much about the relationship between the voice and the piano; the two pianists, Myra Huang and Ken Noda, are stars in their own right.
The music includes Romantic and Impressionist-era songs by Schubert, Schumann, Debussy, Chaminade, Tchaikovsky, and Hahn. Schumann’s Spanische Liebeslieder, written for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, will feature all four singers together. Debussy’s piano four-hands work, Prélude à l’apres-midi d’un faune, will feature Huang and Noda together. This is going to be a gorgeous program, bringing glamour, deep musical connection, and incredible talent to the stage. Join our very own host and singer Meg Bragle for the pre-concert talk at 6:30pm.
Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, from $32; tickets and information.
Eric Lu, Piano — Tuesday, Matthews Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center
Eric Lu gives a solo recital of music from the Romantic period and beyond. His program includes works by Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, and Prokofiev. Lu won first prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2025 — you won’t want to miss hearing him perform Chopin here among these other masterpieces. The second half of his recital offers a bold, beautiful contrast in style — he’ll perform Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) and Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 7, one of his three wartime sonatas. Come early for the pre-show talk and a pre-show drink at 6:30pm.
Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m., Matthews Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ, $44-$86; tickets and information.
The Crossing: WIND - How to Survive — Thursday through Jan. 3, The Fabric Workshop and Museum
The Crossing, Philadelphia’s Grammy-winning chamber choir that specializes in new music, presents a world premiere, How to Survive. This is an installation project that grapples with how to survive natural disasters through four distinct works by composers Hildur Guðnadóttir, Julia Wolfe, Shara Nova, and Ayanna Woods. The installation was created by artist Suzanne Bocanegra, who was in residence at the Fabric Workshop in 2018-19. This is an immersive, multi-disciplinary project, with the music by these four fantastic composers serving as the driving force of the installation.
Nov. 19 through Jan. 3; Wednesdays–Fridays noon–6 p.m., Saturdays–Sundays noon–5 p.m.; The Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street, free admission (suggested donation $10); tickets and information.
Curtis Opera Theatre: Susannah — Thursday & Saturday, Philadelphia Film Center
Come see the talented singers of the Curtis Institute in their season opener — Susanna. The music, written by American composer Carlisle Floyd, contains hymns and folk music interspersed with more operatic numbers. This is a thought-provoking opera, written during the 1950s McCarthy era — it is a retelling of the biblical story of Susanna and the Elders that takes place in rural Tennessee. Directed by Mikhaela Mahony, this is a newly staged production. Mariana Corichi Gómez conducts; Jennifer Robinson sings Susannah; and Theo Harrah sings the preacher Olin Blitch.
Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 21 at 2 p.m., Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street, sold out, waitlist available; tickets and information.
Network for New Music: Danzas del Ecuador — Saturday, Teatro Esperanza
Network for New Music and the Esperanza Arts Center team up for this wonderful performance that centers on traditional and new music from Ecuador. Jorge Oviedo’s new work, Kawsay (Life) is a five-movement piece influenced by Ecuadorian and Andean traditions. This performance also includes a premiere by the Philadelphia-based Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. This is an evening that merges the old and the new in adventurous musical works. Guest artists include William Valencia, Gabriella Cobo and Antonio Cilio.
Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., Teatro Esperanza, Esperanza Arts Center, 4261 North 5th Street, $20, free for students and seniors; tickets and information.
Night Music: Italians in London — Sunday, Philadelphia Ethical Society
Night Music, Philadelphia’s period-instrument ensemble, takes us back to Handel’s London in the 18th century, when Italian music was becoming all the rage. The program features the composers Francesco Geminiani, Nicola Porpora and Tommaso Giordani. Soprano Paulina Francisco joins Karen Dekker on violin, Steven Zohn on flute, Heather Miller Lardin on viola da gamba, and Richard Stone on guitar for an afternoon of fashionable songs and sonatas.
Nov. 22 at 3:30 p.m., Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, $15-50, free for students; tickets and information.
