Previews

This week the extremely cool Anne Sofie von Otter visits the San Francisco Symphony to perform songs by Grieg and Sibelius. Sibelius' songs are achingly Romantic and deserve to be better known, but the concert promises more than that.

The upcoming Philharmonia Baroque concerts unexpectedly celebrate the friendship of two singers.

Spell checkers go a bit crazy when anyone writes about the Pacifica Quartet. With names like Simin Ganatra, Masumi Per Rostad, Brandon Vamos, and Sibbi Bernhardsson, there’s lots of double-checking to get the names right. Even so, they admit that people still mix up their names.

The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra’s free family concerts are still the best experience around for families with young kids and babes in arms. There is no pressure to sit still, and there’s plenty of engaging visual and aural stimulation for all!

The Israel Philharmonic is in town at the end of this weekend — there's a lot to admire in this orchestra, and it's conductor, Zubin Mehta, has had a stellar, four-decade career.

Are the American Bach Soloists going to watch the nuptials of Kate and William? The group seems like it's preparing for it this weekend, when they'll perform some of the largest and most sumptuous choral works of the late Baroque in “Music for the Royal Women of Britannia.”

This time of year, there are more great pianists trekking through the Bay Area than are easy to keep straight in your mind. One recital that should be on your radar this weekend is Jenny Lin's appearance at San Francisco Performances.

It's that time: early in the year SFCV advised our readers that the Ensemble Parallèle performance of Philip Glass' Orphée was going to be a highlight of the year. That is still true.

Sexual fixation is par for the course in the operatic universe. Yet, Berkeley West Edge Opera's upcoming production promises a new twist and intriguing insight into the characters.

Don't miss Rafal Blechacz's recital for Chamber Music San Francisco, if you like good pianism. Winner of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Blechacz is playing two of Chopin's Ballades here, but also Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse. Since his last visit, in 2008, he's won three more awards, recorded three albums for DG, and wowed audiences in major venues, receiving rave reviews. He's major.