San Francisco Classical Voice

Mark Simons and Friends
Guitarist Mark Simons is joined by flutist Carmen Lemoine and the other members of the San Francisco Guitar Quartet for a marvelously eclectic concert of works by J.S. Bach, Ravel, Miles Davis, Piazzolla, Towner, Rosheger, Cordoso, Garato, Ravel, Villa-Lobos, Bartók, Yocoh, Dresher, and Poulenc. Sept. 29, 8 p.m., Old First Church, San Francisco, $12-$15, (415) 474-1608, www.oldfirstconcerts.org. (L.H.)

Leon Fleischer
The Steinway Society in San Jose has pulled off an unbelievable feat: San Francisco native and piano legend Leon Fleischer opens the season on Oct. 7. After half a lifetime of playing only left-hand repertoire (a neurological affliction incapacitated his right hand when he was just 37), he has recently begun playing with both hands again — although rarely. The program contains works by Stravinsky, Schubert, Mozart, and Ravel; the exact program has not yet been announced. Oct. 7, 8 p.m.; Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Le Petit Trianon, San Jose, $20-$65, (408) 295-6500, www.steinwaythebayarea.com. (M.V.C.)

Garrick Ohlsson
Pianist Garrick Ohlsson plays music of Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt — composers he has been closely associated with throughout his career — and, interestingly, works by living American composers, Lowell Lieberman and Norman Dello Joio. Oct. 8, 3 p.m., Newman Auditorium, Santa Rosa Junior College, $25, (707) 526-2447,www.concertsgrand.com (L.H.)

Robert Silverman's Mozart
Mozart's 250th birthday is bringing out the completist in everyone, from the Salzburg Festival's opera cycle to writer Alex Ross's months-long hearing of all of his music. Locally, we are lucky enough to have the distinguished pianist Robert Silverman performing the 18 piano sonatas. This is the first of four concerts; the others are on Oct. 15, Nov. 12, and Nov 19. Oct. 8, 4 p.m., Old First Church, San Francisco, $12-$15, (415) 474-1608, www.oldfirstconcerts.com (L.H.)

Maxim Vengerov
Violinist Maxim Vengerov will be at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley with Lilya Zilberstein on piano. His consummate technique and star-size personality are sure to be on display in Mozart's Adagio in E Major (arranged by Max Rostal), K. 261; the Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2; the Prokofiev Violin Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 80; and Shostakovich's Ten Preludes from Op. 34. Oct. 8, 3 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, $36-$68, (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu/presents. (M.V.C.)

MTT and Upshaw
The San Francisco Symphony currently holds the number-one spot among Bay Area listeners with a love for innovative music making, and there are many performances to be grateful for on the fall calendar. In late September, Michael Tilson Thomas conducts and Dawn Upshaw stars in a program of Berlioz (Overture to Benvenuto Cellini) and Brahms (Symphony No. 4), plus Lukas Foss' Time Cycle. Sept. 27-30, 8 p.m., Davies Hall, San Francisco, $25-$114, (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org. (H.T.)

Symphony Silicon Valley
Emil de Cou, well known in the Bay Area and now associate conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra, guest conducts Symphony Silicon Valley in Jennifer Higdon's Concerto for Orchestra. While Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony's first-rate CD makes an excellent case for the work, Marin Alsop's Cabrillo Festival Orchestra in 2004 even better plumbed the greatness and power of Higdon's score, a piece that, as much as any other, puts 21st century symphonic music firmly on the map. Sept. 30, 8 p.m.; Oct. 1, 2:30 p.m.; California Theatre, San Jose, $36-$72, (408) 286-2600, www.symphonysiliconvalley.org. (S.M.)

Symphony for Demented Drummer and Orchestra
Imagine a psychopath trying to break down a door to strangle you — that's basically what the snare drum does to the rest of the orchestra through much of the first movement of the Symphony No. 5 by Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). One of the most underplayed great symphonists today, Nielsen is a composer not to be missed by those wanting to hear striking musical ideas brilliantly and concisely developed. Herbert Blomstedt conducts the San Francisco Symphony and accompanies Joshua Bell in Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Oct. 4-7, 8 p.m.; Oct. 8, 2 p.m.; Davies Hall, San Francisco, $25-$110, (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org. (J.D.)

Mark Morris' King Arthur
Mark Morris Dance Group, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and the UC Chamber Chorus combine for a spirited interpretation of Henry Purcell's opera King Arthur. The production was cocommissioned by the English National Opera, Cal Performances, and the New York City Opera. Jane Glover conducts; Adrianne Lobel, Isaac Mizrahi, and James F. Ingalls designed the production. Oct. 3, 5, 6, 7; 8 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, $42-$110, (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu/presents. (L.H.)

The Maybeck Trio
The beautiful Berkeley City Club, designed by famed architect Julia Morgan, has a ballroom that houses Berkeley Chamber Performances. Its first concert of the year features the Maybeck Trio — Roy Zajac, clarinet, Elaine Kreston, cello, and Jerome Kuderna, piano — in a beguiling program of works by Janácek, Zemlinsky, Debussy, and Mendelssohn. Sept. 26, 8 p.m., Berkeley City Club, $20, (510) 848-7800, www.berkeleychamberperform.org. (L.H.)

Sheldon Piano Trio
Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church, in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset District, hosts both an ongoing choral series (with San Francisco Renaissance Voices) and a chamber music series. The next chamber concert features the Sheldon Piano Trio (Karen Heather, piano; Wang Chen Long, violin; and Michael Graham, cello). They will perform the Brahms Piano Trio, Opus 101 in C Minor, and — more unusually— the Turina Piano Trio No. 1, and excerpts from Martinu’s Bergerettes. Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m., Seventh Avenue Presbyterian, San Francisco, $12-$15, (415) 664-2543, www.seventhavenuechurch.org. (L.H.)

Music of Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman's highly individual, often gorgeous, and sometimes-challenging music has received renewed attention in the last few years. There are new recordings of his works, new writings about him, as well as a few performances by the brave Flux Quartet of his six-hour String Quartet No. 2. The Mills Performing Group takes on two contrasting pieces: King of Denmark (1964), a short, graphically-noted work that gives the percussionist considerable control over instruments used, and the much-longer For Samuel Beckett (1987), one of Feldman's last works. Oct. 2, 8 p.m., Mills College Concert Hall, Oakland, $6-$12, (510) 430-2296, www.mills.edu/ (L.H.)

Basically British
Katherine Rohrer, mezzo-soprano, Rhoslyn Jones, soprano, Elizabeth Prior Runnicles, viola, and John Parr, piano, take on the eighth program in Old First Concerts' ongoing "Basically British" series. The current installment features songs by Benjamin Britten, Frank Bridge, and — oddly — one non-Brit, Johannes Brahms. Oct. 7, 8 p.m., Old First Church, San Francisco, $12-$15, (415) 474-1608, www.oldfirstconcerts.com (L.H.)

S.F. Opera's A Masked Ball
San Francisco Opera's first season under General Director David Gockley opens with Verdi's midcareer A Masked Ball (see review). Deborah Voigt stars as Amelia, with debuting tenor Marcus Haddock as the jolly King Gustav and debuting baritone Ambroglio Maestri as Amelia's fatally jealous husband, Ankarström. Marco Armiliato conducts. Sept. 26, 29, times vary, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, $25-$235, (415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com. (L.H.)

Rigoletto
Verdi's great masterpiece returns in Michael Yeargan's striking, Chirico-esque production. The vivid and moving Paolo Gavanelli shares the title role with Valeri Alexejev; Mary Dunleavy is Rigoletto's besotted daughter Gilda and Giuseppi Gripali is the Duke of Mantua. Stephen Lord conducts. Sept. 30; Oct. 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 21, 24, 29, times vary, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco; $25-245, (415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com. (L.H.)

Tristan und Isolde
Thomas Moser and Christine Brewer star as Wagner's death-haunted lovers in David Hockney's primary-colors production. Brewer, with a voice of astonishing warmth, beauty, and power, has the makings of a great Isolde. Kristinn Sigmundsson is King Marke; Jane Irwin and Boaz Daniel debut as the lovers' confidantes Brangaene and Kurwenal. Donald Runnicles conducts; he was impetuously brilliant in the 1998 run of Tristan. October 5, 10, 14, 18, 22, 27; times vary, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, $25-$245, (415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com. (L.H.)

Oakland Opera's Les Enfants Terribles
Oakland Opera Theater kicks off its season with Philip Glass' Les Enfants Terribles, based on the film by Jean Cocteau. If the group's Malcolm X of last season is any indication, it's likely to be an innovative performance. Oct. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 8 p.m.; Oct. 8, 15, 22, 2 p.m.; Oakland Metro, Oakland, $28-$36, (510) 763-1146, www.oaklandopera.org. (M.V.C.)