Previews

Promising a feast for the senses, Opera Parallèle’s Ainadamar employs flamenco devices as it depicts incidents in the life of the murdered poet Federico García Lorca.

The upcoming SFS concerts promise a stunning week in a unique chance to hear truly massive pieces of the choral-orchestral repertoire.

Styles of Baroque dance are being brought back to life by a new dance ensemble, accompanied by veteran early-music instrumentalists.

When Lynn Harrell and the Berkeley Symphony led by Music Director Joana Carneiro take on Witold Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto, they will be taking a trip to the dark side that balances, in a radical way, the vivacity of Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, also on the program.

The Bay Area is so awash in great early music players, that when San Francisco Early Music Society decided to feature more local groups on their programming, it opened itself to more diversity than probably anyone but the local HIP community knew was out there.

The Calder Quartet, which formed at the Thornton School at USC and then continued training at Colburn School in Los Angeles, has been seen frequently in the Bay Area over the past few years. 

Portland-based Capella Romana is a world-class male vocal group specializing in Greek Orthodox and Slavic church music. If that’s outside your normal sphere of activity, you have a good reason to hear this group.

You won’t want to miss Hilary Hahn, who sails into San Francisco Performances with a couple of repertory warhorses and selections from her inspirational “encores” project.

The San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, conducted by Charles Dutoit, perform Hector Berlioz’s Te Deum in colossal mode, along with the Pacific Boychoir.

Artistic Director Ashley Wheater leads the venerable Chicago-based Joffrey Ballet into Zellerbach Hall Jan. 26-27 with Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain, Edward Liang’s Age of Innocence and Kurt Jooss’ antiwar classic, The Green Table.