The Silicon Valley Music Festival, now in its third season, has acquired some desirable accoutrements: an attractive program book and a set of venues concentrated in downtown San Jose.

The Symphony Silicon Valley offers a Brahms inspired concert with guest conductor Karen Kamensek and guest pianist Jon Nakamatsu.

As old as its town, the Fremont Symphony continues to surprise and delight, this time harking back to its roots and then displaying youthful local talent.

The superb Vienna Philharmonic, with substitute conductor Andris Nelsons, outdoes itself with Mozart, Bruckner and Josef Strauss, even in the acoustically deficient Zellerbach Hall.

In a double program the Takács Quartet took on all six string quartets by Béla Bartók, a canon in modern music that couldn't be more intimidating, gnarly, and downright difficult.

For a 40th-anniversary concert the players of the Kronos Quartet took the opportunity to look back at some of the contemporary trends the group has fostered over the years.

Raising bright seasonal sounds, S.F. Choral Artists team with The Whole Noyse for a superb concert of Renaissance-era Italian music plus two premieres.

The Danish String Quartet, despite a dark and foreboding program, creates a mood of holy light with its brilliant performance.