St. Louis classical calendar for the week of January 27, 2014

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David Halen

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents the fourth in a series of Beethoven Festival concerts, as Jaap van Zweden conducts the orchestra in Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 along with Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5.  Performances take place on Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, January 31 – February 2, at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand.  "In the final week of the Beethoven festival Jaap Van Zweden leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s beloved Symphony No. 5. The first four opening notes are classical music’s most popular ever played and are heard throughout pop culture today in disco, rock n’ roll and film soundtracks. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, with an equally captivating opening sequence, rounds out this powerhouse program." For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents David Halen and members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in Greatest Hits of 1764 on Wednesday, January 29, at 8 PM.  The program features Mozart's Symphony No. 1, written when the composer was eight years old.  "Our small chamber orchestra of Symphony musicians also performs a new first symphony by a young composer, as well as the music of Jean-Philippe Rameau, Johann Christian Bach and Franz Josef Haydn."  The Sheldon is at 3648 Washington in Grand Center.  For more information: thesheldon.org.

Graham Woodland

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents violinist Graham Woodland, accompanied by pianist Vera Parkin, in a concert of music by Locatelli, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven on Thursday, January 30 at 5:30 PM.  "Graham Woodland is currently a junior at the University of Missouri, where he is pursuing a degree in Violin Performance studying under Eva Szekely. At MU, he has served as concertmaster of the MU Philharmonic Orchestra and is heavily involved in chamber music activities. He is a regular member of the Columbia Civic Orchestra, and also frequently performs with the Quincy Symphony Orchestra, in Illinois."  The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.  For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents the Perseid Quartet in a concert of music by Beethoven and Grieg on Friday, January 31 at 8:00 PM.  "The evening begins with Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 18 No. 4, an early example of Beethoven's mastery of form and Classical style, with an energetic last movement inspired by Hungarian dances. For the second half, we journey north for Edward Grieg's epic String Quartet in G minor. This less familiar work is influenced by the folk music Grieg encountered in his native Norway, and the unorthodox harmonies and resonant chordal writing take their cue from Norwegian fiddle, peasant dances, and folk song. Insistent rhythmic figures reach their apex in a thrilling presto conclusion."  The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.  For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Denise Elif Gill

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Denise Elif Gill in a concert of Turkish classical music for kanun (Middle Eastern trapezoidal zither) on Saturday, February 1 at 8:00 PM.  "Denise Elif Gill is a kanun player who has lived a portion of her life in Istanbul, studying music with acclaimed musicians Necati Çelik, Halil Karaduman, and Celaleddin Aksoy. She is a specialist in the improvisation practices and repertoire of Turkish classical music, a genre of music developed in courts of the Ottoman Empire (1453-1923) and Mevlevi Sufi institutions. Dr. Gill has performed kanun on radio and television programs and concert halls in Turkey, the United States, and for the European Union in Brussels."  The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.  For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.