St. Louis classical calendar for the week of May 12, 2014

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The Bach Society of St. Louis presents Beyond All Mortal Dreams on Sunday, May 18, at 3 PM at Second Presbyterian Church, 4501 Westminster Place. “From the opening strains of Rene Clausen's Tonight Eternity Alone to the closing bars of Stephen Paulus' Pilgrim's Hymn, "heavenly" describes the entire experience. A selection of new yet accessible compositions by John Tavener, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Steven Stucky and Howard Helvey is highlighted by the premiere of a new work by Stephen Mager. Anchoring the concert is the striking and meditative ‘Mass for Double Chorus' by Swiss composer Frank Martin.” For more information: www.bachsociety.org

The Chamber Music Society of St. Louis presents Hardcore Classics 2014, featuring Dvorak's Serenade for Winds, Copland's Appalachian Spring, and Debussy's Debussy Danse Sacree et Danse Profane for Harp and Strings on Tuesday, May 13, at 7:30 PM. The concert takes place at The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. For more information: chambermusicstl.org.

The Laclede Quartet

The Chamber Players of St. Louis and the Laclede Quartet present a concert by the Laclede Quartet on Saturday, May 17, at 7 PM. The concert takes place at the Maryville University Auditorium, 650 Maryville University Drive. For more information: lacledequartet.org.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Aphrodisiacs and the Placebo Effect: The Elixir of Love. "Food and drink have long been thought to awaken dormant desires and inspire passion. Led off with remarks by guest speaker Catherine Neville of Feast Magazine, this program will explore the evolving legend of aphrodisiacs, the allure of fine food and drink, and the role that a false aphrodisiac plays in helping the hero in The Elixir of Love find happiness. Additional panelists include conductor and OTSL music director Stephen Lord, and director Jose Maria Condemi." It's part of their Spotlight on Opera, a series of four insightful dialogues exploring the ideas in each season's opera, and it takes place on Monday, May 12, at 7:30 PM at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

The St. Louis Low Brass Collective presents a trombone recital by Nitzan Harozon, Principal Trombone with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, on Tuesday, May 13, at 7:00 PM. "Pianist Peter Henderson will accompany Mr. Haroz. A native of Israel and Principal Trombone of the LA Philharmonic since 2012, Mr. Haroz previously served as Principal Trombone of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1995. He is an active recitalist, chamber musician and a frequent clinician at conferences worldwide." The concert takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: www.stllbc.org

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents Stayin' Alive: a Tribute to the Bee Gees on Saturday, May 17, at 7:30 PM. "Brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb brought disco to the forefront and became one of the best-selling music acts of all time. Join the STL Symphony and guest vocalists for an evening of disco classics, including “Stayin' Alive,” “How Deep is Your Love,” “Night Fever” and more." The concert takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Shepley Program of Music and Arts presents a concert by soprano MeeAe Cecilia Nam on Sunday, May 18, at 2 PM. " Soprano MeeAe Cecilia Nam has extensive performance experience as soloist in recitals, oratorio, sacred music, chamber and orchestral concerts, and operas in the United States, Germany, Austria and South Korea. She has gained a fine reputation for her musical interpretations with her numerous concerts in recent years." The recital takes place at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust. Admission is free. For more information: christchurchconcerts.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a classical open stage night on Monday, May 12 from 7:30 – 9 PM. “Come by yourself or bring your quartet. Sight read through a Beethoven quartet or use this as an opportunity to put the finishing touches on that Hindemith Viola Sonata you have been working on. All ages and skill levels are welcome. We have a 6' grand piano and an accompanist.” 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 How Do I Love You, a program featuring Sara Gottman, mezzo-soprano, with Jon Garrett, piano on Tuesday, May 13, at 7:30 PM. "Sara Gottman, a southern Illinois native and frequent performer in the St. Louis area, received her BM in vocal performance from Millikin University before returning home and receiving her MM in vocal performance from Washington University. She has worked professionally with a number of local companies including Winter Opera St. Louis (in roles including Dryad in Ariadne auf Naxos, Flora in La Traviata, and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana - which she reprised at the Southern Illinois Music Festival) and in the chorus of Union Avenue Opera productions such as Il Trovatore, La fille du régiment, Pikovaya Dama, and Madama Butterfly." 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 Kenneth Kulosa, cello, performing the Bach Cello Suites 1, 3 and 5 on Wednesday, May 14, at 7:30 PM. 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 Illumine Ensemble in a program of music by Mozart, Bright Sheng, Zoltan Kodaly, Jenni Brandon, and Jean Francaix on Saturday, May 17, at 5 PM. “The Illumine Ensemble collaborates with the Missouri History Museum illustrating St. Louis's rich history through five themes: River, Spirit, Community, Conflict, and Spectacle. They explore each of the five concepts via chamber music from 1764 to the present day incorporating images and tales from the Museum's 250 in 250 exhibit. Celebrate the city's birth on the Mississippi, experience the excitement of the Jazz Age, hear songs of the many peoples who have called St. Louis home, and dig deeper into our past in this multifaceted performance.” 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 Jay Chacon, baritone, with Jon Garrett, piano and special guest Rebecca Hatlelid, mezzo-soprano on Saturday, May 17, at 8 PM. " Jay and Jon are at the Tavern again presenting the music of American composer, Jake Heggie. They will be performing arias and scenes from his operas of Dead Man Walking, Moby Dick, and For A Look Or A Touch, as well as his song cycle for baritone, A Question Of Light. *ADVISORY* dramatic material. Graphic references of murder, rape, and Holocaust life." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com

Third Baptist Church presents an organ concert by Christiano Rizzotto ( of Rio de Janiero, Brazil), Director of Music and Organist, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Duncan, OK on Friday, May 16, at 12:30 PM as part of its free Friday Pipes series. "Join us on Fridays at Third Baptist Church for Friday Pipes, the free organ recital series celebrating the restoration of the church's 72-rank Kilgen/Möller pipe organ. Each week a different performer will be presenting a program of classical, church, and theatre organ music in the beautiful sanctuary of Third Baptist. This season's performers come from across the USA, and even from around the world. Free parking is available in the church lots on Washington Avenue." Third Baptist Church is at 620 N Grand. For more information: www.third-baptist.org

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of February 17, 2014

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The Chamber Players of St. Louis and the Laclede Quartet presents a concert of Russian classics by the Laclede Quartet on Sunday, February 23, at 2:30 PM. The concert takes place at the Maryville University Auditorium, 650 Maryville University Drive. For more information: www.lacledequartet.org.

The New Music Circle presents Joshua Abram's New Information Society on Saturday, February 22, at 7:30 PM. "Bassist, composer, and collaborator Joshua Abrams has been an essential voice of Chicago’s vibrant music scene for the past fifteen years, playing and recording as leader and sideman in a wide range of projects and spanning all genres (Hamid Drake, Tortoise, Tony Conrad, Sam Prekop, Jandek, Craig Taborn, Bill Dixon, Kevin Drumm, Bonny “Prince” Billy). Abrams’s most recent project, Natural Information, represents yet another fascinating entry in his composing oeuvre, gathering aesthetic input from all over the globe and melding these influences into his own vivid personal statements. At the heart of Abrams’s sound here is the guimbri, a three-stringed animal hide bass, traditionally used by the Gnawa of North Africa in healing ceremonies. Combining quintet formats with adroit use of sampling techniques, Abrams creates intricate psychedelic environments that join the hypnotic character of Gnawa guimbri music with more contemporary musics and methodologies." The performance takes place at Joe's Café, 6014 Kingsbury. For more information: newmusiccircle.org

St. Louis Cathedral Concerts presents an Organ and Brass Spectacular on Sunday, February 23, at 2:30 PM at the cathedral at 4431 Lindell. “Experience the sonic splendor of Brass and Organ in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. The 7,621 pipes of the Great Cathedral Organ, played by Cathedral Organist Gereon Krahforst, will be joined by Roger Kaza and a quintet of St. Louis Symphony Brass players in this special performance of brass and organ music, written to be performed in a space such at the Cathedral Basilica.” For more information: www.cathedralconcerts.org

The St. Louis Chamber Chorus presents Concert Three: The Ancients Speak - Latin. “We mark the centenary of both our venue and the great British composer, Benjamin Britten, with the St. Louis premiere of his complete cantata, A Boy Was Born. Other early English lyrics inspire seasonal songs by Gustav Holst, Trond Kverno, and Francis Pott, who contributes a brand new carol for this occasion.” The concert takes place on Sunday, February 23, at 3 PM at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: www.chamberchorus.org

The St. Louis Classical Guitar Society presents William Kanengiser in concert on Saturday, February 22, at 8 PM. " Last here as a founding member and first guitar of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet in 2010, it’s been ten years since we’ve heard this most-popular American artist perform in solo recital! Recognized as one of America’s finest classical guitarists, William Kanengiser won First Prize in the 1987 Concert Artists Guild International Competition as well as major guitar competitions in Toronto (1981) and Paris (1983)." The performance takes place at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road. For more information: www.guitarstlouis.net

Bernard Labadie

Bernard Labadie conducts The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with soloists Philip Ross (oboe), Andrew Gott (bassoon), Kristin Ahlstrom (violin), and Melissa Brooks (cello) in a program of music by Rameau, Haydn, and Mozart. Performances take place on Friday at 10:30 AM, Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, February 21-23, at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand. “Balancing elegance and moments of great power, Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 is full of charming humor. The beloved work completes a program celebrating the 250th birthday of St. Louis by showcasing talented STL Symphony musicians performing Haydn’s delightful Sinfonia concertante, as well as works by Rameau and Haydn composed in the same year as the founding of St. Louis, 1764.”  For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents a free concert on Tuesday, February 178h, beginning at 7 PM at the Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park. “The STL Symphony celebrates more than 15 years performing for audiences in the beautiful Piper Palm House inside Tower Grove Park. Each of these popular concerts is followed by a complimentary wine tasting reception. Doors open at 6:30pm and all concerts begin at 7pm. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.” For more information: www.stlsymphony.org/symphony_neighborhood

The St. Louis Symphony’s Young Friends of the Symphony presents Sips and Symphonies on Thursday, February 20, at 7:30 PM. “What is Sips and Symphonies? It is a great way to learn about music in a fun, casual environment. On the third Thursday of each month, we get together at Tavern of Fine Arts to listen to and discuss a piece of music being performed at an upcoming concert at Powell Hall. We will have a different guest moderator each month who will help lead an informal conversation about the music.” A special cocktail is created for each event to accompany the music. The event takes place at The Tavern of Fine Arts, 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.  For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Patrick Rafferty, guitar; Laura Ross, oboe; and Erika Beasley, soprano in concert on Friday, February 21, at 8:00 PM. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Julie Heck

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents pianist Julie Heck in concert on Saturday, February 22, at 8:00 PM. "Join us for an exciting musical martini of classical, jazz, pop, and original compositions mixed together by pianist Julie J. Heck. Julie Heck is a performing artist, accompanist, and private instructor. She holds a BA in Music Business with a concentration in collaborative piano from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She was the recipient of several scholarships in college, including the Jack Stephen Gramlich Scholarship, the highest award granted in the music department, and graduated with top honors." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.