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Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Entertainment
John Von Rhein

Chicago-area classical music recommendations

Jan. 15--'The Magic Victrola': Lyric Unlimited's third annual presentation designed to introduce youngsters 5-10 and their families to the joys of opera takes two children on a journey through famous opera scenes, courtesy of an old record player in their grandfather's attic. Members of Lyric Opera's Ryan Opera Center are featured. 3 p.m. Saturday, Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; $20-$40; 312-827-5600, lyricopera.org

Baroque Band: Artistic director Garry Clarke leads his period-instrument ensemble in Baroque program music by Farina, Uccellini, Schmeltzer and Telemann. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Augustana Lutheran Church, 5500 S. Woodlawn Ave.; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Grainger Ballroom, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $35-$39; 312-235-2368, baroqueband.org

Chicago Sinfonietta: The accent is on gifted teenage musicians when Mei-Ann Chen leads the orchestra's annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Highlights include composer Jherrard Marseille Hardeman conducting a movement from his Symphony No. 3 ("Blues"), cellist Sujari Britt playing Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto No. 1, and poets from Young Chicago Authors narrating Copland's "Lincoln Portrait." 3 p.m. Sunday, Wentz Concert Hall, North Central College, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville; and 7:30 p.m. Monday, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $16-$99; 312-236-3681, ext. 2; chicagosinfonietta.org

Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Riccardo Muti begins his winter residency with Brahms' Second Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1 ("Winter Daydreams"); pianist Yefim Bronfman is the soloist; 1:30 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday; $33-$249. Muti will continue his Scriabin cycle with the CSO premiere of the composer's Symphony No 1, paired with Prokofiev's cantata "Alexander Nevsky"; joining him are vocal soloists and the Chicago Symphony Chorus; 8 p.m. Thursday (repeated Jan. 23-24); $29-$216. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-294-3000, cso.org

Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra: Here's a new spin on Vivaldi's popular "The Four Seasons": The violin concertos will be dressed up with video projections by Chicago visual artist Ben Whitehouse. Garam Kim is the soloist, Stephen Alltop the conductor, on an all-Baroque program that includes string concertos by Bach and Vivaldi. 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook; and 3 p.m. Jan. 25, Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst; $30-$32; 800-838-3006, elmhurstsymphony.org

George Flynn: The New Music at Green Mill series celebrates the Chicago composer's birthday and the release of his new CD, "American Forms," with a program of his chamber works. 2 p.m. Sunday, Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway; $5; 773-878-5552, greenmilljazz.com

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra: Music director David Danzmayr is joined by soloist Bella Hristova for the Brahms Violin Concerto, which shares the program with Elgar's "Enigma" Variations and Gabriela Lena Frank's "Elegia Andina." 8 p.m. Saturday, Lincoln-Way North Performing Arts Center, 19900 S. Harlem Ave., Frankfort; $35-$55; 708-481-7774, ipomusic.org

Lyric Opera of Chicago -- Donizetti's 'Anna Bolena': A new production of Donizetti's bel canto masterpiece features Sondra Radvanovsky as the doomed Anne Boleyn, Jamie Barton as her rival Jane Seymour and John Relyea as Henry VIII. Patrick Summers conducts. 7:30 p.m. Friday (final performance), Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; $34-$244; 312-827-5600, lyricopera.org

MusicNOW: Resident composers Mason Bates and Anna Clyne host a program of contemporary works by Clyne, Sciarrino and others, including Jonny Greenwood's score for the film "There Will be Blood." Donato Cabrera leads members of the CSO. 7 p.m. Monday, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; $26; 312-294-3000, cso.org

NU Winter Chamber Music Festival: The 19th annual edition continues through Jan. 25. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, pianist Winston Choi will join the Lincoln String Quartet for an all-Beethoven concert. At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, the remarkable Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma joins an ensemble of CSO members in a program of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Brahms. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; $24-$26; 847-467-4000, pickstaiger.org

Six Degrees of Composers: Members perform instrumental and vocal works by Regina Harris Baiocchi, Jance Misurell-Mitchell, Patricia Morehead and others. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sherwood Community Music School at Columbia College, 1312 S. Michigan Ave.; free; colum.edu/sherwood

Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest: Music director Jay Friedman conducts the orchestra, choruses and vocal soloists in Beethoven's iconic Ninth Symphony. 4 p.m. Sunday, Chapel of Our Lord, Concordia University Chicago, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest; $25; symphonyoprf.com

jvonrhein@tribpub.com

Twitter @jvonrhein

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