April 30--Apollo Chorus of Chicago: Stephen Alltop directs the season finale, a global potpourri ranging from contemporary pieces by Arvo Part, James MacMillan and Eric Whitacre, to American folksongs and gospel music. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut St.; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst; $18-$80; 312-427-5620, apollochorus.org
Bach Week Festival: Music director Richard Webster leads the final two concerts of the 42nd annual festival. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bach's "Brandenburg" Concerto No. 1 will share the bill with the "Coffee" Cantata. At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the Fourth and Sixth "Brandenburgs" will be heard alongside Bach's Mass in F and Cello Suite No. 6, with Katinka Kleijn as soloist. Anderson Chapel, North Park University, 5149 N. Spaulding Ave.; $30, $20 seniors, $10 students; 800-838-3006, bachweek.org
Benjamin Bagby's "Beowulf": The medievalist and harpist brings his historically informed take on the ancient saga to the Howard Mayer Brown International Early Music Series. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Logan Center for the Arts, Performance Hall, University of Chicago, 915 E. 60th St.; $35; 773-702-2787, chicagopresents.uchicago.edu
Chicago Ensemble: Vocal works by Monteverdi, Purcell, Bach, Mendelssohn and Schumann share the wide-ranging program with a Mozart violin sonata and music of Shostakovich and Bloch. 6:30 p.m. Sunday, International House, University of Chicago, 1414 E. 59th St.; and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut St.; $25; 773-558-3448, thechicagoensemble.org
Chicago Opera Theater: The beloved American mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade scores a moving tour de force in the local premiere of "A Coffin in Egypt," a chamber opera written for her by composer Ricky Ian Gordon. Emanuele Andrizzi conducts, librettist Leonard Foglia directs. Through Sunday, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; $35-$125; 312-704-8414, chicagooperatheater.org
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Early music specialist Harry Bicket leads works by J.S. Bach, Rameau and Poulenc, with Mahan Esfahani (replacing Kristian Bezuidenhout) as harpsichord soloist; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; $33-$216. In the first program of the CSO's "Reveries and Passions" Festival of French music, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen pairs Debussy's early cantata, "La damoiselle elue," with two Ravel pieces inspired by children: "Mother Goose" Suite and the opera "L'enfant et les sortileges"; 8 p.m. Thursday (repeated May 8-15); $29-$216. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-294-3000, cso.org
Civic Orchestra of Chicago: Baritone Bill McMurray joins guest conductor Julian Kuerti and the youth training orchestra for a program of Gershwin, Copland and Dvorak's "New World" Symphony. 3 p.m. Sunday, South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive; free; 12-294-3000, cso.org
Dempster St. Pro Musica: The Evanston-based chamber ensemble concludes its season with works by British composers -- Walton, Britten, Vaughan Williams and an Elizabethan medley. 2 p.m. Sunday, SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston; $35; 847-905-0875, dempstermusica.org
Elgin Symphony Orchestra: The ensemble's season finale holds Mahler's rarely heard "Totenfeier" ("Funeral Rite") and Beethoven's iconic Symphony No. 9, presented in Mahler's arrangement. Andrew Grams leads the orchestra, soloists, Elgin Master Chorale and Heartland Voices. 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin; $25 and up; 847-888-4000, elginsymphony.org
Ensemble Dal Niente: The new music virtuosos conclude their Chicago season with recent works for contrabass clarinet by Malin Bang, Richard Barrett, Aaron Einbond and others. 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Constellation, Chicago 3111 N. Western Ave; $15, $10 students; constellation-chicago.com
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra: The high-energy YouTube phenomenon Project Trio joins music director David Danzmayr and the orchestra for a program that holds Brahms' Symphony No. 3. 8 p.m. Saturday, Lincoln-Way North Performing Arts Center, 19900 S. Harlem Ave., Frankfort; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Rialto Square Theatre, 102 Van Buren St., Joliet; $35 and up; 708-481-7774, ipomusic.org; 815-726-6600, rialtosquare.com
Lincoln Trio: The Chicago group performs works for piano trio by Haydn and Jennifer Higdon. 3 p.m. Sunday, Gottlieb Hall, Merit School of Music, 38 S. Peoria St.; $10; 312-786-9428, tinyurl.com/lincolntrio0515
Lira Singers: Cinco de Mayo and Polish Constitution Day are celebrated with a concert of Mexican and Polish music. 4 p.m. Sunday, St. Ferdinand Church, 5900 W. Barry St.; free; liraensemble.org
Northbrook Symphony Orchestra: Music director Lawrence Rapchak concludes the season with a program of German and French works, including a selection of Richard Strauss' orchestral songs and Vincent d'Indy's "Istar" Symphonic Variations. Kaori Williams is the soprano soloist. 4 p.m. Sunday, Sheely Center for the Performing Arts, Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Road, Northbrook; $8-$45; 847-272-0755, northbrooksymphony.org
Rockefeller Chapel Choir and The Decani: James Kallembach leads soloists, choruses and a period-instrument orchestra in Bach's sublime Mass in B minor. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Rockefeller Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave.; and 3 p.m. Sunday, St. Josaphat Catholic Parish, 2311 N. Southport Ave.; $20 online, students free; 773-702-2100, rockefeller.uchicago.edu
Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest: Jay Friedman conducts the season finale, an all-Dvorak program that holds the Symphony No. 7 and the Piano Concerto in G minor, with David Leehey as soloist. 4 p.m. Sunday, Lund Ausitorium, Dominican University, 7900 W. Division St., River Forest; $28; 708-488-5000, symphonyoprf.com
Cedric Tiberghien: The French pianist makes his Orchestra Hall debut with an all-Gallic program highlighted by selected Debussy preludes and etudes, and Ravel's "Gaspard de la nuit." 3 p.m. Sunday, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $21-$79; 312-294-3000, cso.org
Ying Quartet: The Eastman School's quartet-in-residence returns to its home area for a program of Haydn, Beethoven and Stravinsky. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston; $30, $20 seniors, $10 students; 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com/event/851979
jvonrhein@tribpub.com
