Lyric Opera — Bizet’s “Carmen”: New to Chicago is the production of this ever-popular staple director-choreographer Rob Ashford staged originally for Houston Grand Opera. The roles of the Gypsy femme fatale and her lover Don Jose will be double-cast. Russian mezzo Ekaterina Gubanova and Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja will sing the initial run of performances, under the baton of Harry Bicket. The other principal singers are Eleanora Buratto as Micaela and Christian Van Horn as Escamillo. Opens at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and runs through March 25, Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; $17-$349; 312-827-5600, www.lyricopera.org
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: The elite New York artists present string quartets by Schubert and Mendelssohn, Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 and Mozart’s Adagio for solo piano. 7:30 p.m. Monday, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; 312-334-7777, www.harristheaterchicago.org
Chelsea Chen: The organist and composer performs works of Bach, Grieg and others, plus her own “Taiwanese Suite,” in a free recital presented by the Chicago chapter of the American Guild of Organists. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Trinity Lutheran Church, 675 E. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines; 773-865-5470, www.chicagoago.com
Chicago a cappella: Principal music director John William Trotter leads a program of spirituals old and new. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston; and 4 p.m. Sunday, Rockefeller Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. (repeated Feb. 17 in Oak Park and Feb. 19 in Naperville); $30-$43, $15 for students; 773-281-7820, www.chicagoacappella.org
Chicago Philharmonic: Orchestra trumpeters Bill Denton and Robert Sullivan are the soloists in duo concertos by Antonio Vivaldi and Anthony Plog. The program under artistic director Scott Speck includes Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony. 3 p.m. Sunday, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; $26-$75; 312-957-0000, www.chicagophilharmonic.org
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Italian early music specialist, conductor and violinist Fabio Biondi leads concerts of baroque instrumental and vocal works by Corelli, Vivaldi and others, with mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux as soloist; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; $30-$218. Music director Riccardo Muti returns with a program of Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” Symphony and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4; Yefim Bronfman is the pianist; 8 p.m. Thursday (repeated Feb. 17-18); $36-$261. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org
DuPage Symphony Orchestra: Pianist Steven Lin is the soloist for an all-Russian program that includes Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Antar” Symphony. Barbara Schubert conducts. 3 p.m. Sunday, Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville; www.dupagesymphony.org
Elgin Symphony Orchestra: Saint-Saens’ colorful, majestic Symphony No. 3 (“Organ”) is the featured work on a program of Romantic works by Dukas, Respighi and others, directed by Andrew Grams. 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin; 847-888-4000, www.elginsymphony.org
Fulcrum Point New Music Project: The ensemble’s second “The Black Composer Speaks” concert and discussion series presents a wide range of music by African-American composers, including minimalism, free jazz and the world premiere of Tomeka Reid’s “Present Awareness.” Stephen Burns conducts. 5:45 p.m. Friday, Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave.; $25-$35; http://bit.do/bcs-promontory
Highland Park Strings: The ensemble’s annual benefit concert is a family affair featuring the father-son duo of Ilya Kaler, violin, and Daniel Kaler, cello, playing Brahms’ Double Concerto. Robert Hasty also will conduct works by Rossini and Beethoven. 3 p.m. Sunday, Bennett-Gordon Hall, Ravinia, Lake Cook and Green Bay roads, Highland Park; 847-831-3622, www.hpstrings.org
R. Andrew Lee: The Denver-based pianist presents a concert of the minimalist music in which he specializes, presented in partnership with the Renaissance Society. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Bond Chapel, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 58th St.; free; www.rockefeller.uchicago.edu
Lyric Opera — Bellini’s “Norma”: Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky brings another of her widely praised bel canto heroines to Chicago, portraying the title role in director Kevin Newbury’s new-to-Chicago production. Her costars are tenor Russell Thomas as Pollione and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong as Adalgisa. Riccardo Frizza conducts. Through Feb. 25, Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; $17-$349; 312-827-5600, www.lyricopera.org
North Shore Concert Band: Artistic director Mallory Thompson leads works by Percy Grainger, Glinka and others, with some of the area’s most talented student musicians as guest artists. 3 p.m. Sunday, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; $15-$20, $10 for students and children; 847-432-2263, www.northshoreband.org
PianoForte: Ilya Friedberg collaborates with the Von Quartet; 6 p.m. Friday; $20 general, $10 for students. Erin McDougal plays a Valentine’s Day concert; 8 p.m. Tuesday; $25. The Italian Cultural Institute presents Esercito Concertante and Luisa Sello; 6 p.m. Thursday; free. PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave.; www.pianofortefoundation.org
Rembrandt Chamber Musicians: Works for woodwinds and strings by Strauss, Debussy, Hindemith and Dana Wilson bring various duos to the fore. 3 p.m. Sunday, Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave.; and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17, Driehaus Museum, 40 E. Erie St.; $38, $10 for students; 872-395-1754, www.rembrandtchambermusicians.org
Shen Yun: An all-new program includes traditional and modern Chinese song, dance and acrobatics performed by some 100 lavishly costumed artists, with live orchestra. The show runs for eight performances over consecutive weekends, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; 888-997-4697, www.shenyung.com/chicago
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Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest: Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 9 makes up a special non-subscription concert under Jay Friedman’s direction. 4 p.m. Sunday, Concordia University, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest; $30; www.symphonyoprf.com
John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.
Twitter @jvonrhein
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