Lyric Opera – Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers”: This colorful French Romantic favorite is back at Lyric, this time around with Matthew Polenzani (as Nadir) and Mariusz Kwiecien (Zurga) joining for the famous tenor-baritone duet, and soprano Marina Rebeka as Leila, the priestess they both love. Andrew Davis conducts, with Andrew Sinclair directing a new-to-Chicago production. Opens at 2 p.m. Sunday and runs to Dec. 10, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; $34-$279; 312-827-5600, www.lyricopera.org
Amarcord: The German vocal ensemble recognizes the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with works by Martin Luther, Johann Walter, J.S. Bach and others. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave.; $30-$38, $20 for under 35, $10 for students; 773-702-2787, www.tickets.uchicago.edu
Bella Voce: The period ensemble Callipygian Players joins director Andrew Lewis, soloists and his vocal chamber ensemble for their annual performances of Handel’s beloved oratorio “Messiah.” 7 p.m. Saturday, Buchanan Chapel, Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut; and 7 p.m. Sunday, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 939 Hinman Ave., Evanston; $45-$70, $10 for students; 877-755-6277, www.bellavoce.org
Camerata Chicago: The group’s newly formed choir joins the orchestra to perform three baroque choral masterpieces: J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s “Zadok the Priest.” Drostan Hall directs. 7:30 p.m. Friday, College Church, 332 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton; $50, $30 for seniors, $10 for students; www.cameratachicago.org
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Cantate Chicago: The chorus under Benjamin Rivera celebrates its 20th anniversary with a free program of psalm settings by American composers, including Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” and other works by Copland, Rorem, Thompson and others. 8 p.m. Saturday, Church of the Ascension, 1133 N. La Salle St.; donations welcome; www.cantatechicago.org
Chicago Chorale: “O Magnum Mysterium” explores inward-looking choral works from several centuries by Faure, Mahler, Lauridsen, Paulus and others. Bruce Tammen directs. 8 p.m. Friday, Hyde Park Union Church, 5600 S. Woodlawn Ave.; and 8 p.m. Saturday, St. Vincent DePaul Parish, 1010 W. Webster Ave.; $35, $25 for seniors, $15 for students; 773-306-6195, www.chicagochorale.org
Chicago Ensemble: The chamber group begins its 41st season with violin-piano sonatas by Mozart and Poulenc, and vocal duets by Pergolesi, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. 3 p.m. Sunday, International House, University of Chicago, 1414 E. 59th St.; and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Fourth Presbyterian Church (new chapel), 126 E. Chestnut; $30; 773-558-3448, www.thechicagoensemble.org
Chicago Fringe Opera: The group presents the local premiere of Laura Kaminsky’s “As One,” depicting the experiences of a transgender protagonist as she tries to resolve the discord between herself and the outside world. Closes Sunday, Hoover-Leppen Theater, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St.; www.chicagofringeopera.com
Chicago Latino Music Festival: The 12th annual event concludes with the Axiom Brass Ensemble exploring the relationship between Brazilian music and Brazilian modern art. 2 p.m. Sunday, Fullerton Hall, Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave; free with paid admission; http://latinoculturalcenter.org
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Riccardo Muti conducts Richard Strauss’ “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” Suite and the Brahms First Piano Concerto, with Kirill Gerstein as soloist; 1:30 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; $34-$221; Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras: Music director Allen Tinkham conducts the organization’s fall concert, which holds Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 along with works by Benjamin Britten, Joan Tower, Lili Boulanger and Kareem Roustom. Jack Boettcher is the cello soloist. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $20-$60, children free; 312-939-2207, ext. 310; www.cyso.org
Lucas Debargue: The young French virtuoso, who enraptured Russian music critics at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow in 2015 though he took only fourth place, makes his Chicago recital debut with a program of Two Schubert sonatas (D. 784 and D. 664) and Karol Szymanowski’s Sonata No. 2. 3 p.m. Sunday, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $21-$83; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra: Music director Stilian Kirov honors a fellow Bulgarian artist, Pancho Vladigerov, with the latter’s symphonic work “Improvisation and Toccata.” The rest of the program holds Aaron Copland’s Symphony for Organ and Orchestra (David Schrader, soloist) and Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Ozinga Chapel, Trinity Christian College, 6601 W. College Drive, Palos Heights; 708-481-7774, www.ipomusic.org
Lincoln-Way Area Chorale: Gregory L. Day leads the chorus in its annual program of best-loved holiday favorites, including classical works by Bach, Mozart and Victoria and beloved Christmas songs and carols. 3 p.m. Sunday, Lincoln-Way East High School Auditorium, 201 E. Colorado Ave., Frankfort; $17, $15 for seniors and students; 708-479-1863, 815-469-1010; www.lwac.com
Lyric Opera – Wagner’s “Die Walkure”: “The Valkyrie,” chapter two of Lyric’s new David Pountney “Ring” cycle, features Andrew Davis conducting and a cast of top-tier Wagnerian singers headed by Christine Goerke as Brunnhilde and Eric Owens as Wotan. With Elisabet Strid as Sieglinde, Brandon Jovanovich as Siegmund, Tanja Ariane Baumgartner as Fricka and Ain Anger as Hunding. Through Nov. 30, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; $34-$279; 312-827-5600, www.lyricopera.org
Music of the Baroque: Nicholas Kraemer conducts the MOB Orchestra in double concertos by Bach, Telemann and Vivaldi, along with Beethoven’s Second Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; and 7:30 p.m. Monday, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph; 312-551-1414, www.baroque.org
North Shore Choral Society: Julia Davids leads the chorus in its 82nd season opener, a program of music of the Americas by Corigliano, Villa-Lobos, Sarah Quartel and others. 3 p.m. Sunday, St. John Brebeuf Church, 8307 N. Harlem Ave., Niles; www.northshorechoral.org
Oak Park Concert Chorale: The chorus, with Paul Lindblad directing, celebrates the mystery of Christmas with Renaissance polyphony by Byrd and Victoria, several world premieres and works by local composers, including resident composer Michael Wolniakowski’s “O Magnum Mysterium.” 4 p.m. Sunday, St. John Lutheran Church, 305 Circle Ave., Forest Park (repeated 4 p.m. Dec. 3, St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1025 W. Lake St., Melrose Park); $18-$20, $10-$12 for seniors and students, free for children; 708-848-2130, www.oakparkconcertchorale.org
PianoForte: Einav Yarden plays a piano recital; 7 p.m. Friday. The Amosa Piano Duo performs; 7 p.m. Saturday. Cervantes Institute Chicago presents a Joaquin Rodrigo anniversary concert of works for guitar, piano and voice; 7 p.m. Wednesday. PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave.; www.pianofortechicago.com
Ravinia BGH Classics: Violinist Angelo Xiang Yu, a past participant in Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, returns to perform all three Brahms violin sonatas, accompanied by pianist Andrew Hsu. 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Bennett Gordon Hall, Ravinia, Green Bay and Lake Cook roads, Highland Park; $12; 847-266-5100, www.ravinia.org
6Degrees Composers: The Lincoln Trio and vocalist Dee Alexander are among the musicians performing new music by Regina Harris Baiocchi, Kyong Mee Choi, Janice Misurell-Mitchell and Patricia Morehead. 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Ganz Hall, Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave.; free; 773-510-5448.
South Asian Classical Music Society: The annual “Hemant in the Park” concert holds Indian classical vocal and instrumental music. 2 p.m. Sunday, Indian Boundary Park Cultural Center, 2500 W. Lunt Ave.; free, donations accepted; https://southasia.uchicago.edu
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Spektral Quartet: Chicago’s most out-there string foursome takes its Dovetail Series outreach program in a new direction with a program of classical chamber works and a solo set by Rebuild Foundation artist-in-residence Mikel Patrick Avery. The jazz drummer’s solo set, works by Brahms and Samuel Adams, and a collaborative improvisation are all designed to exploit the unique acoustical resonance of the performance space. 7 p.m. Friday, Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave.; free; www.spektralquartet.com
John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.
Twitter @jvonrhein