Bach Week Festival: The 45th annual celebration of music by its namesake Johann Sebastian Bach, and related works, includes instrumental and choral repertory performed by local and guest musicians, including pianist Sergei Babyan, harpsichordist Jason Moy, soprano Josefien Stoppelenburg and CSO cellist Katinka Kleijn, the latter playing Marcos Balter’s “Ensuite,” a world premiere that incorporates movements from Bach’s cello suites and new responses to that music. Richard Webster is music director and conductor. The festival runs through May 4. 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, also 3 p.m. Sunday, Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston; $10-$30; 800-838-3006, www.bachweek.org
Bella Voce: Anne Heider, artistic director emerita of the Chicago a cappella vocal ensemble, curates and conducts the 35th season finale, “Recollection.” True to the title, her program weaves together music of several centuries that has shaped the group’s history, ranging from Renaissance polyphony to works by John Tavener, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Frank Ferko and others. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Buchanan Chapel, Fourth Presbyterian Church, 26 E. Chestnut; and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 939 Hinman Ave., Evanston; $10-$70; 312-479-1096, www.bellavoce.org
Chicago Philharmonic: The orchestra under Scott Speck accompanies Visceral Dance Chicago in choreographer Nick Pupillo’s “The Dream,” a Dostoevsky-inspired ballet set to an eclectic score that includes music of Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Villa-Lobos, Jonny Greenwood and others. 3 p.m. Sunday, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; $10-$75; 312-957-0000, www.chicagophilharmonic.org
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: The distinguished film composer and conductor John Williams returns to lead selections from the soundtracks to “Star Wars,” “Jaws,” “E.T.” and other Hollywood blockbusters, sharing the podium with Richard Kaufman; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; $60-$299. Guest conductor Semyon Bychkov is back to preside over Tchaikovsky’s “Manfred” Symphony and Max Bruch’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, with the sister duo of Katia and Marielle Labeque as soloists; 8 p.m. Thursday (repeated May 4-5); $34-$221. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org
Civic Orchestra of Chicago: Ken-David Masur conducts the CSO’s pre-professional youth training ensemble in a program that includes the Suite from Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” and Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” Symphony. 8 p.m. Sunday, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; free, but tickets are required; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org
Contempo: The University of Chicago contemporary music series concludes its season with the first of two concerts that spotlight new works by doctoral candidates in composition, performed by Ensemble Dal Niente and the Kontras Quartet. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.; free; 773-702-2787, www.tickets.uchicago.edu
Alexandre Dossin: The pianist performs Liszt’s mighty Sonata in B minor, along with works by Mozart and Chopin, in a recital presented by the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the American Liszt Society. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ae.; $10-$20, www.pianofortechicago.com
Duo Yumeno: The New York-based ensemble (Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto and shamisen, and Hikaru Tamaki, cello) juxtaposes contemporary Japanese chamber works with pieces by Bach, Daron Hagen and other Western composers. 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church, 4511 N. Hermitage Ave.; $10-$20 suggested donation; 718-551-5623.
Fifth House Ensemble: The venturesome Chicago group presents “Degenerate Art,” a program of music that was censored, banned and propagandized by regimes in Germany, Russia and elsewhere. 2 p.m. Sunday, Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership, 610 S. Michigan Ave.; $8-$18; www.fifth-house.com
Fourth Coast Ensemble: The vocal chamber quartet presents the premiere of Chicago composer Wayland Rogers’ “I-Thou,” a commissioned song cycle for voices and piano about human relationships, drawing on texts by Walt Whitman, William Blake, Anne Bradstreet and others. Stage direction is by George Cederquist. 6 p.m. Thursday, Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St. (repeated May 4 in Oak Park and May 6 in Deerfield); $15-$53; www.fourthcoastensemble.com
Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Youth Orchestra: MYAC founder-president Allan Dennis conducts the 25th anniversary season spring concert. His program holds Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello (with MYAC alumni Eunice Keem and Anna Burden as soloists), Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and a commissioned work by Chicago composer James Stephenson. 4 p.m. Sunday, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; 847-926-9898, www.mya.org
Newberry Consort: Chicago’s flagship early music ensemble closes its season with “Dangerous Love” — vocal and instrumental music by Monteverdi, Rossi and other 17th century Italian composers about the perils and pitfalls of love. 8 p.m. Friday, Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton; 8 p.m. Saturday, Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago, 915 E. 60th St.; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Galvin Recital Hall, Northwestern University, 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; $5-$50; www.newberryconsort.org
Ravinia BGH Classics: The winter-spring edition of the series signs off with a concert by the wind quintet WindSync, in its area debut. 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Bennett Gordon Hall, Ravinia, Lake Cook and Green Bay roads, Highland Park; $11; 847-266-5100, www.ravinia.org
Rockford Symphony Orchestra: Music director Steven Larsen concludes the ensemble’s monthlong celebration of the Leonard Bernstein centennial with a program of Lenny’s greatest hits. Performers include the Mendelssohn Chorale and the Rockford Dance Company. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main, Rockford; www.rockfordsymphony.com
St. Charles Singers: Music director Jeffrey Hunt leads the season finale, which holds Italian composer Ildebrando Pizzetti’s rarely heard Requiem, American and British choral works, and English folk song arrangements. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 W. Division St., River Forest; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles; $10-$35; 630-513-5272, www.stcharlessingers.com
Soiree Lyrique: Philip Morehead, former head of music staff at Lyric Opera and the Ryan Opera Center, conducts soloists, orchestra and choruses in Puccini’s “Tosca.” Solange Sior is the stage director. 2 p.m. Sunday, First United Methodist Church, 216 E. Highland Ave., Elgin; $25 advance, $30 at the door; 847-622-9988, www.soireelyrique.org
John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.
Twitter @jvonrhein
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