Weekly Ear, Mar. 19 - Mar. 25

Atlanta concert picks

FRI/20 @ 8:00pm
LESS IS MORE (MORE OR LESS)
Percussionist Stuart Gerber headlines this concert of front-edge music and performance art, featuring premieres of new percussion works by Mark Gresham and Jennifer Mitchell (also performing as DJ), electronic music by Darren Nelsen with video by Al Matthews, plus works by John Luther Adams, Alexandre Babel, Giorgio Battestelli, Frederic Rzewski, Stuart Saunders Smith and Christian Wolff. $10 at the door / $5 students with student ID. Eyedrum, 404-522-0655, www.eyedrum.org

FRI/20 @ 8:00pm
LIONHEART & VEGA STRING QUARTET
One of America's leading vocal chamber music ensembles, Lionheart joins forces with Atlanta's own Vega Quartet to perform "John the Revelator: Mass for the 21st Century" by downtown Manhattan composer Phil Kline. The program also features two premieres: Richard Prior's string quartet intimations of immortality and John Anthony Lennon's Still the Fire for saxophone, cello, and piano. $48. Emerson Hall, Schwartz Center, 404-727-5050, arts.emory.edu

SAT/21 @ 8:00pm
RADCLIFFE CHORAL SOCIETY & SPELMAN COLLEGE GLEE CLUB
Sisters in music, the 65-voice group from Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University, one of the leading collegiate women's choirs in the nation, joins forces with their musical compatriots from Atlanta's own esteemed Spelman College. FREE. 8:00 p.m., Sisters Chapel, Spelman College, 404-681-3643. www.spelman.edu

SUN/22 @ 3:00pm
ATLANTA BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
Established as the first “period instrument” orchestra in the southeast in 1997, ABO offers a program of Baroque-era music and dance, featuring baroque dancer Paige Whitely-Bauguess and guest violinist/director Julie Andrijeski. $25. Moore Chapel, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, 770-537-3974 www.atlantabaroque.org

WED/25 @ 7:30pm
ANDRÉS DÍAZ
Born in Santiago, Chile and raised in Atlanta, violoncellist Diaz won the the Naumburg International Cello Competition in 1987, subsequently earning a reputation for his intense, charismatic performances. Elizabeth Pridgen is collaborative pianist. FREE. Kopleff Recital Hall, 404-413-5901, www.music.gsu.edu

Weekly Ear, Mar. 12 - Mar. 18

Atlanta concert picks

THU/12, FRI/13 @ SAT/14 @ 8:00pm
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
His 2002 international debut at Stuttgart Opera launched his career like a rocket, now guest conductor Nicola Luisotti is now tagged to be music director of San Francisco Opera. Music by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Beethoven. $16-$73. Symphony Hall, 404-733-5000, www.atlantasymphony.org

SUN/15 @ 3:00pm
U.S. ARMY GROUND FORCES BAND
Based at Ft. McPherson, this 58-member concert band is one of the best in the armed forces. This show emulates concerts of John Philip Sousa's legendary band, playing band music popular in Sousa's day. FREE. 3:00 p.m., Ferst Center, 404-894-9600, www.ferstcenter.org

TUE/17 @ 8:15pm
UZEE BROWN, JR.
& DAVID F. OLIVER
Chairman of the Music Department at Morehouse College, baritone Brown has long been a pillar of Atlanta's African-American classical music community. Oliver is best known as organist for Morehouse's King International Chapel. FREE. First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, 770-427-0293. www.fpcmarietta.org

Weekly Ear, Mar. 5 - Mar. 11, 2009

Atlanta concert picks

THU/5, FRI/6 & SAT/7 @ 8:00pm
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CHORUS
Jennifer Higdon's “The Singing Rooms” and Alvin Singleton's “Praisemaker” are the new music highlights in a program that includes Scriabin's “Poem of Ecstasy” and Wagner's “Prelude and Liebestod.” Jennifer Koh is violin soloist, Robert Spano conducts. $16-$73. Symphony Hall, 404-733-5000, www.atlantasymphony.org

SAT/7 @ 3:00pm
NEW TRINITY BAROQUE
French Baroque music for voice, period instruments and organ, from the era of Louis XIV. Features works by François Couperin, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, and Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers. NTB is noted for their “historically informed” performances. $29-$39. St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church 404-547-5775, www.newtrinitybaroque.org

Weekly Ear, Feb. 26 - Mar. 4

Atlanta concert picks

THU/26 & SAT/28 @ 8:00pm
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CHAMBER CHORUS
Haydn's "The Creation" in a concert staging, with set design by Anne Patterson, and projection design by Adam Larsen. Vocal soloists are soprano Janice Chandler Eteme, tenor Thomas Cooley, and bass-baritone Derrick Parker. Robert Spano conducts. $16-$73. Symphony Hall, 404-733-5000, www.atlantasymphony.org

SUN/1 @ 3:00pm
JENNIFER LARMORE
Marietta native and operatic mezzo-soprano Larmore, who shared in a 2007 Grammy for “Best Opera Recording,” returns home for a recital. Larmore is noted for her insightful performances and colorful, flexible voice. $40. Bailey Center, Kennesaw State University, 770-423-6650, www.kennesaw.edu/arts/events/

SUN/1 @ 3:00pm
ATLANTA CHAMBER PLAYERS
Program features the graceful, witty “Serenade in D major” for flute, violin and viola by Ludwig van Beethoven, Francis Poulenc's francophilically flashy “Trio” for oboe, bassoon and piano, and poetically heroic “Piano Quintet” by Erich Korngold. $25. Spivey Hall, 678-466-4200. www.spiveyhall.org

TUE/3 @ 8:00pm
GUANARI QUARTET
Founded in 1964, this venerable string quartet comprised of violinists Arnold Steinhardt and John Dalley, violist Michael Tree, and cellist Peter Wiley retires at the end of this season, making this their farewell Atlanta performance. $52. Emerson Hall, Schwartz Center, 404-727-5050, arts.emory.edu

Weekly Ear, Feb. 19 - Feb. 25

Atlanta concert picks

THU/19 @ 8:00pm
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Mei-Ann Chen makes her ASO subscription series debut, conducting the first Atlanta performance of “Above Light” by Xi Wang, Mendelssohn's “Violin Concerto” featuring violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and Tchaikovsky's “Symphony No. 5.” Repeats SAT/19 at 8:00 p.m. & SUN/22 at 3:00 p.m.. $16-$73. Symphony Hall, 404-733-5000, www.atlantasymphony.org

SUN/22 @ 2:00pm
ROBERT McDUFFIE
Macon-born internationally acclaimed violinist McDuffie performs a century-note admission recital to benefit the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, which supports protection and revitalization of the state's architectural memories like Midtown's 1904 Rhodes “Castle,” where the performance will take place. $100. Rhodes Hall, 404-885-7200, www.georgiatrust.org/whatsnew/classics_at_the_castle.htm

Weekly Ear, Feb. 12 - Feb. 18

Atlanta concert picks

I know noble accents
And lucid, inescapable rhythms;
But I know, too,
That the blackbird is involved
In what I know.
        —Wallace Stevens

THU/5 @ 8:00pm
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Donald Runnicles conducts an all-Richard Strauss program featuring soprano Christine Brewer and bass-baritone Eric Owens in operatic excerpts from “Elektra,” “Salome,” “Cappricio,” and “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Repeats SAT/7. $21-$78. Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center, 404-733-5000, www.atlantasymphony.org

SAT/14 @ 8:15pm
HILLIARD ENSEMBLE
Internationally acclaimed vocal quartet (David James, Rogers Covey-Crump, Steven Harrold and Gordon Jones) performs Armenian, Roman, English, Greek, Russian scared music, ancient and modern, including works by Alexander Raskatov, James MacMillan, and Arvo Pärt. $40. Spivey Hall, 678-466-4200, www.spiveyhall.org

SUN/15 @ 3:00pm
HILARY HAHN
Grammy-winning star and American violinist Hahn performs 2 unaccompanied violin sonatas by Eugène Ysaÿe and 3 sonatas for violin and piano by Charles Ives, plus “Hungarian Dances” by Johannes Brahms, and Béla Bartók's “Romanian Folk Dances.” Valentina Lisitsa is collaborative pianist for the evening. $60. Spivey Hall, 678-466-4200, www.spiveyhall.org

SUN/15 @ 3:00pm
GSU CHORUSES AND ORCHESTRA
A concert commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of composer Joseph Haydn, featuring performance of his “Harmoniemesse” of 1802, conducted by Michael Palmer. Brahms' “Tragic Overture” opens, led by Palmer's graduate conducting assistant, Parinya Chuchurdwatansak. Despite some misinformation floating around, this concert is FREE. Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, 404-240-8212, www.prumc.org

SUN/15 @ 7:30
LYRA STRING QUARTET
Violinists Raymond Leung and Judith Cox, violist Allyson Fleck and cellist David Lloyd “tango nuevo” music by Astor Piazzolla, plus somewhat more classical fare by W.A. Mozart, Giacomo Puccini and Alexander Borodin. $18; $12 students and seniors. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 404-872-5338, www.callanwolde.org

Weekly Ear, Feb. 5 - Feb. 11

Atlanta concert picks

I know noble accents
And lucid, inescapable rhythms;
But I know, too,
That the blackbird is involved
In what I know.
        —Wallace Stevens

THU/5 @ 8:00pm
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Donald Runnicles conducts an all-Richard Strauss program featuring soprano Christine Brewer and bass-baritone Eric Owens in operatic excerpts from “Elektra,” “Salome,” “Cappricio,” and “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Repeats SAT/7. $21-$78. Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center, 404-733-5000, www.atlantasymphony.org

FRI/6 @ 8:00pm
THAMYRIS with VEGA QUARTET & HALEH ABGHARI
Two of Atlanta's great chamber ensembles and guest vocalist Abghari perform “Eight Songs for a Mad King” by Peter Maxwell Davies, plus other “mad songs” by James Macmillan, Francis Dhomont, and Steve Everett. FREE. Schwartz Center, Emory University, 404-727-5050 arts.emory.edu

SAT/7 @ 7:30pm
ENSEMBLE SIRIUS
Stuart Gerber, percussion, and Michael Fowler, Keyboards. Music by Monroe Golden, Charles Mason, Dorothy Hindman, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. FREE. Kopleff Reciotal Hall, 404-413-5901 www.music.gsu.edu

SAT/7 @ 8:00pm
EIGHTH BLACKBIRD
"Singing in the Dead of Night," an aptly named work by David Lang, Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe, with staging by Susan Marshall, interlaces movement, theater and music. The program also features “Double Sextet” by Steve Reich. $30. Bailey Performance Hall, Kennesaw State University, 770-423-6650 www.kennesaw.edu/arts