Christmas Concerts Galore in This Week's Classical Music Calendar

Here are our top classical music recommendations for this weekend, culled from our master concert listings calendar. Especially in the leadup to Christmas, there are many other worthwhile performances to support in Northeast Ohio, many of them free and close to where you live. Have a look at our two-week concert listings here.

On Friday at 6 pm,the Cleveland Museum of Art presents Chamber Music in the Atrium: A Musical Prelude for the Holidays featuring M.U.S.i.C. — Stars in the Classics in a selection of vocal works, piano duets, and other musical delights celebrating the season, including excerpts from The Nutcracker performed by Ohio Contemporary Ballet.

And on Friday at 7 pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron, Jeannette Sorrell leads Apollo’s Fire in Michael Praetorius’ elaborate Christmas Vespers, featuring antiphonal choirs, trumpets, sackbuts, cornettos, lutes, harp, strings and recorders. Singers include sopranos Rebecca Myers, Andréa Walker and Molly Netter, countertenor Doug Dodson, tenors Michael Jones & Matthew Newhouse, baritone Matthew Dexter, and Apollo’s Singers and Apollo’s Musettes (Treble Youth Choir). This late Renaissance extravaganza will be repeated four times next week.

The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus plus guest choirs will present thirteen Holiday Concerts with guest conductor Sarah Hicks in Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center during the month of December, beginning on Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30, and continuing on Sunday at 2:30 and 7:30.

And if you’re interested in singing Handel’s Messiah rather than just listening to that famous oratorio, the Oberlin Conservatory invites you to join conductor Peter Slowik in a Messiah Sing-along featuring soloists and orchestra from the Conservatory and Credo Music in Finney Chapel on Sunday at 7:30. Rent a score for $5,

For details of these and other classical events, visit the ClevelandClassical.com Concert Listings.

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