Bella Voce: Who knew that Brahms “A German Requiem” exists in an alternative version for chamber chorus, bass soloist and piano four hands? That’s how the masterpiece was first heard, in English, in London in 1871. Andrew Lewis will lead the choir, bass soloist David Govertsen and pianists David Schrader and Stephen Uhl. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut St.; and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 939 Hinman Ave., Evanston; $35-$45, $20 for students; 877-755-6277, www.bellavoce.org
Atar Trio: The Israeli chamber ensemble plays Bloch’s Three Nocturnes, Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2, a suite from Bernstein’s “West Side Story” and other works. 2 p.m. Sunday, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, 610 S. Michigan Ave.; $18, $8 for students; 312-322-1773, www.spertus.edu
Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra: Broadway star Bernadette Peters joins conductor Keith Lockhart and the famed Pops for a program that mixes Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris” with Broadway hits and American classics sung by Peters. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway; $35-$146; 312-341-2300; www.auditoriumtheatre.org
Chicago Chamber Choir: Choral music by Eric Whitacre, Aaron Copland, William Billings and others makes up the group’s spring concert, “Songs of Mirth and Merriment.” Amy Keipert directs. 8 p.m. Friday, Unity Lutheran Church, 1212 W. Balmoral Ave.; and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1509 Ridge Ave., Evanston; 773-920-7464.
Chicago Chamber Musicians: The durable instrumental group will present Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet (with CSO principal clarinet Stephen Williamson) and Mendelssohn’s Octet (with the Formosa Quartet). 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Galvin Recital Hall, Northwestern University, 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; $40; 847-521-8506.
Chicago Ensemble: The chamber group under pianist Gerald Rizzer’s direction plays works for woodwinds and piano by 20th century French and English composers. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut St.; and 3 p.m. April 9, International House, University of Chicago, 1414 E. 59th St.; $25, $10 for students; 773-558-3448, www.thechicagoensemble.org
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: James Conlon (replacing the indisposed Bernard Haitink) returns to the subscription series to lead Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony and Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde,” with vocal soloists Sarah Connolly and Stephen Gould; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; $34-$222. Charles Dutoit begins a two-week podium engagement with the U.S. premiere of Stravinsky’s early, long-lost “Chant Funebre,” Dvorak’s Cello Concerto and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony; cellist Truls Mork is the soloist; 8 p.m. Thursday (repeated April 7-11); $34-$222. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org
Civic Orchestra of Chicago: Erina Yashima, the CSO Association’s current Georg Solti Conducting Apprentice, directs the pre-professional training orchestra in Mozart’s Symphony No. 34 and Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.” 8 p.m. Wednesday, Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; free, but tickets are required; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org
Elgin Symphony Orchestra: Pianist Natasha Paremski will tackle Rachmaninov’s mammoth Piano Concerto No. 3 on a program that also holds Brahms’ Symphony No. 4. Music director Andrew Grams conducts. He also will discuss the Brahms work in an “Inside the Music” program at 8 p.m. Friday. Concerts are 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Hemmens Cultural Center, 50 Symphony Way, Elgin; $30 and up, $12 for students; 847-888-4000, www.elginsymphony.org
Lake Forest Symphony: Music director Vladimir Kulenovic will conduct music for strings — Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis,” Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. Pianist Ilya Yakushev is the soloist. 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, College of Lake County, 19351 W. Washington St, Grayslake; $17-$61; 847-295-2135, www.lakeforestsymphony.org
MusicNOW: Cliff Colnot leads CSO musicians in a tribute to the late Pierre Boulez that will include his “Derive I” and “Memoriale,” along with the world premieres of commissioned works by Marcos Balter and Pauline Oliveros. 7 p.m. Monday, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; $27; 312-294-3000, www.cso.org
Oak Park Concert Chorale: Paul Lindblad leads a spring concert that includes Renaissance music from England, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, and the world premiere of resident composer Michael Wolniakowski’s “Four Mother Goose Rhymes.” 4 p.m. Sunday, Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St., River Forest; $18-$20, $10-$12 for seniors and students; 708-848-2130, www.oakparkconcertchorale.org
Park Ridge Civic Orchestra: Bill McGlaughlin, host of WFMT Radio’s syndicated “Exploring Music,” will make his first Chicago conducting appearance in 39 years when he leads the group’s season finale. His program holds works in variations form — the Brahms Haydn Variations, Rachmaninov’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” and Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations. 2 p.m. Sunday, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; 847-673-6300, www.parkridgecivicorchestra.org
Norman Pellegrini tribute concert: The annual celebration of the late WFMT program director and radio host will include vocal and instrumental selections by Brahms, Verdi, Stephen Sondheim and others. Singers are Kimberly McCord, Marcie Tilkin, Erich Buchholz and Alex Honzen, with Donald Knight at the piano. 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St.; free; 312-943-9090.
Ravinia $10 BGH Classics Series: Musicians from Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute perform. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Bennett Gordon Hall, Ravinia, Green Bay and Lake Cook roads, Highland Park; $10; 847-266-5100, www.ravinia.org
Rembrandt Chamber Musicians: The ensemble continues its 27th season with Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, Brahms’ Trio in A minor and Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet. The CSO’s Lawrence Neuman is guest violist. 3 p.m. Sunday, Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston; and 7:30 p.m. Monday, St. James Cathedral, 65 E. Huron St.; $38, $10 for students; 872-395-1754, www.rembrandtchambermusicians.org
Rising Stars in Concert: Ensemble members of the Ryan Opera Center perform operatic selections accompanied by members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra under Timothy Myers. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive. No tickets will be sold at the door. Donors of $75 or more receive two complimentary tickets; members of the public wishing to attend may do likewise; subscribers may use a promo code to attend at no charge; 312-827-5600, www.lyricopera.org
Roomful of Teeth: In its Chicago debut, the vocal ensemble will feature two big contemporary works, Ted Hearne’s song cycle “Coloring Book” and Carolyn Shaw’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Partita for 8 Voices.” 3 p.m. Sunday, Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago, 915 E. 60th St.; $35, $5 for students; 773-702-2787, tickets.uchicago.edu
John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.
Twitter @jvonrhein
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