Jason Victor Serinus

More than a few operatic and other vocal diversions may beckon you in the coming spring. Here are just a few of the surprises.

The most prestigious classical music competition in the U.S. isn’t the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, it’s the Naumburg Foundation Competition. As S.F. Performances prepares to host this year’s piano winner, Soyeon Lee, here’s what musicians think of the organization’s enviable track record.

Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic deliver a reading of Tchaikovsky's beloved score that is — wonder of wonders — fresh and deeply felt.

A powerful and inspirational performance by the American Bach Soloists brought Handel’s Messiah to life, in a lovely evening showcasing the voice of baritone James Maddalena.

Hard to believe, but for 50 years Gounod’s Faust reigned as the world’s most popular opera. These days, it has fallen to No. 29 in popularity. If Faust and the devil have a any chance of resurrection, it will take productions such as this. Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

The nine men of Clerestory have taken a daring step. For their first “studio-recorded” CD, laid down in the sanctuary of Berkeley’s Unitarian Universalist Church, they perform music inspired by the three closely aligned celebrations of Halloween, All Soul’s Day, and El día de los muertos.

At one of the finest Adler Showcases in recent memory, Sheri Greenawald and Mark Morash had the wisdom to frame each vocal set with powerhouse performances. In doing so, they set the tone for "The Future Is Now," letting their singers proclaim loud and clear that the Adler opera apprentice program is one of the world’s best.

One of music’s greatest joys is watching young artists develop at home, then soar to success. For those who have nurtured and cheered soprano Elza van den Heever and tenor David Lomelí as they have blossomed in San Francisco, the joy is compounded by the fact that both are launching major international careers.

To celebrate the season, American Bach Soloists has remastered the American Bach Choir’s lovely 2002 Christmas CD, What Sweeter Music. The sweet purity of the female voices, the lovely clarity of the acoustic, and a careful selection whose tunes emphasize celebration over all else are self-recommending.

A rare opportunity approaches to hear the great mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade endearingly up close.