Michael Zwiebach

The Bay Area harbors a number of excellent composers who regularly fly under the radar. One of these is Kurt Rohde, a Rome-prize winner of a few years back. The Left Coast Ensemble regularly premieres his work and this week they’re taking on another of his pieces,...maestoso ...misterioso on a concert titled Delicacies for Diverse Ensembles.

Improbable as the revival of Handel operas might have seemed 30 years ago, many of them are now regularly programmed internationally. From being the province of early-music specialists, the fortunate Handelian few have escaped shelf-confinement into the broader repertory.

This piano competition, though it is not extremely well-known, has a first-class international jury headed by Antonio Pompa-Baldi. Instead of a final round with full orchestra and contestants playing concertos, this competition features a final round of piano trios (quite an assignment for the two string players hired).

The divine Dominique  Labelle, Nic McGegan, and a few pals from Philharmonia Baroque lead off the Berkeley Festival and Exhibition with the kind of concert that you only wish came around more often.

As an introduction to the riches of the Spanish classical tradition, you could not do any better than this concert.

Take one day for choral music and look in on this appropriately ambitious concert.

Old First Concerts has a sharp eye for artists who are on the edge of stardom, which is what makes this low-priced concert series so successful.

An example of how, through great programming, classical
and contemporary music can illuminate each other.

If you’re in the South Bay and you haven’t checked Symphony Silicon Valley out already, here are two good opportunities to do so.

If you’re waiting for other orchestras in the area to do a similar program, well, don’t hold your breath.