Michael Zwiebach

The Mendocino Music Festival closes with a performance of Mozart's Requiem Mass. Completed by his pupil, Francis Xavier Süssmayer, it is still one of the two most popular Requiems in the classical repertory. But even Mozart would have forked over some cash to be able to hear it in a tent overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with a fine team of professional soloists.

The Midsummer Mozart Festival is coming to a concert venue near you. First up is the absolutely delightful Concerto for Two Pianos, K. 365, a flute concerto, and the exciting "Haffner" Symphony, No. 35. As always the orchestra travels so you don't have to — from Santa Clara to San Francisco to Sonoma.

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The opening program of the Carmel Bach Festival is a performance of Joseph Haydn's magnificent oratorio, The Creation. From its famous depiction of Chaos through to the uplifting final chorus, "The heavens are telling the glory of God," this is a worthy successor to Handel's great English oratorios.

If you're a classic cartoon buff, don't miss Bugs on Broadway, part of the San Francisco Symphony's Summer and the Symphony series.

The rebellious souls among us already know where to go for real “alternative” music — music that mixes genres or cultural traditions, or that uses nontrad

Nothing says summer like an outdoor pops concert, especially if its free. The Peninsula Symphony scores big on all three counts, as they present a free concert on the steps of the Redwood City Courthouse Square. Besides great music from three Bs (Berlioz, Bizet, and Bernstein), the fun includes a raffle. Let the kids stay up late, bring a picnic, and enjoy.

The Bay Area is gearing up for S.F. Pride, the annual GLBT celebration, and the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony is handling the classical contribution.

Not that you need another reason to visit Tiburon this summer, but pianist Paul Smith has organized a second iteration of his Tiburon Music Festival there, and this year it has a few tantalizing morsels, beyond the venue — lovely St. Hilary’s Church — the natural scenery, and the cool restaurants.

Violinist/ violist Anthony Martin is one of the Bay Area’s core of string players who have specialized in early music, or “historically informed performance.” A cofounder of famous ensembles like Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Frans Brueggen's Orchestra of the 18th century, he has viewed the tremendous expansion and growing popularity of early music performance from the trenches.