Written by DCist contributor Angela Olson. Ballet Folklórico de México finishes an engagement at George Mason University Center for the Arts Concert Hall today. The Mexico City based dance company has long been a must see for travelers attracted by their colorful and energetic performances. The dancing exemplifies the spirit of Mexico, and the company puts on a great show for all ages. With six foot tall headdresses, carnival costumes and a live Mariachi band,......

A trip out to Fairfax requires some justification, which the concerts hosted by the George Mason University Center for the Arts occasionally provide. This was the case Saturday night, when that venue distinguished itself as the only local stop for the current U.S. tour of the orchestra of the Leipzig Gewandhaus (recently in Chicago and Boston, but also in smaller places like Schenectady). That venerable ensemble, founded in 1781, is one of the oldest orchestras......

So much is happening in classical music this week, much of it already sold out. Here are a few things for which tickets are still available and that should be of interest. JUST VISITING: >> The award for best free concert of the week goes to the Hilliard Ensemble, one of the best choral groups in the world, visiting the Freer Gallery of Art on Wednesday (January 24, 7:30 p.m.). Their program includes music by......

It's a new year, and the winter and spring half of the season is getting under way. There are some excellent concerts planned in Washington over the next several months. We'll be letting you know more about them week by week, every Sunday. SYMPHONY: >> Why is DCist headlining the Baltimore Symphony? The incoming music director of the BSO — Marin Alsop, the first woman to hold that position with a major American orchestra —......

Soprano Cristina Nassif is a 20-something native of the Maryland suburbs. The daughter of an opera singer mother and a pianist father, Nassif received a music degree at the University of Maryland and got her start on the stage in the Virginia Opera Young Artist Program. Last season, she triumphed with Virginia Opera as Violetta in La Traviata, which brought her to the attention of the hungry eye of Plácido Domingo, ever watchful for......

After last week, and especially yesterday and today, probably the busiest weekend in October for classical music, things slow down a little this week. Not to worry, there are concerts for you to hear and some good ones at that. TOP PICKS: >> A week from today (October 22, 7 p.m.), there are still tickets for the recital by Croatian piano virtuoso Ivo Pogorelich at the George Mason University Center for the Arts, way out......

This week, among the city’s other offerings are those being conducted as a part of the “Fall for the Book Festival.” For more information, hit up their website. MONDAY That famous opening line of Anna Karenina has done more to fill the retail shelves with memoirs than just about anything else. Take that, opening line of Moby Dick! Alison Bechdel adds to the canon with Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Politics and Prose, 5015......

This week, local classical music events are overshadowed by the visit of the Kirov Opera, who are performing at the Kennedy Center. It's not the only thing to hear this week, obviously, but their performances are the ones that are getting our attention. Worry not: we have lots of other concerts to tell you about, too. If you want more options, check out our Classical Week in Washington feature at Ionarts. NEW MUSIC: >> One......

As you know from reading last week's Classical Music Agenda, we are at the beginning of a Mozart Year, with the 250th anniversary of the great Austrian composer's birth approaching on January 27. If you set foot in a classical concert in the next couple months, chances are good that you will hear Mozart. Considering the number of concerts we attend, Mozart fatigue could set in early. Not to worry, as there is still enough......