In the summer, concert life in Washington becomes less frenzied in the places where we hear music the most during the regular season. At the same time, some old friends return for their expected summer performances. So, while we will not be telling you about a lot of concerts, you can still find some classical music to hear this week. More information is available at our Classical Week in Washington column at Ionarts.

EARLY MUSIC:
>> First, there was a tradition of sorts born last summer in the Washington Early Music Festival. Our little city has always been rich in local performing groups who specialize in historical music, so such a festival was probably inevitable. The theme for the 2005 festival, from June 3 to 26, is music from Spain and the New World. The schedule features 17 concerts and a number of workshops and related events, all in churches in the center of Washington, and all near metrorail stations. Tickets: $20 to $10.