One of those stereotypes about classical music that I would like to explode is that it is the musical equivalent of a dusty museum. Yes, classical musicians often play music from previous centuries, but the performances themselves are very much modern and of our time. What’s more is that often classical musicians play new music, and that is an exciting thing to hear.

RELATIVELY NEW:
>> A favorite local group devoted to contemporary music, the Contemporary Music Forum, will open their fall season next Sunday (September 17, 4:30 p.m.), with a concert at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The exciting program will feature pieces by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (Petals, a work for electronics and cello), Nakatoni, Mobberley, Lansky, and the Washington premiere of Paul Moravec‘s Tempest Fantasy. It was the latter piece that won Moravec the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in music. Tickets: $50. Paul Moravec will be present at the concert and will give a short talk on his work.

>> Of course, opera is what we live for, and the Washington National Opera opens its fall season this Saturday (September 16, 7 p.m.) with two important works of the 20th century, Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle and Gianni Schicchi by Puccini. The former is about a nobleman who serially murders his wives and keeps their heads in a closet, and the latter is a comic opera featuring one of the most beloved Italian arias, “O mio babbino caro.” Appropriately for a double-bill combining gore and comedy, William Friedkin, the director of The Exorcist among other movies, will direct. If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, become a member of Generation O to qualify for reduced-price tickets.