Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano (photo by Christian Steiner)

With the Memorial Day holiday coming up, there is not much happening in classical music. It makes this week’s agenda short and sweet, but a few events deserve your attention.

HEADLINES:
>> The bonus performances from Washington National Opera this week are devoted to a popular verismo opera, Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. Concert performances are scheduled for next Sunday (May 25, 2 p.m.) and the following Friday (May 30, 7:30 p.m.), in the Kennedy Center Opera House. The two leads will be sung by big-name stars, mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick and tenor Salvatore Licitra, and Gordon Hawkins will sing the role of Alfio. Preceded by crowd-pleasing overtures and orchestral pieces from other 19th-century Italian operas, this saccharine program is a shameless appeal to the most traditionally minded audience. Tickets, ranging from $24 to $250, are surprisingly still available.

>> Likely to be more musically nourishing is a recital by mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke on Wednesday (May 21, 7:30 p.m.) at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (1250 New York Ave. NW). Pei-Yao Wang will accompany a program combining sets of songs by Manuel de Falla and Robert Schumann, as well as the world premiere of Lullaby, a new piece by Andrew Norman (b. 1979), the Young Concert Artists Composer-in-Residence. Even better, this concert is free: all you need to do is make a reservation (call 202-783-7370 or e-mail reservations@nmwa.org).

ALSO FREE:
>> The Friday Morning Music Club hosts the final round of the Washington International Competition for Piano on Sunday (May 25, 2 p.m.). This free event takes place in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.