Most concerts in December are of the holiday variety; keep an eye out this week for a roundup of the good and schmaltzy. If you want to hear some music without jingling bells, here are your choices this week.

Photo by LaTur

>> The Friday Morning Music Club presents a free concert by the Avanti Orchestra on Wednesday (December 1, 7:30 p.m.) in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Colleen Daly will perform arias by Mozart and Verdi as part of this program of “classical favorites.”

>> On Thursday (December 2, 1:30 p.m.) the University of Maryland’s free Bach Cantata Series continues in the Clarice Smith Center with a performance of Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost, BWV 114.

>> Guest conductor Emmanuel Krivine takes the podium of the National Symphony Orchestra this week (December 2-4) with a program of Liszt, Beethoven, and Strauss as well as pianist Louis Lortie playing Beethoven’s second piano concerto.

>> The Great Noise Ensemble presents its latest program of new music on Friday night (December 3, 7:30 p.m.) at Catholic University of America’s Ward Recital Hall.

>> Virginia Opera made news recently when its board ousted long-time founding artistic director Peter Mark. Politics aside, conductor Joseph Walsh will conduct the company’s latest production, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, at the George Mason Center for the Arts this weekend (December 3 and 5).

>> Washington Performing Arts Society presents pianist Dejan Lazic, piano in a recital at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on Saturday (December 4, 2 p.m.) featuring a program of Chopin and the D. 960 Schubert sonata.