The high point of this week in classical music is surely the Lieder recital by the superlative German baritone Christian Gerhaher and his regular pianist collaborator, Gerold Huber, sponsored by the Vocal Arts Society at the Embassy of Austria (October 11, 7:30 p.m.). Gerhaher’s most recent Lieder recording is a knockout, and his program for Thursday night is devoted entirely to songs by Robert Schumann. THE SYMPHONY: >> Riccardo Chailly brings his La Scala Philharmonic…

As highlighted in this week’s Classical Music Agenda, the newly appointed music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Maestra Marin Alsop, is the first woman to take the helm of a major American orchestra. Tonight in the Music Center at Strathmore, she will lead the BSO in a program that features Fearful Symmetries by American composer John Adams. Last night, Marin Alsop sat down with John Adams at the quirky alternative venue known as Baltimore…

During a private dinner ceremony at the Arts Club of Washington (in the historic home of President James Monroe) on Monday night, the S&R Foundation conferred its Washington Awards on five deserving young musicians. For the four runners-up, we heard a brief recorded excerpt of their work: pianist Naoko Takao, Special Committee Award Winner (Persichetti’s 7th sonata); marimbist Naoko Takada (a concerto by Ney Rosauro); composer Moto Osada (his own Take the Six for Marimba…

The 2006-07 season of the Washington National Opera comes to a close next week, with a concert appearance by several of its singers at the Music Center at Strathmore (May 31, 8 p.m.) and the last performance of its final production, Macbeth (June 2, 7 p.m.). It is time to take stock of the company’s achievements this season and look forward to what it will offer the city next year. Four productions this season were…

Be a good son or daughter and call your mother today. Then you can start thinking about what concerts to hear this week. Maybe you can ask your mom to come with you. THE BIG GUNS: >> Joining the National Symphony Orchestra this week is Chinese pianist Lang Lang. He and composer Jennifer Higdon have parted ways about her new piano concerto, which he was supposed to premiere this week. Instead, Lang Lang will play…

Since winning the Olivier Messiaen Competition in 1973 and then becoming a founding member of the Ensemble Intercontemporain under Pierre Boulez, French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard has been a champion of contemporary music. As he showed yet again in a Monday evening recital at La Maison Française, it is not just that he plays contemporary music in all styles but also that he plays it so well, so musically, with such understanding. Aimard’s recording of the…

The -ists this week had politics on the brain. And what goes better with politics? Partying– that’s two great tastes in one. Oh, and Kevin Federline…can’t forget about Kevin Federline. That’s three great tastes in one. -Bostonist discussed two big state issues– what sort of math constitutes a marriage and what kind of alcohol can be sold in most grocery stores. And the politically minded Curt Schilling went on “Jeopardy!”. -Chicagoist celebrated the election news…

This coming weekend is the last viable one for concerts in November. So we have a pile-up of events on the agenda this week, as everyone in town tries to get something heard before Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, it will be time for that dreaded December tradition, the holiday concerts and umpteen performances of a certain Handel oratorio that must not be named. FREE, FREE, FREE: >> This week musicians from two important summer music festivals…

Usually I recommend concert experiences I have actually heard or at least of which I have a fairly good idea what to expect. However, sometimes I recommend things that sound interesting but may be even stranger than I could have foreseen. This week I am leading with one of those. COLLEGE PARK: THE OPERA >> The interdisciplinary art collective called Squonk Opera got its start in Pittsburgh. Their latest project is Put Your Hometown’s Name…

The 2006 season from Washington National Opera finally opened Saturday night with an opera that I was thrilled to see and hear live, Béla Bartók’s A Kékszakállú herceg vára (Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, premiered at the Budapest Opera in 1918). The Ambassador of Hungary, András Simonyi — fresh from a hilarious appearance on the Colbert Report — was so happy that he helped host the opening night WNO gala in honor of the 50th anniversary of…