Suor Angelica, John Williams' Piano Concerto, and More: What's Happening in Classic Arts This Week

From lauds to vespers, the classic arts scene in New York is never quiet. Here is just a sampling of some of the classic arts events happening this week.

Regina Opera’s production of Puccini’s Suor Angelica starts performances February 28, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy in Brooklyn. Set in a convent, the opera concerns the titular Sister Angelica who was consigned to the convent by her aunt the Princess for bringing shame upon their family. When the Princess pays a visit to her niece, family secrets come out, and tragedy ensues. The one-act opera will be preceded by a concert of works by Handel and Haydn.

The New York Philharmonic’s annual Lunar New Year Gala will take place February 25. Conductor Long Yu will lead the program, which includes selections from Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, and Elliot Leung’s Chinese Kitchen, as well as works by Li H., Lu Zaiyi, Huang H., and Hasibagen. Hasibagen will also perform on the Morin Khuur, along with soprano Kathleen Kim and baritone Changyong Liao.

Pianist Emanuel Ax will join the New York Philharmonic February 27 - March 3 to give the New York premiere of John Williams’ Piano Concerto. The program, conducted by Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, will also include Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and Mieczysław Weinberg’s fifth symphony.

New York City Ballet’s winter season wraps up this week with two final programs. In Contemporary Choreography II, four ballets share the bill: Justin Peck’s Dig The Say and Everywhere We Go; Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth; and Alexei Ratmansky’s The Naked King, which had its premiere earlier this season. Masters At Work III will conclude the winter season with ballets by the company’s co-founding choreographers: Jerome Robbins’ Dances At A Gathering, and George Balanchine’s Diamonds.

The Vienna Philharmonic will give three concerts at Carnegie Hall this week, led by conductor Andris Nelsons. February 27, pianist Lang Lang will join the orchestra to perform Bela Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3, which will be paired on the program with Mahler’s first symphony. February 28, Nelsons will lead the New York premiere of György Kurtág’s Petite musique solenelle, which will be followed with symphonies by Mozart and Dvorak. Finally, on March 1, the Philharmonic will perform Sibelius’ second symphony, alongside Richard Strauss’ iconic symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra.

Carnegie Hall will also host performances this week by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (February 25); the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble with baritone John Brancy (February 25); saxophonist Tia Fuller (February 26); and the Leonkoro Quartet (February 26).

The American Classical Orchestra will perform Healing Bach at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer Febraury 26. Joined by soprano Nola Richardson, baritone Edward Vogel, flautist Sandra Miler, oboist March Schachman, and trumpeter Steven Marquardt, the orchestra will perform an all-Bach program including the Orchestral Suite No.2 in B Minor, and two cantatas: Ich have genug and Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen.

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