Trinity Lutheran Church, 73 Lancaster Street Worcester and First Baptist Church Worcester, 111 Park Ave. Worcester hosts this event. The Moveable Feast: Bach Organ Recital begins at Trinity Lutheran Church and ends at First Baptist Church, taking concert goers to two musical houses of worship just a short walk apart on Worcester’s scenic Salisbury Street.,  This afternoon of all-organ music, is the conclusion of the first season of Music Worcester’s 11-year project to present live performances of all known works by J.S. Bach. “One of the great glories of the music scene in Worcester is the many first-rate organs that can be found in its concert halls and churches– to say nothing of the wonderful organists who play them,” said Chris Shepard, the artistic director of TCB. “In our first few years of THE COMPLETE BACH, we want to showcase those local organs and organists, beginning with Mark Mummert at Trinity Lutheran Church and Wesley Hall at First Baptist Church.  After hearing Mark, we’ll all head up the street to hear Wesley play the second half of the concert!  What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.” The afternoon will begin at Trinity Lutheran where Cantor Mark Mummert will perform Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542; Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele (Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness), BWV 654; and Adagio and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564. After an intermission, the concert continues nearby at the First Baptist Church to hear Minister of Music Wesley Hall.  He’ll play Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 537; Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (Glory to God in the Highest), BWV 711 and BWV 715; Wenn dich unglück tut greifen an, BWV 1104; and Praeludium and Fugue in C Major, BWV 566a. Tickets are on sale now at www.musicworcester.org

APRIL 27 (3pm): BEETHOVEN’S NINTH SYMPHONY

The Boston Civic Symphony will celebrate the finale of its centennial season with a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall at 30 Gainsborough Street in Boston. Joined by Chorus pro Musica, which coincidentally is celebrating its 75th anniversary this season. “Beethoven’s iconic masterpiece in a “grand celebration of unity and joy.” declared Civic Music Director Francisco Noya.  “We are inviting the audience to join the orchestra, Chorus Pro Musica, and our soloists, Patrice Tiedemann, soprano (soloist with Boston Civic Symphony, Boston Pops, Boston Lyric Opera and Rhode Island Philharmonic); Emily Harmon, alto (Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, and MassOpera).; Neal Ferreira, tenor (Carnegie Hall debut, 2022 as Ein Soldat in Wozzeck, on the voice faculty of Berklee College of Music); Paul La Rosa, bass (Lionel- The Maid of Orleans, Wolf /Cinderella’s Prince – Into the Woods, Aeneas – Dido and Aeneas, Pablo Picasso – The Weeping Woman, Cascada – The Merry Widow and Jud Fry – Oklahoma!, Artist Associate teaching voice at Williams College)…in the final movement creating a communal and exhilarating conclusion to our centenary season,” said Noya. “This piece, with its timeless message of brotherhood and joy, is the perfect finale to a season that honors our past and looks forward to our future.” The Boston Civic Symphony, one of Boston’s most respected musical organizations, was founded in 1924 by the late educator, conductor, and composer Joseph Wagner.Wagner was director of music in Boston public schools and had formed an all-high school orchestra of Boston students.  Those musicians became the nucleus of the Boston Civic Symphony that performed during the 1924-25 season. O ver the past century, Civic has distinguished itself from other community classical music groups by building on Wagner’s model of engaging exceptionally skilled student musicians alongside classically trained amateur performers. Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gil Shaham are among the notable soloists who performed with Civic during their time as undergrads in Boston. Dozens of Civic alumni have gone on to professional careers after playing with the orchestra.  They include longtime Boston Symphony Orchestra flutist James Pappoutsakis and cellist Mickey Katz, as well as Bryce Leafman who is currently the assistant principal timpanist for the San Francisco Symphony.  The Civic Music Director, Francisco Noya is a prominent figure in the Boston and New England music scene, has earned a reputation as a versatile interpreter of symphonic and operatic literature. Noya began his professional career in his native Venezuela, as conductor of the Youth Orchestra of Valencia, one of the original ensembles of “El Sistema.” After earning advanced degrees in composition and conducting from Boston University, Noya was appointed to serve as assistant conductor of the Caracas Philharmonic and assistant to the music director of the Teatro Teresa Carreño, one of the most prestigious theaters in Latin America. In addition to serving as music director of the Empire State Youth Orchestra in Albany, New York for ten seasons, Noya has appeared as guest conductor of the Boston Symphony,  Boston Pops, Baltimore, Nashville, San Antonio, and Omaha Symphony Orchestras, among others. He was named music director of Boston Civic Symphony in 2017 and has been a member of the Conducting faculty at Berklee College of Music for nearly 24 years.  In turn, Chorus pro Musica, founded in 1949,  has built a superb reputation as one of the great choruses of New England. Under Music Director Jamie Kirsch, Chorus pro Musica consists of more than 100 highly talented volunteer musicians selected by audition. Repertoire consists of choral music from the Renaissance to the present, with emphasis on new and rarely performed choral music, as well as major works in collaboration with other music organizations.  Tickets and information can be found here at www.bostoncivicsymphony.org

MAY 3 (2:00 PM): NOAH’S FLOOD

 Produced by Boston Lyric Opera and performed by a huge blend of Boston music organizations at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, “Noah’s Flood” is based on a 15th-century play recounting the story of one family’s resilience in the face of an earth-shattering storm. Composer Benjamin Britten wrote this opera just a few years after experiencing a devastating flood in his own coastal town. Nearly 70 years later, climate resilience has taken an even greater spotlight. Under the baton of David Angus and the direction of Dayron Miles, a collaboration of hundreds of children and professional musicians that include the Boston Children’s Chorus, Boston String Academy, Back Bay Ringers, VOICES Boston, Boston Recorder Orchestra, Community Music Center of Boston, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory Preparatory School, and BLO artists will create this a timely, tour-de-force event. This production is made possible by the generous support of the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation and The Poduska Family Foundation as well as BLO supporters who are equally invested in building the next generation of  opera lovers in Boston. NOAH’S FLOOD is part of Boston Lyric Opera’s climate awareness initiative “Rising Waters / Rising Voices,” which uses BLO stages, outlets and other resources to help audiences understand the issues behind global climate change, and how they can be part of its mitigation They have all joined BLO in its first community opera event in uniting Boston through music, collaboration, and fun. It is a perfect outing for the entire family! This is a FREE event, with a suggested donation of $25. To obtain reservations, visit https://events.blo.org/noahs-flood

MAY 3(7:30pm) & 4(3:00pm): WORLD PREMIERE OF COMPOSER LUKE BLACKBURN’S SYMPHONY NO. 1- THALASSA

New Philharmonia Orchestra, under Music Director Jorge Soto concludes its 30th season with this concert at Grace Episcopal Church 76 Eldredge St. in Newton Corner. Luke Blackburn, composer and bassoonist, weaves the beauty and complexity of the natural world into his music with compositions that are deeply influenced by personal research, observations, and experiences in nature. He crafts immersive sonic landscapes that bring the stories and tales of the outdoors into the concert hall.  His Symphony No. 1-Thalassa will make its world premiere at this concert.

Luke Blackburn’s recent accolades include the 2024 American Academy of Arts and Letters Charles Ives Scholarship, ASCAP’s Morton Gould Young Composer Award, the Lyra Society’s Costello Competition for Composition, and Boston Musica Viva’s Write it Now commissioning initiative. He serves as an Assistant Professor of Composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston, while pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory at Brandeis University. The program will also include Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, with soloist  Julia Wong.She is a founding member of New Philharmonia and assistant concertmaster. In her fessional life Dr. Wong is a radiation oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The orchestra will be led by Maestro Soto who began his musical studies in Venezuela at the Vicente Emilio Sojo State Conservatory, later studying violin at the Latin American Academy of Violin under Rhio Sanchez and Joseì Francisco Del Castillo. Mr. Soto graduated with a Master of Music degree in conducting from the New England Conservatory and has conducted across New England, in New York at the UN and in Venezuela.  Tickets and further information can be obtained at www.newphil.org

MAY 3 (7:00pm): COMMON GROUND: A FREE CONCERT FOR AAPI HERITAGE MONTH

 AAPI is the Asian American and Pacific Islander organization that pays honor to the many contributions that generations of AAPIs have made to American history, society and culture. Presented by the Sheffield Chamber Players and the Pao Arts Center, this FREE performance will be held at the Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany Street in Boston and will showcase recent works by living Asian-American composers. The program features works by Chinese-American composer Lei Liang, titled “Gobi Gloria; Syrian-American composer Kareem Roustom’s “Syrian Folk Songs;” Japanese American composer and Kronos Quartet cellist Paul Wiancko, performing his “Lift: Part III [Glacial – Maniacal – Lift].”and Iranian-American music director, and Tufts University professor  composer,  Kian Ravaei. The program will also feature the world premiere of a new Sheffield Chamber Players’ commission from award-winning Indian American composer Reena Esmail.  Esmail’s piece, titled “This Is It,” comprises a three-part series of string-quartet miniatures commissioned in 2023 and 2024 by Greenwood Music Camp in Cummington, Mass. and Spoleto Festival USA. It is the latest in Sheffield’s five-year commissioning project that spotlights diverse voices. You must RESERVE your FREE tickets in advance, (a suggested donation) is appreciated, by visiting www.sheffieldchamberplayers.org/event-details/common-ground

MAY 4 (3:00 PM): NEW WINDS AND FRIENDS

 Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra presents this program at the Allen Center for Arts and Culture at 35 Webster Street in West Newton. This performance is part of Pro Arte’s intimate Salon Series that offers audiences the chance to experience a select group of Pro Arte’s exceptional musicians in an up-close and personal setting. The program features musical gems not included in the full orchestral Ensemble Series which is a professional, musician-led cooperative chamber orchestra that shares its passion for music through exceptional performances that enrich, engage, and educate. Audiences will experience the genius of Wolfgang Mozart’s works for chamber ensembles with the two works on this program. First, His Kegelstatt Trio (K. 498), is a captivating work for clarinet, viola, and piano, where each instrument engages in an intricate musical conversation. Second portion of the program is the Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, K. 452. It is a rich composition scored for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon. The six performers for this program each present an impressive biography surrounding their musical accomplishments. They are  Kai-Yun Lu, on clarinet; who has been the principal clarinetist of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra since 1998, proudly holding its prestigious Muriel Bledsoe Chair. She is a newly appointed member of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and maintains a prominent presence with esteemed ensembles such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Boston Pops Esplanade, and the Boston Woodwind Society  Liana Zaretsky, on viola, is the principal second violinist of Portland, ME, Symphony and appears regularly with the Boston Ballet, Boston Symphony, and Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestras. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Zaretsky was one of the original and former members of the Radius Ensemble. She has collaborated with faculty from Longy School of Music, New England Conservatory, as well as with Boston Symphony members to perform frequently. Jennifer Slowik, on oboe is the principal oboe with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), Odyssey Opera, assistant principal of Vista Philharmonic, and member of Emmanuel Music, where she regularly solos as part of their weekly Bach Cantata Series. Ms. Slowik is featured on numerous recordings on the BMOP/sound label, including the 2020 Grammy Award Winner for Best Opera Recording, The Fantastic Mr. Fox by Tobias Picker, Thomas Oboe Lee’s Persephone, for oboe and strings, and Lisa Bielawa’s Synopsis #10 for solo English Horn. Stephanie Busby, on bassoon, is a member of the Boston Ballet Orchestra and performs as an active freelancer throughout New England. Stephanie can be heard with groups including the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Symphony New Hampshire, and various others. She is also a member of the Storytime Quintet, which brings high quality music performances and education to young children through live performances and virtual programs. Robert Marlatt, on horn is currently principal horn with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, and the Bach, Beethoven, Brahms Society Orchestra, and a member of the Boston Philharmonic. An advocate of period instrument practice, Robert has performed as principal horn with Boston Baroque, Handel + Haydn, Arcadia Players, and appeared with Mercury Orchestra in Houston. And lastly is Miri Yampolsky on piano. She was born in Moscow and raised in Israel, where she studied with Hannah Shalgi and Michael Boguslavsky at the Tel Aviv Academy. At age 16, she was a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta. A recipient of the AICF awards and a top prize-winner of the Iturbi International Piano Competition in Spain and the ARD Competition in Munich, Miri has been a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, and performed at Ravinia, Olympic, Tucson, and the Peninsula Music Festivals in the US, as well as the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival, the Upper Galilee Music Festival in Israel, Hitzacker, Schwetzingen and Berlin Festwoche in Germany.To obtain tickets and further information visit www.proarte.org

MAY 6::“ATTACK ON TITAN” – BEYOND THE WALLS WORLD TOUR

The Boch Center Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St. in Boston brings this colossal celebration of music and dynamically colorful anime to its first stop on its world tour. Fans of the globally renowned anime phenomenon “Attack on Titan” are in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Prepare for an unforgettable journey into the world of titans and gripping battles as the “Attack on Titan” concert brings the epic saga to life through music, visuals, and raw emotion. Set to take place at some of the world’s most prestigious venues (Dolby Theater, Carnegie Hall, OVO Arena Wembley, Sydney Opera House, etc.), this concert promises to be an awe-inspiring fusion of rock and orchestral music, captivating vocal performances, and breathtaking visuals, creating a fully immersive experience to transport attendees straight into the heart of the “Attack on Titan” universe. Featuring the internationally acclaimed soundtrack composed by Hiroyuki SAWANO (Seasons 1, 2, 3 and KOHTA YAMAMOTO (The Final Season), the concert will showcase the iconic tracks that have come to define the series, including “at’aek ON taitn,” “counter・attack-mankind,” “Apple Seed,” and “Footsteps of Doom.” As in Japan, and true to the original soundtrack, the music will be performed by powerful world-class rock musicians joined by a symphonic orchestra. Hiroyuki SAWANO and KOHTA YAMAMOTO have prepared fan-favorite pieces, which will be accompanied by synchronized scenes from the anime series, bringing its emotional weight and intensity to the concert hall. The soundtrack of “Attack on Titan” has always been one of the series’ greatest strengths, and hearing it performed live is an experience unlike no other. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this monumental event. Whether you’re a long-time fan of “Attack on Titan” or simply a lover of powerful music, the Beyond the Wall World Tour will leave you breathless! Tickets may be obtained at https://www.ticketmaster.com/

MAY 11: SYMPHONY FOR SCIENCE  

The Kendall Square Orchestra (K2O), a volunteer ensemble of musicians from Boston’s world-renowned science and technology community, will present its fifth Symphony for Science,  at Boston’s Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave. in Boston. It will be an evening filled with powerful stories and soaring music featuring the violinist and social innovator Julie Leven alongside acclaimed author and keynote speaker Kevin F. Adler.

Violinist Julie Leven is the founder and former Executive and Artistic Director of Shelter Music Boston, which provides classical music performances in homeless shelters and substance misuse recovery centers. She has performed around the world; has been a member of numerous orchestras, including the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony, and Denmark’s Aarhus Symfonieorkester; and she can be heard as a soloist on numerous recordings. She’s a graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory and of the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Julie consults to organizations working to create social change with quality artistic and musical programming.   It will shine a spotlight on the urgent realities of homelessness as it raises critical funds as well as inspires collective action for the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), a health care network throughout Greater Boston that provides health care to the homeless and formerly homeless individuals and their families .Symphony for Science is a bi-annual benefit concert that embodies the spirit of innovation and compassion. 

Kendall Square Orchestra.K2O brings together local corporate sponsors, community organizations, and audiences to raise awareness, funds, and hope for critical causes in healthcare and STEM education.  Since its inception in spring 2019, the Kendall Square Orchestra has been the driving force behind Symphony for Science, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to amplify and support essential causes in healthcare and STEM education. The concert’s program includes the first movement of Franz Schubert’s haunting Death and the Maiden Quartet, and Mozart’s vibrant Violin Concerto No. 3, Mvt. I, performed by renowned violinist Julie Leven,  the Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Shelter Music Boston (SMB). According to K²O Music Director Kristo Kondakçi, these pieces were selected specifically for their profound expression of resilience, human connection, and hope.  “Schubert and Mozart vividly embody the message at the heart of our concert,” Kondakçi explained. “Schubert himself lived on the edge of homelessness, sustained only by the generosity of friends who offered shelter, food, and support. Their compassion enabled him to continue composing, illustrating how powerful community connection can be. His story — and Mozart’s own struggles with financial hardship — remind us that music can illuminate pathways toward empathy, dignity, and meaningful change. “Mozart also faced profound financial instability in his final years, struggling to secure steady patronage and, at times, even a place to call home,” Kondakçi continued.  “Yet his music remained a source of light, offering warmth, joy, and a profound sense of humanity—qualities that shine through his Third Violin Concerto.” The orchestra will also perform Antonin Dvořák’s iconic New World Symphony and Reena Esmail’s RE/Member,  described by the composer as “a chance to explore what the world has gone through.”   Joining K2O for this special performance is The Women’s Chorus (TWC), founded in 2018 by David McCue and Kristo Kondakçi in partnership with Women’s Lunch Place. Dedicated to empowering women experiencing homelessness and poverty through music, TWC has welcomed more than 100 women, creating not just a choir, but a powerful community that offers dignity, healing, and a lifeline of support. The chorus will perform works with themes that articulate the heart of homelessness through music.  In addition to performances by the orchestra and musical guests, three distinguished speakers will share their insights on the challenges of providing healthcare to homeless individuals in the community.  These include Kevin F. Adler is an award-winning social entrepreneur and the author of the new book, When We Walk By, a guide for ending homelessness in America. Dr. Howard K. Koh is Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and serves as the inaugural chair of the Chan School’s Initiative on Health and Homelessness.  And, the founding physician of the new Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Dr. Jim O’Connell who, since its founding in 1985, has guided Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program to provide and assure access to the highest quality health care for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Tickets for this worthy as well as exciting concert are on sale now a www.symphonyforscience.org