JOSHUA KOSMAN’S CLASSICAL MUSIC PICKS
Takács Quartet and Garrick Ohlsson: The string quartet makes one of its regular, welcome returns to the Bay Area, joined by pianist Garrick Ohlsson in a program of music by Mozart, Shostakovich and Brahms. 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley. www.calperformances.org
Chanticleer: The men’s chorus presents its annual Christmas concert, featuring Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, carols and more. Sunday, Dec. 10-Dec. 23. Oakland, Stanford, Petaluma, San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Clara, Carmel. www.chanticleer.org American Bach Soloists: Artistic Director Jeffrey Thomas leads the ensemble in Handel’s “Messiah,” with vocal soloists Suzanne Karpov, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, Zachary Wilder and Hadleigh Adams. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 13-15. Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St., SF. www.americanbach.org Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: Music Director Nicholas McGegan conducts Handel’s oratorio “Joseph and his Brethren,” with vocal soloists Sherezade Panthaki, Gabrielle Haigh, Diana Moore, Abigail Levis, Nicholas Phan and Philip Cutlip, along with the Philharmonia Chorale. 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto; 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way, Berkeley. www.philharmonia.org San Francisco Symphony: Ragnar Bohlin leads the Symphony and Symphony Chorus in Handel’s “Messiah,” with vocal soloists Layla Claire, Tamara Mumford, Leif Aruhn-Solen and Morris Robinson. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Dec. 14-15, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., S.F. www.sfsymphony.org