Juho Pohjonen
Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen isn’t afraid of you in the least; he’s even less trepid about his technique, which has been called fierce and fearless even as it spans a colossally wide repertoire. La Jolla Music Society agrees as it welcomes him back to The Scripps Research Institute Auditorium tonight, May 18, at 8 p.m. His appearance is the last of the season for the Society’s piano series, which this time offers works that span the baroque, classical and romantic eras. The auditorium is located at 10620 John J. Hopkins Drive in Torrey Pines. For more, see ljms.org or call 858-459-3728.
Franz Schubert
Austrian composer Franz Schubert was only 31 when he died in 1828, but he made up for it with a sea of more than 600 secular and sacred works, seven symphonies and a huge body of piano and incidental music. La Jolla Music Society loves his story, and it will prove it Saturday, May 19, at 8 p.m. through its final installment of Swan Song III, an exploration of his late works. The program is anchored by his piano sonatas and a selection of his chamber music as the Society welcomes pianist Inon Barnatan, its incoming SummerFest director. The performance takes place at Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall, 5775 Morehouse Drive in Sorrento Valley. More information is available at ljms.org or 858-459-3728.
Nomsa Burkhardt
Nomsa Burkhardt loves San Diego the same way she loves everybody else — without reservation. The South African musician and dancer weaves a message of world peace through her interpretive artistic styles rooted in her Zulu heritage and in her performances in Israel, Italy, Germany and the United States (including San Diego’s Center for World Music). Her passion for education through the arts makes her a perfect fit for Kalabash School for Music and the Arts, where she’ll perform traditional songs and stories Saturday, May 19, at 7 p.m. in Kalabash’s Passports series. Kalabash is located at 5725 La Jolla Blvd. For further information, see kalabasharts.com or call 858-456-2753. ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’
Lore has it that her English foes burned France’s St. Joan of Arc at the stake three times at age 19 in 1431 during the Hundred Years War; not only that, the ashes from the base of her pyre were discovered four centuries later in the attic of a Paris drugstore. It’s those kinds of passionate anecdotes that bring local classical ensemble Luscious Noise to Copley Symphony Hall on Saturday, May 19, at 8 p.m. as it supplies live music for “The Passion of Joan of Arc.” The 1928 silent film made its mark in a big way — critic Roger Ebert couldn’t get over Renee Jeanne Falconetti’s turn as Joan, saying that her performance commanded patrons “to look into eyes that will never leave you.” Copley Symphony Hall is located at 750 B St. downtown. For more, see sandiegosymphony.com or call 619-235-0804.
‘An American Tapestry’ Once immersed in an artistic climate, kids are wired for success — and the proof is as near as the outstanding San Diego Children’s Choir as it performs “An American Tapestry” Saturday, June 2 at 3 p.m. at Copley Symphony Hall. Backed by local jazz icon and trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, the program explores the local experience starting with the indigenous people of Southern California and Mexico, progressing through two significant waves of immigration from Europe and East Asia. Castellanos showcases a broader picture of the nation’s music and its quintessential genres — Americana, spirituals, and jazz. Copley Symphony Hall is located at 750 B St. downtown. More information can be found at sandiegosymphony.com or by calling 619-235-0804.