Harpist presents legend of love, betrayal

Patrick Ball performs Sunday at Trinity Episcopal Church.

Celtic harpist and storyteller Patrick Ball is to return to Trinity Episcopal Church at 7 p.m. Sunday. Cosponsored by the Northwest Ohio Chapter, American Harp Society, the performance will focus on the legend of Tristan and Iseult, a tale of love and betrayal that has inspired books, plays, and operas. The concert is free.

•

Pianist Robert Ballinger will present a faculty artist recital at 4 p.m. Sunday in the University of Toledo Center for the Performing Arts Recital Hall. The program for this free public concert includes Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp minor, Book II by J.S. Bach; Four Impromptus, op. 90, by Franz Schubert; three Impromptus by Paul Schoenfield, and a Ballade (A flat, op. 47) and Nocturne, op. 72, by Frederic Chopin.

•

The Toledo Symphony Orchestra will present a regional concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Van Wert, Ohio. Robert Mirakian will conduct a program of light classics and film and theater scores. Merwin Siu will narrate, and Tim Lake will be vocal soloist.

The second in the TSO's Blade Chamber Series concerts will begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Toledo Club. The program will include music by Mendelssohn - String Quartet in A minor, op. 13 - and Rachmaninoff Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano.

Opening the program will be the local premiere of Scherylisches Serenade by internationally renowned cellist Rene Schiffer, who will join TSO musicians in the performance. Schiffer, principal cellist of Apollo's Fire - which just presented a stunning rendering of Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers at Rosary Cathedral - also will perform in the Mendelssohn.

Tickets start at $25 at toledosymphony.org or 419-246-8000.

•

The Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra will open its 50th performance season with an Oktoberfest flair at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Carranor Hunt & Polo Club, East Second Street, Perrysburg.

Supporters and friends can indulge in a traditional German feast with all the trimmings, while members of the PSO provide music to dine for. Michael Schlesinger of WNWO-TV, Channel 24, will be master of ceremonies for games and a silent auction. Tickets are $35 at Ken's Flower's in Perrysburg. For more information, visit perrysburgsymphony.org.

•

Michigan Opera Theatre launches its new season at 7:30 p.m. Saturday with first of four performances of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta The Mikado at the Detroit Opera House, 1527 Broadway in downtown Detroit. Mark Flint will conduct the orchestra while soloists including Jamie Offenbach, Andrew Gray, Jacqueline King, and Melissa Parks perform the hilarious musical story, to be sung in English with English supertitles.

Subsequent performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 and 23, and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 24.

Tickets start at $25 at motopera.org or 313-961-3300.

•

A sizeable audience was on hand last Saturday afternoon for the opening of this year's Metropolitan Opera Live in HD performance of Wagner's Das Rheingold season at Rave Motion Pictures Fallen Timbers 14 cinemas at 2300 Village Road West. Coming right up Oct. 23 will be the second opera, Mussorgsky's Boris Godonov with bass Rene Pape making his Met debut in the title role. Because of the length of the opera - five hours - this start time will be at noon. Tickets start at $15 at the box office.

•

University Musical Society continues its new season of performing arts with performances by the Jerusalem Quartet at 8 p.m. Oct. 21 in Rackham Auditorium. On the program are works by Mendelssohn (E minor, op. 44, no. 2), Brahms (C minor, op. 51, no. 1) and Mark Kopytman's String Quartet No. 3. Tickets start at $20 at ums.org.

The Japanese dance company Sankai Juku will return for performances at 8 p.m. Oct. 23 and 2 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Power Center. Tickets start at $18.

Items for News of Music should be sent to svallongo@theblade.com at least two weeks ahead of the performance date.