Stars of the classical music world descend on the Twin Cities this fall, with shows featuring Grammy- and Pulitzer-winning composer Caroline Shaw, performing with Sō Percussion, YouTube sensation Yunchan Lim, and New York Times best-selling author and pianist Jeremy Denk. The season also brings a new South Asian folk opera, film and music pairings, Schubert inspirations and more.

SPCO: Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with Tabea Zimmermann

Tabea Zimmermann (Marco Borggreve / SPCO)

Violist Tabea Zimmermann, an artistic partner of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, returns to perform and direct four pieces of music, including two Mozart works. She’ll perform the overture to “Don Giovanni” and will team with concertmaster Steven Copes to perform Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante. The orchestra also takes on Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony and Grażyna Bacewicz’s 1965 piece, Divertimento for Strings. 7 p.m. Sept. 13 & 14, 2 p.m. Sept 15, Ordway Concert Hall, $13-$61, 651-291-1144 or thespco.org.

Minnesota Orchestra: Søndergård, Lim, and Rachmaninoff

Yunchan Lim (Lisa-Marie Mazzucco)

Viral star Yunchan Lim was the youngest pianist ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, at the age of 18 in 2022, performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto The video has reached 15 million views. Now, the young star joins the Minnesota Orchestra to perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, conducted by music director Thomas Søndergård. The orchestra also performs three Italy-themed works, including “Liguria,” inspired by fishing villages in Northwestern Italy, by Andrea Tarrodi, the Roman Carnival Overture by Hector Berlioz, and “Pines of Rome,” a tone poem by Ottorino Respighi. 8 p.m. Sept. 20, 7 p.m. Sept. 21, Orchestra Hall, $61-$131, 612-371-5600 or minnesotaorchestra.org.

Conductor with orchestra

The Mushroom that Swallowed the Moon Whole

Promotional image for “The Mushroom that Swallowed the Moon Whole” (Courtesy photo)

Composer Ritika Ganguly, in collaboration with Nida Sajid, has woven together a story set during mosquito season, where mushrooms and moonlight paint an imagery-rich landscape. Shinjan Sengupta wrote the lyrics for the new folk opera, and collaborated with Ganguly on the music. Local theater artist Masanari Kawahara directs the fantastical work touching on environmental and political themes. 7 p.m. Sept. 20, 1 p.m. Sept. 21, Luminary Arts Center, 612-333-6669 or luminaryartscenter.com.

The Frederic Chopin Society: Jonathan Biss

Jonathan Biss (Benjamin Ealovega / The Frederic Chopin Society)

You may recall Jonathan Biss from the Beethoven/5 commissioning project, where the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra commissioned five contemporary composers to write new Beethoven-inspired concertos that Biss performed. Biss’ new project, “Echoes of Schubert,” invites composers to create new music paired with Franz Schubert’s solo piano works. From this project, Biss will perform Tyson Gholston Davis’ “Expansions of Light” as part of his recital hosted by the Chopin Society, along with several works by Schubert himself. 3 p.m. Oct. 6, Macalester College’s Mairs Concert Hall, $40, 612-822-0123 or chopinsocietymn.org.

Schubert Club International Artist Series: Jeremy Denk

Jeremy Denk (Josh Goleman / Schubert Club)

Pianist Jeremy Denk highlights female composers for the Schubert Club’s International Artist Series, performing Clara Schumann as well as female classical composers Cécile Chaminade, Amy Beach, Ruth Crawford Seeger, and Louise Farrenc. Denk will perform contemporary composers as well, with Tania León, Missy Mazzoli, Meredith Monk and Phyllis Chen on the program. Denk will also play Robert Schumann’s “Ghost” Variations, as well as Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, composed by Johannes Brahms and dedicated to Clara Schumann. 3 p.m. Oct. 13, Ordway Concert Hall, $28-$61, 651-224-4222, ordway.org.

Sō Percussion & Caroline Shaw

Caroline Shaw teams up with Sō Percussion for music that features unusual and invented instruments, found sounds and graceful vocals. Co-presented by Schubert Club Mix and the Walker Art Center, the evening incorporates everything from Emily Dickinson to ABBA in its mix of pop and classical forms. 7:30 p.m. October 19, Walker Art Center, $25-$45, 612-375-7600, walkerart.org.

Minnesota Opera: Romeo and Juliet

Minnesota Opera’s 2016 production of “Romeo and Juliet” (Dan Norman / Minnesota Opera)

Minnesota Opera brings William Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers on stage in composer Charles Gounod’s 1867 adaptation set to a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Last produced by Minnesota Opera in 2016, the opera — known for its scintillating duets, is performed in French with English captions. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 7, 9, & 10, The Ordway, 651-224-4222 or ordway.org.

Sun Dogs: Filmmaker and Composer Pairings With Alarm Will Sound

Alarm Will Sound performing at UCLA Nimoy Theater. (Wojciech Wandzel / Northrop)

Avant-garde musical group Alarm Will Sound perform a series of music pieces paired with film works, as part of “Sun Dogs,” presented by Liquid Music and Northrop. Among the projects is a new commission by French-American composer Daniel Wohl for organ, electronics, and sampled vocals called “Old Friend.” Grammy award-winning composer Arooj Aftab collaborates with Wohl on music paired with a film by Josephine Decker, while composers Rafiq Bhatia and Devonté Hynes are featured, as well. 7 p.m. Nov. 21, Northrop, $50, 612-624-2345 or northrop.umn.edu.

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