Classical

It was nice to see a warmer side to the cellist's chill, hyper-modern aesthetic as she introduced songs and asked the audience for vocal and smartphone participation. At the end she sent us out to wander the crowded desert of Greenwich Village, inspired by her musicianship but even more so by her distinctive dark aesthetic.

Two amazingly talented artists performed music of Vladimir Drozdoff as well as of better-known Slavic composers in the Romantic tradition, including Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky.

Written only nine years apart, these two concerti express very different aspects of Romanticism, and Widmann, who in 2013 was named Artist of the Year at the International Classical Music Awards, brings a powerful enthusiasm to them that's evident throughout.

Over its 50 years, the Mostly Mozart Festival has built a large following, enjoyed an international reputation and presented A-list performers, all while tending to the shifting expectations of trendy New Yorkers. Under festival director Jane Moss and music director Louis Langrée, it genially circumvents the self-imposed restriction of its catchy name.

The three musicians did right by Brahms as they played some of the composer's most beautiful and dynamic music for violin, cello, and piano in Brooklyn's floating waterfront concert hall.

The influence of Turkish music on Turkish-American composer Karman Ince's work brightens his intriguing, rewarding, and often fun pieces with vivid color.

With its new album, the brass-quintet-plus-percussionist hits a sweet spot between esoteric modern composition and easy-to-digest musical fun.

An intriguing plunge into the many sharp and woolly possibilities of the cello in the age of electronics and genre-blending.

Joseph Keckler, a bass-baritone with a three-and-a-half-octave vocal range, stretches boundaries like a psychedelic dream.

Magic captures the imagination like nothing else. Brian Tyler and the accompanying musicians also capture us with another memorable musical score for the Now You See Me film series with the musical score for the magic-filled mystery/thriller/comedy Now You See Me 2 (also internationally known with the improved title Now …