Whether you’re in the mood for a Renaissance evening, imaginative chamber music, or an a cappella women’s choir, this week offers an unusually wide spectrum.

Spotlight: Chamber Orchestra of Europe — Wednesday, Marian Anderson Hall

In 1981, a group of young musicians — veterans of the European Community Youth Orchestra who wanted to continue working together — founded the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, which is now one of the most prestigious ensembles in the world. In its early days, the late Claudio Abbado was the lodestar for the group, which has attracted eminent conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Sir Antonio Pappano, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir András Schiff, and Robin Ticciati. Another name on that starry list happens to be Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who will lead the ensemble in an all-Brahms program, starting with the Tragic Overture and ending with the First Symphony. In between, two magnificent soloists will be on tap for the Double Concerto: violinist Veronika Eberle and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras.

Need a little more encouragement? Though the ensemble’s current tour includes Prague, Luxembourg, and Paris, their sole United States appearances are in New York, Ann Arbor — and Philadelphia.

Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m., Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $29-$132; tickets and information.

Anthony McGill, Randall Goosby, and Joshua Mhoon — Tuesday, Perelman Theater

In a month dense with “can’t miss” events from the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, this arresting evening speaks for itself. Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, joins violinist Randall Goosby and pianist Joshua Mhoon for an unusual menu of Stravinsky, Khachaturian, and Menotti, with a world premiere by the Juilliard-based composer Christopher Armstrong. Tying the evening together, the program ends with Portraits of Langston by Valerie Coleman, Armstrong’s teacher.

Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, sold out, to join the waitlist, contact boxoffice@pcmsconcerts.org or call 215-569-8080; more information. 

Ebru Yildiz

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Courtesy of the artist

Lorelei Ensemble — Friday, Church of the Holy Trinity

Philadelphia has no shortage of renowned choral groups, and here is your chance to hear the Lorelei Ensemble, one of the most forward-looking women’s choirs in the country, with director Beth Willer. The eclectic lineup includes works by Jessica Meyer, Hannah Lash, and Scott Ordway rubbing shoulders with plainchant, folk tunes, and hymns, along with world premieres by Laura Jobin-Acosta, Greg Brown, and Jocelyn Hagen. The acoustic at the Church of the Holy Trinity should be ideal to show off the singers’ a cappella sheen.

Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., Church of the Holy Trinity, 1904 Walnut Street; $30; tickets and information.

Vox Renaissance Consort — Saturday at Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Dec. 14 at Bryn Mawr College

Among a bouquet of offerings next weekend (or traffic jam, if you prefer), the Vox Renaissance Consort presents an unusual holiday slate from the 16th and 17th centuries, with rarities by William Brade, Anthony Holborne, and Michael East, among many others. In addition to a double choir and soloists, an instrumental ensemble uses period instruments (and attire), for an experience that will take you straight to the time period. The 90-minute, no-intermission concert concludes with four traditional Romanian carols, honoring the heritage of the group’s conductor and artistic director, Valentin Radu.

Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m., Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St Martins Lane, $12.20-$32.60; tickets and information. 

Dec. 14 at 4 p.m., Great Hall, Bryn Mawr College, 212 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, $12.20-$32.60; tickets and information.

Joshua Roman: Immunity — Dec. 14, WHYY

“I woke up the next morning and I couldn’t smell my toothpaste,” said renowned cellist Joshua Roman, after a 2021 concert when he realized he had contracted COVID-19. As time went on, the symptoms persisted, and he realized the virus had changed him in profound ways. Roman — also a composer and Arnhold Creative Associate at the Juilliard School — has now lived with Long COVID for three years. As a response to his illness, in 2024 he released an album called Immunity, with some of his own works plus those by J.S. Bach, Allison Loggins-Hull, George Crumb, Caroline Shaw, Leonard Cohen, woven together as a narrative. Philadelphia is one of six cities in which Roman is presenting his program, focusing on “bridge-building between the arts and health.”

Dec. 14 at 1 p.m., WHYY, 150 North 6th Street, free with registration; tickets and information.

Sim Cannety Clarke

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Courtesy of the artist

Juilliard String Quartet with Marc-André Hamelin — Dec. 14, Perelman Theater

Founded in 1946, the celebrated Juilliard String Quartet has undergone a few personnel changes in recent years. Cellist Astrid Schween joined in 2016, first violinist Areta Zhulla signed on in 2018, and in 2022, violist Molly Carr replaced the late Roger Tapping. The newest member is second violinist Leonard Fu, who joined the group (and the Juilliard faculty) in the fall of 2025. But wait, there’s more: they’ll be joined by pianist Marc-André Hamelin in works by Shostakovich, Bach, and Franck, along with the Philadelphia premiere of Birds on the Moon, the second string quartet by violinist and composer Michelle Ross, who dedicated it to Tapping.

Though the afternoon has been sold out for months, don’t let that stop you from contacting the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society to get on the wait list.

Dec. 14 at 3 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, sold out, to join the waitlist, contact boxoffice@pcmsconcerts.org or call 215-569-8080; more information.