Spotlight on Roderick Cox

In a profession where African-Americans have been gravely underrepresented, Georgia-born conductor Roderick Cox's subscription concert debut with the Minnesota Orchestra has special significance. In a little over two years since first appearing with the orchestra, Cox has already graduated from assistant to associate conductor, and has a major debut with the Cleveland Orchestra later this month. For his three Minneapolis concerts, Cox is joined by pianist Joyce Yang in Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto. Also featured is Tchaikovsky's fiery, fateful Fourth Symphony. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat.; Orchestra Hall, Mpls.; $29-$96, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)

Opening night for 'Diana's Garden'

Vicente Martín y Soler is not the most familiar name in classical music. In his time, though, Soler was compared favorably to Mozart. He even used Mozart librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte for his opera "Diana's Garden." The piece is rarely staged today, but the Minnesota Opera steps into the breach with a new production starring soprano Leah Partridge as chaste goddess Diana and bass-baritone Craig Colclough as shepherd Doristo, temporarily turned into a sapling for daring to admire her. (7:30 p.m. Sat., Ordway Music Theater, St. Paul; $25-$200, 612-333-6669 or mnopera.org)

Violinist for the digital age

Classical music and the world of virtual reality intersect in "Portals," violinist Tim Fain's multimedia meditation on the meaning of live performance in the digital era. The program features film, dance and poetry — not to mention a piece written for Fain by Philip Glass as well as other American composers. (7:30 p.m. Thu., TPT Street Space, St. Paul; $30, 651-292-3268 or schubert.org)

Biss plays Beethoven

This marks the second installment in a five-year St. Paul Chamber Orchestra project pairing Beethoven's piano concertos with new Beethoven-inspired works. Outstanding pianist Jonathan Biss performs the world premiere of English composer Sally Beamish's Piano Concerto No. 3, "City Stanzas," as well as Beethoven's First Concerto. (11 a.m. Fri., 8 p.m. Sat., Ordway Concert Hall, St. Paul; 3 p.m. Sun., St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi; $13-$53, 651-291-1144 or thespco.org)

A French taste for music

Francophiles should make a beeline to the Musical Offering's first concert of 2017. A newly discovered Quintet for Piano and Winds by André Caplet is the major attraction. The inventive program also features works by François Devienne, Elsa Barraine and Mozart. (3 p.m. Sun., Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University, St. Paul; $10-$25, musicaloffering.org)

TERRY BLAIN