Cross-cultural choirs

VocalEssence celebrates its Cantaré program, offering one-year residences for Mexican composers to work with high school and community ensembles around the Twin Cities. This year's participating choirs join forces with the VocalEssence Singers of This Age for a free bilingual concert. (7 p.m. Tue., Ordway Music Theater, St. Paul, free, 651-224-4222 or vocalessence.org)

Mexico connection

Back in the 1920s, Mexican immigrant Luis Garzón settled in Minnesota and opened a small grocery store in St. Paul. His business became a hub for others fleeing the Mexican Revolution, many of whom now toiled in the sugar beet farms of rural Minnesota. Schubert Club composer-in-residence Reinaldo Moya tells their story with "Tienda." This world premiere chamber opera is performed by soloists including bass-baritone Adrian Rosas and soprano Bergen Baker, with conductor Rafael Rodriguez directing an ensemble of six players. (7:30 p.m. Thu., TPT Studio A, St. Paul, $31, 651-292-3268 or schubert.org)

Bright young conductor

Conductor Joshua Weilerstein returns to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for a program featuring concertmaster Steven Copes playing Frank Martin's "Polyptyque for Violin and Two Small String Orchestras." Also on the program is music by Bach, Silvestrov and Mozart. (8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Ordway Concert Hall, St. Paul; $12-$50, 651-291-1144 or thespco.org)

'Inspired by Jazz'

Violinist Marc Levine joins pianist Gloria Shih for a recital exploring how jazz influenced classical composers. Ravel's Violin Sonata is the main work on the program, also featuring a selection of tangos by Piazzolla and Gershwin's "Three Preludes for Solo Piano." (7:30 p.m. Sat., Baroque Room, St. Paul, $5-$15, thebaroqueroom.com)

A second haunting

"Haunted Blue" is a set of art songs by Minneapolis jazz musician Jeremy Walker, set to texts by Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Greg Foley. Walker wrote them specifically for mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski. Together, they made a recording and successfully premiered the cycle last October. The Dakota hosts an encore performance, this time with the artists sharing behind-the-scenes stories about the project. (6 p.m. Sun., Dakota, Mpls.; $20, 612-332-5299 or dakotacooks.com)

TERRY BLAIN