5 best Twin Cities classical concerts this week

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra brings four elite string soloists to Minneapolis' relaxed Icehouse concert venue for a program juxtaposing Bela Bartok's spiky "Duos for Two Violins" with a selection of waltzes by Austrian dance music composer Joseph Lanner. (7:30 p.m. Thu., Icehouse, Mpls.; $20, 651-291-1144 or thespco.org)

The Minnesota Orchestra tips its hat to the great Leonard Bernstein with a performance of his atmospheric music for the Oscar-winning movie "On the Waterfront" (1954). Led by Osmo Vänskä, this all-American program also includes Copland's ebullient "Billy the Kid" Suite and two concertos — one featuring top soloist Sharon Bezaly in the world premiere of a flute concerto by "House of Cards" composer Jeff Beal, the other showcasing the orchestra's first associate concertmaster, Susie Park, in Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat.; Orchestra Hall, Mpls.; $12-$96, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)

Reinaldo Moya trained as a musician in the famous "El Sistema" of his native Venezuela. Currently an assistant professor at Augsburg University and composer-in-residence at the Schubert Club, Moya will give a talk titled "The Artist as Activist," touching upon his career and music — with examples played by pianist Matthew McCright. (7 p.m. Fri., East Side Freedom Library, St. Paul; free, schubert.org)

The Bach Society of Minnesota joins forces with Ensemble Caprice — a baroque ensemble from Montreal — for a program showcasing J.S. Bach's Ascension Oratorio. Conductor Matthias Maute, founder of the Canadian group and current artistic director of the Bach Society, leads these combined forces, featuring a clutch of Twin Cities-based soloists including soprano Linh Kauffman, tenor Nicholas Chalmers and bass Aaron Larson. Also featured are the Bach church cantatas "Wo gehest du hin?" and "Wir danken dir, Gott." (7:30 p.m. Fri., Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University, St. Paul; 7 p.m. Sun., St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Corcoran; $5-$25, bachsocietymn.org)

Lyra Baroque rounds out its 2017-18 season with an "Italian Concerto Collage" featuring music by leading baroque composers. That includes Vivaldi, Corelli, Locatelli and Stradella. Baroque cello legend Jaap ter Linden leads the orchestra. (7:30 p.m. Fri., Zumbro Lutheran Church, Rochester; 7:30 p.m. Sat., Sundin Hall, Hamline University, St. Paul; 2 p.m. Sun., Rushford-Peterson School, Rushford, Minn.; $5-$25, lyrabaroque.org)

TERRY BLAIN