MUSIC: Musical culture and history to be on exhibit in Windsor

Nov. 10—The Windsor Historical Society will present "Puritans, Polkas, and Pop: Music in Windsor," opening Wednesday with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m.

Were the Puritans allowed to listen to music? Why were drums and bugles so important? Where did your Windsor grandparents go to dance? Who are the famous Windsor musicians of yesteryear, and today? Answers to these questions and others await attendees at this special exhibit, which examines Windsor's diverse musical heritage from its earliest days to the present.

Special musical accompaniment will be provided by the Windsor Fife and Drum Corps, soundtracks with a take-home Windsor playlist, and thematic refreshments will available.

The Windsor Historical Society is at 96 Palisado Ave. (Route 159) and is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. General admission to the library and historic houses is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, and free to children younger than 12 and WHS members.

For more information, visit: windsorhistoricalsociety.org

Connecticut Opera

The Connecticut Lyric Opera's production of Giacomo Puccini's classic opera "Tosca," will be on stage Friday at 7:30 p.m. at The Bushnell's Belding Theater, 166 Capitol Ave., downtown Hartford.

About the opera: In a church in Rome under the watchful eye of a sacristan, the artist Cavaradossi is creating a new painting inspired by the beautiful Marchesa Angelotti. Unbeknownst to the painter, Marchesa's brother, a political prisoner, is hiding in a chapel within the church. When the tempestuous diva Tosca arrives, she is immediately consumed with jealousy over the woman in Cavaradossi's painting and suspects infidelity. In his quest to find the fugitive, the sadistic police inspector Scarpia weaponizes Tosca's passions to lure the painter, the prisoner, and the diva into a devastating trap. This timeless opera features arias, duets, and the sumptuous melodies that are synonymous with Puccini.

The opera will be performed in Italian with English supertitles.

For more information and tickets, go to: bushnell.org/shows-concerts/puccini-s-tosca

Musical Improv

Real Art Ways presents ImprovisationsNOW, a monthly music series curated by Joe Morris.

This month's performance is on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and features Matthew Shipp on piano, Anna Webber on tenor saxophone, and Joe Morris on bass.

Tickets are $15; Real Art Ways members $12; and full time students $5.

Real Art Ways is at 56 Arbor St., Hartford.

Cuatro Puntos

The Cuatro Puntos ensemble will perform with Hartford-based Sin Fronteras on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 45 Church St., Hartford.

Sin Fronteras interprets a wide repertoire of traditional Andean music, highlighting legendary instruments from this mountain range such as the quena, panpipes, and charango. The quartet celebrates the rich musical culture of its members' home countries: Peru, Ecuador and Chile. Sin Fronteras has been sharing the rhythms and melodies of Andean and Mestizo roots in concerts and school workshops around New England for nearly a decade.

The concert is free. To RSVP, go to: www.cuatropuntos.org/111322-rsvp.html

UConn faculty to perform

The Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts presents the UConn School of Fine Arts Faculty Showcase on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

The concert will feature Sophie Shao on cello, with John Blacklow on piano.

A diverse program of Romantic and 20th-century chamber works by composers George T. Walker, Nadia Boulanger, Alfred Schnittke, and Johannes Brahms is on the program

Doors open at 7 pm. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit: jorgensen.uconn.edu

The Buttonwood Tree

Knox Chandler and Bobo Lavorgna present "Soundribbons: Sessions In The Barn, An Evening of String Improvisations" on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center, 605 Main St., Middletown.

This is the first in a series of collaborative performances featuring Knox and Bobo. Admission is $10.

Chandler's career has spanned over four decades, including performing, recording, arranging, and producing, with acts such as REM, Depeche Mode, Grace Jones, Marianne Faithful, Natalie Merchant, Tricky, The Creatures, Dave Gahan Paper Monsters and The Golden Palominos

Lavorgna has performed and recorded with regional and national folk, rock, blues, and jazz groups for 50 years, most recently with Brian Larney, The Bargain, 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Mark Naftalin, Jake & the Family Jewels, Ebin-Rose Trio, The Modeans, Robert Silverman, Tommy Cosmo, The Mojomatics, and Bobo and the Unusuals.

For more information and tickets, visit: www.buttonwood.org

COMING UP

Manchester Symphony

The Manchester Symphony Orchestra will perform on Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Manchester Community College with guest conductor Brandon Halberg, one of two finalists for the MSOC's next orchestra music director. There will be a pre-concert talk from 7-7:15.

The program will include "Symphony No. 7 in D minor," Dana Kaufman's "Greyed Rainbow," and Telemann's "Viola Concerto in G major."

The viola soloist is William Sotiriou, who will also give a workshop for the students at Manchester High School.

Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $20; free for youth younger than 18, students of any age, and active or retired military personnel.

For more information, email info@msoc.org or visit the Manchester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale on its Facebook page or at its website: www.msoc.org