At the Conservtory in November

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music always has a full calendar of interesting concerts by students, ensembles, and faculty members. (For example, I am still kicking myself for missing a performance of Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra.) If you're looking for value for money, honestly, the only competition in town is Old First Concerts or standing room at the Opera.

I've got a highlights email in hand for November that is pretty mouth-watering. I would be most interested in the following events:

Fall Opera Theatre
Music Director Darryl Cooper and stage director Michael Mohammed bring Humperdinck’s immortal classic Hansel and Gretel to life; Menotti’s comic one-act The Telephone, featuring directors Curt Pajer (music) and Heather Mathews (staging), rounds out a light-hearted evening.

Saturday, November 12, 7:30 p.m., Concert Hall, free*
Sunday, November 13, 2 p.m., Concert Hall, free* 

BluePrint | Nicole Paiement artistic director/conductor
Meet Parisian composer Philippe Hersant and immerse yourself in his lyrical music with Musical Humors, the latest offering from Nicole Paiement and the Conservatory’s New Music Ensemble. The program features six signature works by Hersant, including the American premieres of his concerto Musical Humors and chamber orchestra work Songlines. Guest appearances include Cypress String Quartet violinists Cecily Ward and Tom Stone as well as faculty violist Jodi Levitz, conductor Ragnar Bohlin, the Conservatory Chamber Choir and cellist Jean-Michel Fonteneau.

Saturday, November 19, 8 p.m., Concert Hall, $20/$15
Pre-concert talk at 7:15 p.m. with Composer Philippe Hersant


*= free, reservations required