Classical October 

The North Coast's fall classical music scene explodes this weekend when an array of critically acclaimed musicians from distant Jerusalem, backyard Canada and down-home Humboldt County offer works from Baroque to contemporary and everything in between.

Eureka's Calvary Lutheran Church sizzles Friday, Oct. 7, when the young and hip Canadian Borealis String Quartet returns to Humboldt County with its take on Beethoven, Mendelssohn and a contemporary piece called "String Quartet No. 1, A Falcon, a Storm, or a Great Song," by Imant Raminsh.

Latvian-born Raminsh lives and works in Canada. Among his recent commissions are works for conductor Philip Brunelle, cellist Shauna Rolston and bassoonist George Zukerman, as well as for the Choeur St.-Laurent de Montréal.

This event opens the 19th season of the Eureka Chamber Music Series. And for students it is only five bucks to hear a dynamic, passionate and refined string quartet that performs in sold-out concert halls throughout Canada, North America and Europe to critical acclaim.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 716 South Ave., Eureka. Meet the artists at a reception following the performance. Admission: $30, students $5. Tickets available at the door. For further information about this concert or season tickets call 445-9650.

Eureka Symphony opens its 2011-2012 season Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7 and 8, at 8 p.m. in the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts, with a concert featuring Humboldt County's resident virtuoso violinist Terrie Baune performing Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons."

Baune is concertmaster for the Eureka Symphony, and also holds positions as concertmaster of the North State Symphony, co-concertmaster of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and violinist in Earplay, a San Francisco-based new music chamber ensemble. She serves as associate director of the Humboldt Chamber Music Workshop.

Rounding out the program the symphony will perform selections from Aram Khachaturian's ballet suite "Spartacus" under the baton of Carol Jacobson.

For ticket information call the Arkley at 442-1956.

Listen and learn Sunday, Oct. 9, when Director of the Jerusalem Baroque Ensemble David Shemer visits the Humboldt State University campus to present a series of free performances and lectures. The event begins with Shemer's harpsichord recital at 2 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall. He will perform several selections by J.S. Bach including "Partita No. 1 and No. 2." At 3 p.m. Shemer lectures on Israeli contemporary music, and at 4 p.m. he will conduct a Baroque music master class. All of these events are free of charge.