Adam Rose
Links Hall
Take a walk on the witchy side with dancer and choreographer Rose, whose new piece, Against Being, digs into the unsettling dark side of the human mind. October 30 to November 1. $10 to $12. linkshall.org
George Lewis
Museum of Contemporary Art
The experimental piece Afterword, an Opera is the work of several artists—including composer Lewis, whose book about the South Side ensemble the AACM provides the libretto—and premieres in conjunction with the museum’s exhibit The Freedom Principle. October 16 to 17. $30. mcachicago.org
Barak adé Soleil
Evanston Art Center
The disabled dancer and performance artist weaves disability culture and tales of the African diaspora into The Black/Body: Re-staged, a three-hour performance cycle of new material. November 5 to 8. Free. evanstonartcenter.org
Chicago Sinfonietta
Symphony Center
The never-dull orchestra invites flamenco and tap dancers to its stage on a program that includes contemporary composer Roberto Sierra’s Fandangos and Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird. October 5. $18 to $60. chicago sinfonietta.org
Alexander Djordjevic and Paul Barnes
PianoForte Studios
Expect a mellow evening as pianists Djordjevic and Barnes pay homage to the prodigious grandfather of minimalist music Philip Glass. October 4. $20. pianofortefoundation.org
Stephen Petronio Company
Columbia College
In Bloodlines, Petronio, known for his magnetic, fast-paced pieces, pays tribute to the iconic postmodern choreographers who influenced him. October 1 to 3. $30. colum.edu/dance-center
Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor
Museum of Contemporary Art
Partners in dance and in life, Sheinfeld and Loar bare it all (literally!) in their reimagining of the revered Israeli duet Two Room Apartment. October 22 to 25. $30. mcachicago.org
Palomar Ensemble
University of Chicago
Contemporary Korean composers get the Palomar treatment (the group plays only the works of living composers). November 6. $15. acmusic.org
Ted Hearne
Harris Theater
Musicians from the CSO play Chicago native Hearne’s Law of Mosaics, a collage of classical pieces chopped up and reimagined for the digital age. November 23. $26. cso.org
Camille A. Brown
Columbia College
Using dance touchstones such as juba, stepping, and tap, the NYC choreographer explores black female identity in urban America in Black Girl: Linguistic Play. November 5 to 7. $30. colum.edu/dance-center
Chad Lawson
PianoForte Studios
This Internet sensation deconstructed 10 Chopin works, turning them into minimalist modern pieces. He plays them here. October 22. $20. pianofortefoundation.org
Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Evgeny Kissin
Symphony Center
The big-name, big-haired pianist pounds out Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, one of the Russian composer’s most popular. October 15. $39 to $295. cso.org
Ballet Folklórico de México
Auditorium Theatre
Expect arrestingly beautiful costumes combined with flawless executions of danza, mestizo, and bailes regionales dances. September 26 to 27. $30 to $73. auditoriumtheatre.org
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony Center
Beloved for his flashy style, Zubin Mehta leads the orchestra through Ravel’s La Valse and Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony. November 15. $51 to $175. cso.org
Twyla Tharp
Auditorium Theatre
Twelve dancers who have worked with the modern dance deity perform two world premieres on a tour commemorating the company’s 50th anniversary. November 5 to 8. $33 to $103. auditoriumtheatre.org
Beyond the Aria
Harris Theater
Lyric Opera soloists Amanda Majeski and Luca Pisaroni unplug for a night of curated selections from the pop, jazz, and Broadway songbooks. October 12. $40. harristheaterchicago.org
Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Marin Alsop
Symphony Center
The first female musical director of a major American orchestra, Alsop steers the CSO in a program of masterworks, including Gershwin’s buoyant Rhapsody in Blue, featuring pianist Jon Kimura Parker. November 27. $36 to $255. cso.org
Joffrey Ballet
Auditorium Theatre
Ditching the fey conventions of classical ballet in favor of athletic women as huntresses, John Neumeier’s Sylvia is a game changer. October 14 to 25. $32 to $155. auditoriumtheatre.org
Xavier de Maistre
Symphony Center
The lauded French harpist proves that the ethereal-sounding instrument can go dark, playing Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera’s blistering harp concerto. September 24. $34 to $217. cso.org
Pacifica Quartet
University of Chicago
The elegant chamber group welcomes British pianist Paul Lewis for an afternoon of works by Beethoven and Mozart. October 18. $30. chicagopresents.uchicago.edu
Sharon Isbin
Harris Theater
Classical guitar’s reigning superstar teams up with vocalist Isabel Leonard to perform Of Love and Longing, written for the pair by touted composer Richard Danielpour. November 16. $35 to $125. harristheaterchicago.org
Hubbard Street Dance
Harris Theater
See works by living legend William Forsythe and watch the U.S. premiere of N.N.N.N., a dance for four men. October 15 to 18. $30 to $99. harristheaterchicago.org
Giordano Dance
Harris Theater
One of the few groups that continue to pull off “jazz hands,” the Chicago company brings its signature high energy to a new work by choreographer Roni Koresh. October 23 to 24. $15 to $75. harristheaterchicago.org
Joshua Bell
Symphony Center
Bloomington, Indiana’s most famous classical expat plays sonatas by Beethoven, Fauré, and Strauss. October 30. $40 to $116. cso.org
The Marriage of Figaro
Civic Opera House
Bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni stars as the Count and soprano Amanda Majeski as the Countess in Mozart’s famous opera buffa. September 26. $20 to $299. lyricopera.org