Famed Cuban-American pianist Horacio Gutierrez kicks off the Rhode Island Philharmonic's classical series next month, while the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio helps celebrate the 10th anniversary of Westport's Concerts at the Point Oct. 8.

And the first of three appearances by the award-winning Muir String Quartet takes place at Rhode Island College Nov. 20. The Muir will be joined by French horn player Eric Ruske.

On Oct. 28 the Providence Singers tackle the granddaddy of all chorale works, Bach's monumental B Minor Mass, backed up by the Newport Baroque Orchestra at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. On Nov. 3 the group will be joining the hip Kronos Quartet for minimalist composer Terry Riley's Sun Rings, a work commissioned by NASA. That's also at Veterans Auditorium and part of the FirstWorksProv series.

Gutierrez, a pianist with a big sound and sweeping vision, will be heard in Rachmaninoff's familiar "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini" when the Philharmonic and Larry Rachleff launch their season Oct. 14. The program also includes Berlioz's "Roman Carnival Overture" and the Fifteenth Symphony of Shostakovich, a Rachleff specialty.

The Philharmonic season continues Nov. 17 with cellist Julie Albers playing the Hindemith Concerto. The program ends with the great Eroica Symphony of Beethoven, the composer's ground-breaking Third.

The Muir will also be in Westport Sept. 24 as part of the series' anniversary season, which includes appearances by the Gramercy Trio, Oct. 22, and Strata, a violin-clarinet-piano trio, Nov. 22.

The Rhode Island College series features a mix of classical and world music, with the Drummers of Burundi appearing Sept. 25. Pianist Ian Hobson joins the line up the afternoon of Oct. 1 as part of the Adams Piano Recital Series, designed to reintroduce audiences to the solo piano recital, something that has fallen by the wayside.

Oct. 17 at RIC, pianist Jeffrey Siegel presents one of his keyboard conversations devoted to the life and music of Beethoven. The program, which features a running commentary about the music, contains some of the composer's most upbeat scores.

Opera Providence is offering four productions this season, the first of which is a tango opera by Astor Piazzolla at the Columbus Theater Nov. 3 and 4. Pablo Zinger, who brought an evening of Zarzuela, or Spanish musical theater, to the Columbus last year, will direct.

And the Chorus of Westerly has two Handel works on tap Nov. 19, the composer's Dixit Dominus and one of the Coronation Anthems, with chorus founder George Kent on the podium. The concert takes place at the George Kent Performance Hall on High Street in Westerly.

cgray@projo.com / (401) 277-7492