Feb. 22: Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic celebrate the 75th year of the orchestra and the 50th year of Mehta’s conducting career with a program that features the North American premiere of a new orchestral version of Israeli composer Avner Dorman’s “Azerbaijani Dance,” as well as Lizst’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with guest artist Yefim Bronfman and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall (57th Street and Seventh Avenue). For information, (212) 247-7800, www.carnegiehall.org
Feb. 22: The East Village Klezmer series presents a double-bill of Christian Dawid, in from Berlin to play with Zev Zions and Aaron Alexander, and Klezwoods, from Boston with Flip Kessler. This series goes on all spring and into the summer, and Alexander curates the heck out of it. A great band (or bands) every week with a lot of special programs lined up too. Sixth Street Community Synagogue (325 E. Sixth St.), 8:30 p.m. For information, (212) 473-3665, http://sixthstreetsynagogue.org.
March 6: Celebrate Women’s History Month, Yiddish style, with a free concert by Isle of Klezbos. Eve Sicular will be playing at the Queens Public Library. Central Library (89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica), 3 p.m. For information, (718) 990-0700, http://queenslibrary.org.
March 13: Judith Clurman leads her chorus Essential Voices USA in the New York premieres of two liturgical pieces by Pulitzer Prize-winner Shulamit Ran. In addition, Ran will be present for a conversation with Clurman. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (One W. Fourth St.), 7 p.m. For information, (212) 674-5300, www.huc.edu, www.essentialvoicesusa.com.
April 2: The Afro-Semitic Experience at the Claire Shulman Playhouse main stage. I’ve seen these guys live more times than I can count and I’ve never seen them give a bad show. Queens Theatre in the Park (Flushing Meadows, Corona Park). For information, (718) 760-0064 or www.queenstheatre.org.
April 5-6: Michael Tilson Thomas will host and conduct “The Thomashefkys: Music and Memories of a Life in Yiddish Theater" with the New York Philharmonic. Directed by Patricia Birch, this multimedia evening celebrates his grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, by following these Eastern European immigrants who played major roles in the development of American Yiddish theater, a central part of life on the Lower East Side. Avery Fisher Hall (Lincoln Center), Tuesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 6, 7:30 p.m. For information, (212) 875-5656, www.nyphil.org.
April 10: The Andy Statman Project. If there is a better mandolin player in the world than Andy Statman, I haven’t heard him. Pair him with Dave Grisman and you have some serious picking ahead. City Winery (155 Varick St. at Vandam St.). For information, (212) 608-0555, www.citywinery.com.
April 16: Gil Shaham, one of the world’s great violinists, in a duo recital with his sister Orli Shaham at the piano for a program of Israeli and Jewish composers, including Joseph Achron, George Perlman, Ernest Bloch and a world premiere of a new work by Avner Dorman. 92nd Street Y (92nd and Lexington Ave.). For information, (212) 415-5500 or go to www.92y.org.
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