1 Lola Montez Does the Spider Dance

John Adams’s latest orchestral piece is the novelty in Marin Alsop’s concerts with the Britten-Pears Orchestra, alongside Masquerade by Anna Clyne, Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and (14 April only) Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra.
Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, 14-15 April

2 Brian Elias premiere

The latest commissioned work for the Britten Sinfonia’s lunchtime concerts is an oboe quintet by Brian Elias. It’s framed by Finzi’s Interlude and one of the greatest of Mozart’s string quintets, the C Minor K406/516b.
Wigmore Hall, W1, 19 April; The Halls, Norwich, 21 April

3 Isabelle Faust

There are few violinists today to match Isabelle Faust, both for her sheer musicality and the range of her repertoire. Here she joins the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment for Mozart’s violin concertos Nos 1 and 5.
Royal Festival Hall, SE1, 18 April

4 Vaughan Williams

The previous instalments of Andrew Manze’s Vaughan Williams cycle with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic have been widely admired. Now he adds the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies to his series – they make a wonderfully contrasted pair.
Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 20 April

5 Huw Watkins’ Symphony

Watkins is composer-in-association with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Cardiff, but it’s the Hallé in Manchester that commissioned his symphony and is giving its first performance, conducted by Mark Elder. In Manchester the premiere is paired with Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto, while in Sheffield it’s alongside Elgar’s First Symphony.
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 20 April; Sheffield City Hall, 21 April