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Emanuel Ax is not just one of the finest classical music pianists of our (or any) time, he’s also a mensch — as gracious to talk to as he is inspiring to hear. The Polish-born, Canadian-raised virtuoso comes to the Bay Area Jan. 12 for a solo all-Schubert performance at Stanford’s Dinkelspiel Hall.

The coming months promise orchestra aficionados all around the Bay Area a wide array of music. In this list, “classic” scores. Whatever your taste or locale, there’s something intriguing beckoning you in the near future. Here are some of the many highlights ahead.

If this album garners the Grammy it’s been nominated for, it will not only properly reward Matt Haimovitz and his self-described big band of cellos, it will also help legitimize the concept of the award category “Classical Crossover.” Either way, it leaves us cheering for that Grammy — and for more quality crossover.

Composer Rodolphe Kreutzer — pretty much off the public’s radar, but very much on the violin student’s — is brought to life in a fantastic CD by Axel Strauss thanks to his incredible nimbleness in both hands and one utterly lovely cantabile.

Actually, this list, by two of SFCV’s top critics only covers the second half of the year. But just 10 picks for the entire year? That would be impossible.

Celebrate the New Year with the S.F. Chamber Orchestra, and you’ll also have a chance to see local and internationally acclaimed cellist Nathan Chan before he leaves for Columbia University.

Magnificat’s Christmas concert, a celebration of a midnight Mass by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, sung by a solo quintet and accompanied by an all-star early-music band of seven players combined for an excellent ensemble.

Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic deliver a reading of Tchaikovsky's beloved score that is — wonder of wonders — fresh and deeply felt.

A powerful and inspirational performance by the American Bach Soloists brought Handel’s Messiah to life, in a lovely evening showcasing the voice of baritone James Maddalena.