THURSDAY APRIL 14



SEATTLE SYMPHONY

Legendary German conductor Helmuth Rilling leads the band and a slate of soloists in Mendelssohn's epic, roof-rattling oratorio Elijah. Not to be missed. Also Fri Apr 15 at 8 pm and Sun April 17 at 2 pm. Benaroya Hall, Third Ave and Union St, 215-4747, 7:30 pm, $15-$85.

TEMPERED STEEL

Ffej, instrument builder Frank Junk, and avant guitarist Dennis Rea team up in an experimental and electrified thumb-piano ensemble that unfurls blipping polyrhythmic soundscapes. Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave at E Union St, 322-1533, 8 pm, $5-$15 sliding-scale donation.

SATURDAY APRIL 16



GUTBUCKET

Canny math-rock with a caterwauling saxophone, this NYC-based jazz punk quartet perform a live score to the French full-length cartoon Johnny the Giant Killer. Gutbucket strews their tunes with unexpected interludes--I especially liked the lo-fi nod to Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain" on their recent disc Dry Humping the American Dream (Cantaloupe). Also Sun Apr 17 at 1 pm. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 267-5380, 1 pm, $7/$10.

THE ESOTERICS

Ambitious avatars of thematic programming, conductor Eric Banks and company inaugurate a season of concerts devoted to works rooted in various religious faiths. "Sanatan: The hymnody of Hinduism" features choral music centered on Indian mythology, including Mumbai composer Vanraj Bhatia's Six Rig Veda Hymns and Hymns from the Rig Veda by Gustav Holst, who, alas, remains chiefly known for "The Planets." Also Sun Apr 17 at Holy Rosary Church in West Seattle at 3 pm. St. Joseph's Church, 732 18th Ave E, 935-7779, 8 pm, $10-$20.

PAUL PLIMLEY

I was floored by this BC-based pianist's gig at Polestar last October. Plimley's formidable technique draws upon Bartokian ostinati, down-home blues, boppish melodies, and the occasional forearm cluster in equal measure. He gives a talk "to be continued" and plays a set with bassist Nathan Levine and percussionist Paul Kikuchi. Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave at E Union St, 322-1533, 8 pm, $5-$15 sliding-scale donation.

ADRIANA HULSCHER

Violinist from the Saint Helens String Quartet tackles pieces by Joan Tower, Maurice Ravel, Ben Weber, Oliver Knussen, and Samuel Barber. Kerry Hall at Cornish College, 710 E Roy St, 325-6500, 8 pm, free.

SUNDAY APRIL 17



SORELLE

More seldom-heard chamber music from this quartet: Primavera by Joaquín Rodrigo, Lukas Foss' 1986 Renaissance Flute Concerto, and Six Songs from the Red Planet, a speculative transcription of Martian folk songs from Composers Salon emcee Tom Baker. Sorelle usually include a "hit" on the program; this time it's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 by Samuel Barber. Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E Prospect St, Volunteer Park, 985-7003, 6 pm, $10/$15.

MONDAY APRIL 18



UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY

Peter Erös conducts two Mozart symphonies, No. 40 in G major and No. 38, nicknamed "Prague." Meany is perfect for mid-size orchestral music; sit somewhere in the middle and not too far back, no closer than the sixth row. Meany Theater, UW Campus, 543-4880, 7:30 pm, $8/$10.