THURSDAY 5/17

SEATTLE SYMPHONY--The engaging Fusion-West to East: East to West festival presents Asian and Asian-inspired contemporary music including Graeme Koehne's Powerhouse: Perpetuum Mobile for Orchestra, Lou Harrison's Suite for Violin and Strings, and Akira Nishimura's Canticle of Light. Noted pipa (Chinese lute) virtuoso Wu Man is the featured soloist in the U.S. premiere of Bright Sheng's Nanking! Nanking! Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 215-4747, 7:30 pm, $15-49.

FRIDAY 5/18

OPUS 7--Vocal ensemble performs folk songs for unaccompanied chorus, including music by Szymanowski, Kodaly, and Ligeti along with Samuel Barber's Reincarnations and Rautavaara's Serenade to Beer for men's voices, whistling, knee-slapping, and pitched belches. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 782-2899, www.opus7.org, 8 pm, $17 general, $12 students/seniors. Also Sat May 19 (St. Mark's Cathedral) and Sun May 20 (Bastyr Chapel).

SATURDAY 5/19

LAKE UNION CIVIC ORCHESTRA--Civic indeed, as this concert is a benefit for Children's Hospital. Music by Robert Schumann (Manfred Overture), composer-in-residence Sheila Espinoza (Lord Byron in Three Vignettes), and 1830's bad boy of Classical music, Hector Berlioz (Harold in Italy). Town Hall, Eighth and Seneca, 667-4783, 7:30 pm, $12.

SEATTLE SYMPHONY--The final Fusion festival concert is jam-packed (seven pieces!) featuring world music pioneer Colin McPhee's Nocturne (Why no Tabuh-Tabuhan?) and the ubiquitous Tan Dan, whose Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra showcases pipa soloist Wu Man. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 215-4747, 7:30 pm, $18.

SUNDAY 5/20

ORCHESTRA SEATTLE--Renowned for his swaggering tone poems (Ein Heldenleben, Also Sprach Zarathustra, etc.) Richard Strauss has a seldom-heard sweeter side too, which is why the programming of his Duett-Concertino is most welcome. Huntley Beyer's The Mass of Life and Death kicks things off. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 682-5208, 3 pm, $5-$20.

WEDNESDAY 5/23

ZAGREB EVERYWHERE--A multi-disciplinary 'creation' and presentation of Zagreb, Croatia by UW Slavic Department faculty Gordana Crnkovic, composer David Hahn, and video artist Victor Ingrassia. Crnkovic reads short texts (overheard dialogues, anecdotes, jokes, fantastic tales, impressions, reflections, etc.), which are layered with sounds, music, and images collected in Zagreb. Maybe you'll see Elvis. Mary Gates Hall, Room 231, UW campus, 8 pm, free.

COMPOSERS WORKSHOP--Student composers present their acoustic and electronic music. Brechemin Auditorium, UW campus, 685-8384, 7:30 pm, free.

OUT OF TOWN

AUTECHRE: Thurs May 17, B Complex, Portland

IAN MOORE: Thurs May 17, Berbati's Pan, Portland

THE LIVING END, TSUNAMI BOMB: Thurs May 17, Starfish Room, Vancouver, BC

ENSIGN: Thurs May 17, Pine Street Theater, Portland

STABBING WESTWARD: Fri May 18, Berbati's Pan, Portland; Sat May 19, Starfish Room, Vancouver, BC

BROOKS & DUNN'S NEON CIRCUS & WILD WEST SHOW: Sat May 19, Gorge Amphitheater

BL'AST, LEVELER, PORTRAIT OF POVERTY: Sat May 19, Satyricon, Portland

DEE DEE RAMONE, CITY GIRLS' BOYS: Mon May 21, 4th Avenue Tavern, Olympia

THE FUCKING CHAMPS, DRUNK HORSE: Tues May 22, Pine Street Theater, Portland

CHARLIE HUNTER: Wed May 23, Richard's on Richards, Vancouver, BC

TAB BENOIT, JIMMY THACKERY: Wed May 23, Aladdin Theatre, Portland

Headed to Portland? www.portlandmercury.com.