Cypress String Quartet. Photo by Basil Childers

Yes, the big show is certainly the American Mavericks festival taking place at Davies, but there are two other classical concerts coming up this weekend that are also well worth your time.

The first is the return of the Cypress String Quartet's "Call and Response" program, which takes place Friday night, March 16th, at the Herbst Theater. This year Cypress will perform Phillipe Hersant's String Quartet No. 3, commissioned by Cypress as the "response" to the other two works on the program: Haydn's Op. 20, No. 1 and Beethoven's Op. 127. Hersant will lead a pre-concert talk beginning at 7:15. You can purchase tickets here.

Then on Sunday, March 18th, at 4:30, Brenden Guy presents "A Celebration of Bay Area Music," taking place just down the street from Davies at The First Unitarian Universalist  Church at 1187 Franklin Street (on Cathedral Hill between O'Farrell and Geary). You can easily make this after the final Mavericks performance, which will end around 4:00. Featuring a stellar line up of local musicians, the event is free, though suggested donations of $5-$10 will go to the Winter Homeless Shelter Fund.

Check out the program (and who's performing it):