Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

It's probably easier to define almost any country's music more easily than ours - so many idioms, so many influences, homegrown and imported. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's latest program on its Explorer Series sensibly focuses on just three elements in American music, creating an entertaining mix. Marin Alsop, one of the best musical tour guides in the business, covers our rich folk and hymn tune traditions with the help of Aaron Copland's timeless...

Saluting King The Baltimore Symphony Orches tra and the Soulful Symphony, led by Darin Atwater, will present the 22nd annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 8 tonight at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. The Morgan State University Choir, directed by Eric Conway, will also perform. Tickets start at $15. Call 410-783-8000 or go to bsomusic.org. FYI Susan Reimer's column does not appear today. See an archi ve of her recent columns at baltimoresun.com/reimer

Marin Alsop's every performance with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in her inaugural season as music director reveals more about her style, priorities and potential impact. It's an intriguing process to witness. Thursday night at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Alsop addressed repertoire that her predecessor, Yuri Temirkanov, led with indelible results. That couldn't help but prompt a little comparing and contrasting for some of us. The BSO performs at 8 tonight at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda; 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Tickets are $15-$84.

On Stage The BSO performs at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 3 p.m. Jan. 13 at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St, and also at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. $15 to $84. 410-783-8000 or bsomusic.org.

PERFORMANCE ASIAN 'WONDERS' Celebrate the holidays with an Asian twist at the show "Holiday Wonders," presented by New Tang Dynasty Television. Traditional Chinese performances are at the center of the show, which will be at the Lyric Opera House on Tuesday. A mixture of elaborate costumes, backdrops and choreography is given a Western holiday tweak. .................... "Holiday Wonders" starts at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave. Tickets are $48-$108 and are available through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.

Catch a glimpse into the extravagantly decorated homes of the Laurelford neighborhood during the Symphony Homes for the Holidays event. Presented by the Baltimore Symphony Associates, the 14th annual event is a fundraiser to benefit the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's education programs. Visitors will be able to tour five decorated homes, shop in a holiday boutique or enjoy refreshments at an on-site cafe, beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday and at 10 a.m.

How do you speak about the unspeakable? That was the creative challenge composer Aaron Jay Kernis faced in 1995 when he searched for the right musical language for Lament and Prayer, a piece marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust. It's one of two Kernis pieces the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, led by music director Marin Alsop, will perform this week. Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 is also on the program. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Performs at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Music Center at Strathmore.

In symmetrical fashion, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has followed up last week's overture-violin-concerto-symphony program with another. Adding to the connection, the soloist last week was the ensemble's concertmaster; the soloist this time is the associate concertmaster. Completing the similarity: sensitive and, in some cases, revelatory music-making. The BSO performs at 8 tonight and 3 p.m. tomorrow at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Tickets are $15-$57. Call 410-783-8000 or go to bsomusic.

Longtime singer and actress Liza Minnelli returns to Baltimore for the first time since the 1990s on Saturday. After releasing more than 20 albums, the award-winning Broadway performer recently released a DVD featuring some of her more recent work. Proceeds from the concert will go toward the Chimes School for children with disabilities. The performance is at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Tickets are $53-$78. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Call 410-547-7328 or go to ticketmaster .com.