In the mood for some classical? Here's what's on tap this month.

Cypress String Quartet

Contemporary music is a natural extension of older works, each one building on what came before. Devoted to adding to the contemporary canon, The Cypress String Quartet is performing its 12th annual Call and Response, featuring a new commissioned work by Jeffrey Cotton that was inspired by the other pieces in the program. 

Cotton’s Serenade for String Quartet responds to Bloch’s Landscapes, itself a response to the Nanook of the North craze of the time, and Debussy’s String Quartet, Op. 10, which he composed after hearing the Javanese Gamelan at the Paris Exposition in 1889. The elegant and powerful Cypress String Quartet will perform all the calls, along with the premiere of Cotton’s response. Thus, music evolves. 

May 5. Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets are $20-40 at 415-392-4400 or cityboxoffice.com. 

Edgar Meyer

The New Yorker has called Edgar Meyer “the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively unchronicled history of his instrument.” Basically, Meyer is to the bass what Yo Yo Ma is to the cello. A charismatic performer with an ingenious, genre-bending style, Meyer's program features works from composers like Bach and Bottesini, as well as some of Meyer's own compositions. 

May 14. Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets are $35-60 at 415-392-2545.

Kate Royal

London-born lyric soprano Kate Royal sports expressive and very talented vocal chords. When Royal made her debut at Glyndebourne as a last-minute replacement for an ill singer, she was an instant hit. Soon she was touring and later signed a recording contract with EMI Classics. The Independent says “hers is a generous, open, frank voice that sounds as though it could burst into laughter or tears at any second…she’s a persuasive storyteller.” Prepare to be persuaded. 

May 24. Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Avenue. Tickets are $35-60 at 415-392-2545.