Today is another irresponsibly light day when it comes to Can't Miss This! fare. It's not that we don't love you, it's just that we are very popular and everyone wants to spend time with us and, some days, it gets out of control. Like today. So, here's the short-and-sweet skinny on what you should do tonight instead of staying home to defragment your hard drive. Nerd. THE LEGACY OF 1808: THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION......

Monday As part of the Philadelphia Art Alliance's New Music Mondays, award-winning composer Michael Hersch comes to town to discuss his compositions and for the Philadelphia premieres of his Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2 for Unaccompanied Cello, performed by cellist Daniel Gaisford. Philadelphia Art Alliance (251 S. 18th St.); 7:30; $20 Wednesday The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents Milan Turkovic, bassoon, David Shifrin, clarinet, and Shai Wosner, piano in an evening of chamber music......

This is truly a week for chamber music in all shapes and sizes. Monday The Momenta Quartet, currently in residence at Temple University, presents a Philadelphia premiere by Martin Bresnick, plus world premieres by Richard Brodhead and Maurice Wright. Rock Hall Auditorium, Temple University; 7:30 PM; FREE Tuesday The newly-formed Curtis-based baroque trio La Mela di Newton gives its debut performance with works by Castello, Handel, Frescobaldi, and Rameau. Field Concert Hall (Curtis Institute of......

Phillyist may not always love Valentine’s Day, but we do love V-Day, Eve Ensler’s campaign to stop violence against women. Opening tonight, the University of Pennsylvania’s production of The Vagina Monologues will take place in Irvine Auditorium at 8PM. All proceeds will benefit Women Organized Against Rape, Philadelphia’s only rape crisis center. Tickets for this event always sell out, so it is strongly recommended that you reserve yours in advance! V-Day University of Pennsylvania 2007......

Some heavy-hitting orchestral and chamber pieces by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, and Sibelius, as well as the versatile and beautiful voice of Dawn Upshaw grace us with their presence this week. While events outside the Kimmel arena seem to be a bit slow, next week promises more off-the-beaten-track events. We might even get an opera or two soon… Monday The Philadelphia Art Alliance’s Connoisseur Series welcomes up-and-coming cellist Efe Baltacigil for a solo recital, joined......

A big editorial welcome to another new Phillyist blogger, Sydney de Lapeyrouse, who, as you'll see below, is taking on an aspect of Philly that has, until now, been sadly neglected by us... Have you been lying awake at night, just hoping that Phillyist would start covering classical music events? Well, rest easy tonight. Here is your weekend classical music edition. Friday Sadly, tonight’s Emerson String Quartet concert at the Kimmel center is sold out,......

Well, for better or for worse, Valentine's Day is over, folks. But the celebration of V-Day is just beginning. V-Day was created as an outgrowth of Eve Ensler's famous Vagina Monologues, and it's part of the global movement to stop violence against women and girls. You can hit the V-Day website to figure out how you can help, or join in already existing local events. For instance, U Penn is celebrating V-Day this year by......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Comix 101 Art Spiegelman, author and artist behind the ground-breaking, best-selling, Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel Maus (you read......