Students at the University of Michigan enrolled in a computer science and music course called "Building a Mobile Phone Ensemble" will be presenting a live concert on December 9th using only their iPhones as instruments. The class teaches the students how to program a custom application, in this case an instrument, from scratch. The concert is the culmination and showcase of what they learned. For the full story, including videos of the rehearsal, check out wired.com.

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it's time to get out the Christmas tree and holiday decorations (if you haven't done so already). And while you're hanging your Christmas lights and putting ornaments on the tree, why not put one of these classical music Christmas albums in your CD player? I'm sure you'll love these Top 10 Classical Christmas Music CDs as much as I do!

This Thanksgiving, PBS will broadcast one of two Christmas concerts: Andrea Bocelli and David Foster's My Christmas or Sting's A Winter's Night. Check your local PBS listings to get a schedule of the upcoming presentations.

Andrea Bocelli and David Foster's star-studded My Christmas will feature special guests including Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole, Katherine Jenkins, Reba McEntire, The Muppets, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. You'll hear performances of Christmas classics like "O Holy Night," "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," and more. Apart from the English selections, you'll also hear songs in Italian and German.

Recorded in one of England's most famous cathedrals (Durham Cathedral), Sting's A Winter's Night features familiar Christmas songs as well as works from many centuries past, and even new songs. Sting's Christmas concert will prove to be folksy, enchanting, and quite mellow - a perfect conclusion to a day of great food, family, and friends.

Learn more about PBS's Great Performances.

Since it is National Opera Week, after all, I've posted the Italian lyrics and English translation of Violetta's aria "Sempre Libera" from Verdi's opera, La Traviata. I first heard this aria about twelve years ago, sung non other by the great Dame Joan Sutherland. Do you remember the first time you heard "Sempre Libera"?

The Metropolitan Opera is showing free selections on Met Player, its online service that streams over 250 opera performances on demand, in celebration of National Opera Week. The Met Player will show three new selections every day until November 22. Next three performances on schedule for Monday, Nov. 16: "Orrida e questa notte" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, "Father, can this be the Shadow," from Tan Dun's The First Emperor, and "Per pieta, ben mio, perdona" from Mozart's Cossi fan tutti. Learn more about Met Player and the free selections for National Opera Week.

November 13 through November 22 is National Opera Week. Throughout the week long celebration of operatic arts in the United States, opera houses across the US will host free events and activities to opera lovers and newcomers alike to raise awareness and public interest. If you're interested in celebrating National Opera Week, check with your local (or nearest) opera company! Happy Opera Week, everyone!

I've been listening to soprano Natalie Dessay lately, in particular, "Les Oiseaux dans la charmille" from Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann (one of my favorites). I've been humming along with it for the past few years, but recently decided it was time to finally learn the French lyrics. So now, even though I still only hum the song, I know what she is singing! And because I'm so nice, I want to share both the French lyrics and English translation with you. Learn "Les Oiseaux dans la charmille."

Now in it's fourth season, The Met: Live in HD has been broadcasting live performances in high definition to theaters around the world since 2006. This Saturday, November 7th, the Met will present its third Live in HD broadcast of the season, Puccini's Turandot. Saturday's performance will star Maria Guleghina as the Chinese princess, Turandot, and Marcello Giordani as Calàf, the prince whose solos include the famous "Nessun dorma." I'm looking forward to viewing this production, as the last Turandot I saw at the Met was lackluster and pathetic. This year's production, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, who is known for his opulent productions, promises to deliver dramatic visuals along with fantastic music. Learn more about The Met: Live in HD, including upcoming performances, history, and ticket information.

In a recent article by Philip Boroff, it was reported that the average income for a Carnegie Hall stage hand in New York City is $430,543. This proves that being a stage hand isn't as nerdy as some people think!

In just a few weeks, November 10th to be exact, Asia's oldest orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, will embark on a historic tour of North America, starting at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Under the direction of Maestro Long Yu, the SSO will perform in twelve cities in the US and Canada (listed below) in celebration of the orchestra's 130th anniversary as well as the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Unfortunately, the SSO will not make it anywhere near the middle of the US, but those of you who live in California and New York have a special chance to see a rare US performance of the Chinese orchestra. The SSO has long been a cultural ambassador, and to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western music, they will perform both styles of music during the tour. Audiences can expect to hear Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, Chen Qigang's Iris dévoilée, and Bao Yuan Kai's China Air Suite.

SSO Performance Dates and Venues

Nov. 10 - New York City @ Carnegie Hall

Nov. 11 - Worchester, MA @ Mechanics Hall

Nov. 12 - New Brunswick, NJ @ State Theatre

Nov. 13 - Greenvale, NY @ North Fork Hall

Nov. 14 - Fairfax, VA @ Center for the Arts, George Mason Univ.

Nov. 16 - Toronto, ON, Canada @ Roy Thompson Hall

Nov. 19 - La Jolla, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall

Nov. 20 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Grenada Theatre

Nov. 21 - Davis, CA @ Jackson Hall

Nov. 22 - Berkeley, CA @ Zellerbach Hall

Nov. 24 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Segerstrom Concert Hall

Nov. 25 - Palm Desert, CA @ McCallum Theatre