Peter Schickele

Orchestra concerts can be beautiful, ugly, exciting or boring, but they are rarely just plain fun. When they are fun in Philadelphia, it is often André Raphael Smith who is at the podium, dressed up for Halloween, whooping it up for New Year’s Eve, or hamming it up for a children’s concert. For April Fool’s Day, Smith will certainly meet his match in Peter Schickele, who joins Smith and the orchestra in performances of his own music, which is invariably accompanied by a constant stream of tittering from the audience. The following day, the big teddy bear of a professor (he is a distinguished scholar at the University of North Dakota at Hoople) will engage in some chamber music with orchestra members, again his own music, as well a couple of choice selections form his alter ego, P.D.Q. Bach. And if that’s not enough Schickele for you, he’ll be back in May to play more P.D.Q. Bach with Orchestra 2001.

—Peter Burwasser

Philadelphia Orchestra April Fool’s Concert: April 1, 7 p.m., Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets, $12.50-$75, 215-893-1999. Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Music: April 2, 3 p.m., Academy Ballroom, Broad and Locust Streets, $25, 215-893-1999. Call Orchestra 2001 for information about Schickele’s May performances.