Budapest Festival Orchestra. The Sarasota Concert Association presents this orchestra, with music director Ivan Fischer and pianist Jean Yves Thibaudet, Jan. 9 at the Van Wezel. A subscription event, but return tickets are usually available the night of the performance. Information: 955-0040.

Johnny Mathis. Mathis' silken tones fill the Van Wezel at 8 p.m. Jan. 10. Information: 953-3368.

Florida West Coast Symphony Masterworks. Violinist Corey Cerovsek joins the orchestra for Bach's Violin Concerto No. 1 and Berg's Violin Concerto; Brahms' Symphony No. 4 is also on the program. At 8 p.m. Jan. 10 at Neel Auditorium and 8 p.m. Jan. 11 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at Van Wezel. Information: 953-3434.

Richard Nader's Original New York-New Jersey Reunion. Ronnie Spector, Jay Siegel (The Tokens), Larry Chance & The Earls, Joey Dee and the Starliters.you get the idea. At 8 p.m. Jan. 10 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Information: (727) 791-7400.

.38 Special. The rockers appear Jan. 11 at Robarts Arena as part of "Thunder by the Bay," an event to benefit United Way of Sarasota County and the Smith Center for Therapeutic Riding. Doors open at 5 p.m., and tickets are on sale through the fairgrounds office and Rossiter Harley-Davidson. Information: 366-2686.

Jazz Club Members' Concert. The Noel Freidline Quintet performs, at 8 p.m. Jan. 12 at Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Marvin Hamlisch. Composer-pianist Hamlisch entertains at 8 p.m. Jan. 13 at Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

An Evening with Harry Belafonte. Belafonte reaches into his bag and fishes up a half century of musical memories, at 8 p.m. Jan. 16 at Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Casual Classics/Concert Lite/Enchanted Evening and Enchanted Afternoon. "Rock Around the Clock" is the theme for Florida West Coast Symphony performances, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16, 5:30 p.m. Jan. 17 and 8 p.m. Jan. 18 (all at Holley Hall) and 3 p.m. Jan. 19 at Lemon Bay Performing Arts Center. That means music including Dance of the Hours, the Minute Waltz and of course Bill Haley and the Comets. Information: 953-3434.

The Righteous Brothers. Regain That Lovin' Feeling with Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, at 8 p.m. Jan. 17 at Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Concertino International Chamber Ensemble. Performing at Venice Little Theatre on Jan. 19. Information: 955-6229.

JoAnn Castle. Castle offers ragtime and honky tonk at the keyboard, Jan. 19 at Neel Auditorium. Information: 752-5390.

Jose Carreras. The famed tenor performs opera highlights, at 8 p.m. Jan. 21 at Eckerd Hall. Information: (727) 791-7400.

Coffee Concert. The Florida String Quartet and Chamber Players offer works by Rossini, at 10 a.m. Jan. 22 at Holley Hall. Information: 953-3434.

Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra offers Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 and Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, at 8 p.m. Jan. 22 at Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Venice Symphony. The symphony presents pops concerts at 8 p.m. Jan. 23 and 24 and 4 and 8 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Church of the Nazarene in Venice. Information: 488-1010.

The Jazz Singers. Kenny Soderblom leads a group of jazz players in concert at 8 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Players Theatre. Information: 365-2494.

Itzhak Perlman. The violin virtuoso returns to the Van Wezel, at 8 p.m. Jan. 28. Information: 953-3368.

Florida West Coast Symphony Masterworks. Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla, Beethoven's Triple Concerto and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 are planned, at 8 p.m. Jan. 31 at Neel Auditorium and 2:30 and 8 p.m. Feb. 1 at Van Wezel, as well as 3 p.m. Feb. 2 at the North Port Performing Arts Center. Information: 953-3434.

Talks

Ringling Museum's ViewPoints Lectures. Three are set for this month: Los Angeles County Museum curator Mary Levkoff discussing Rodin, Jan. 4; and two others, Jan. 11 and 18, with guest speakers TBA. Each is at 10 a.m. in the historic Asolo Theater; call 358-3180.

Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning. SILL kicks off its 2003 programs with Music Appreciation (10:30 a.m. Jan. 6, 13, 20 and 27 at Holley Hall, with discussions of composers from Italy, France, England and Austria), Contemporary Public Issues (10:30 a.m. Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at the Players, with speakers including Dr. Susan McManus), Arts and Humanities (10:30 a.m. Jan. 8, 15, 22 and 29 at the Players, with Islamic Cities and Cultures the focus), International Challenges (10:30 a.m. Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30, also at the Players); and, in Venice, Today's World at 2 p.m. Jan. 8, 15, 22 and 29 (Venice Community Center) and International Issues (10:30 a.m. Jan. 10, 17 and 24 (also at Venice Community Center). For complete info, call 365-6404.

Books & Coffee. V.S. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas is the book under discussion at Selby Library, at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 14. Information: 365-5228.