The European medieval ensemble Mala Punica and Israeli soprano Claire Meghnagi are among the international talent converging on South Florida for Miami Bach Society’s 14th annual Tropical Baroque Music Festival in Coral Gables.

On the opening program at 8 p.m. Friday, jazz pianist and University of Miami music dean Shelly Berg will present jazz renditions of Baroque works at Riviera Presbyterian Church, 5275 Sunset Dr.

The French ensemble Fuoco e Cenere will join Meghnagi in a program of French Baroque cantatas about Old Testament heroines at 8 p.m. Saturday at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 1142 Andalusia Ave.

At 7 p.m. March 3, Brass Miami will perform Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks and other Baroque works in a program that culminates in a fireworks display at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave.

Mala Punica, directed by Pedro Memelsdorff, will give a concert of Italian medieval music at 8 p.m. March 4 at Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 DeSoto Blvd.

The festival continues with daily performances through March 9. Tickets are $30-$50 at 305-669-1376 or miamibachsociety.org.

Kathy Martin

Lowe benefit

Works by artists including Carlos Alves, Carlos Betancourt, Pablo Cano, Xavier Cortada, Rosario Marquardt, Roberto Behar and Joanna Silver have been donated for the March 7 Spring into Art silent art auction and benefitting the Lowe Art Museum. The 7 p.m. event takes place at the University of Miami’s Newman Alumni Center, 6200 San Amaro Dr., Coral Gables. Tickets, which include hors d’oeuvres, dinner, cocktails, entertainment by the Frost School of Music Jazz Trio and valet parking, are $125 from Friends of Art; 305-284-6756, friendsofart@miami.edu.

Galena Mosovich

‘Shorts’ cast

City Theatre’s artistic director, John Manzelli, has chosen the six actors who will perform a dozen brief plays in the company’s popular Summer Shorts festival. Irene Adjan and Todd Allen Durkin, two members of the 2012 troupe, are returning to the Carnival Studio Theater at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts for the June 6-30 festival. Also in the cast are Ken Clement, Renata Eastlick, Rayner G. Garranchan and Vera Varlamov.

Manzelli and Margaret M. Ledford will direct most of the scripts, with Mcley Lafrance and a still-to-be-chosen director each staging one play. Performances will be 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Play titles and ticket prices will be announced shortly: 305-949-6722, arshtcenter.org, citytheatre.com.

Christine Dolen

Chamber concert

Friends of Chamber Music Miami will present the Ehnes String Quartet in a program of works by Barber, Shostakovich, Ravel and Hugo Wolf at 4 p.m. March 3 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 14260 Old Cutler Rd., Palmetto Bay.

Led by Canadian violinist James Ehnes, the young ensemble includes violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti, former concertmaster of the Florida Orchestra; Robert deMaine, principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and violist Richard O’Neill, a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Tickets are $35, students $10; 305 372-2975, miamichambermusic.org.