Cross-Border Classical

Classical music steps out of the box with Art of Elan’s fifth season.

By dubbing its fifth season “Steppin’ Out” and performing in an art museum rather than a concert hall, the innovative Art of Élan reinforces its aim to take the stuffiness out of chamber music by infusing it with influences from unexpected places, whether that means teaming up with a local indie-rock band or presenting a program inspired by Mexican folk music. This fall’s Mexicali showcases work by contemporary Mexican composers like Arturo Márquez as well as seminal ones like 18th-century guitarist Santiago de Murcia, while A Fiddler’s Tale is a Stravinsky-inspired narrative written by jazzman Wynton Marsalis about a female violinist who sells out to a diabolical record company exec. Oct. 11 and Nov. 29 at the San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. 619.692.2081. artofelan.org