You could spend a lot of money on a ticket to a Center City concert featuring the works of Beethoven or Mozart, or you could pay little to nothing to watch an impressive student ensemble perform some of the same classical pieces on campus.

Throughout the end of November and into December, the Penn Music Department is sponsoring student concerts in a variety of musical traditions. Most shows are free with a PennCard and $5 for the general public.

“For a school that’s not a music conservatory, we have very high quality performances,” says Michael Ketner, director of performance in the Music Department. “The students in these groups are extremely talented."

On Sunday, Nov. 21, the Penn Flutes play at 2 p.m. at Amado Recital Hall in Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce St. Admission is free.

On Friday, Dec. 10, two of the largest musical groups—the University Choral Society and the Penn Symphony Orchestra—perform together at 8 p.m. in Irvine. The concert will feature Franz Joseph Haydn’s “The Creation.”

The University Choral Society is a chorus made up of about 100 Penn students, faculty, staff and singers from neighboring Penn communities. The group has performed with a number of city orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The Penn Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1878 and is comprised primarily of non-music majors from throughout the University community.

For the full Fall Semester concert schedule, visit www.sas.upenn.edu/music/performance/schedule.html. To get more information about Penn’s other performance ensembles, contact the Music Department at 215-898-8698.