8pm MusicThe West Coast premiere of Ralph...

8pm Music

The West Coast premiere of Ralph Shapey’s Tenth Quartet is the centerpiece of the latest visit here by the venerable Juilliard String Quartet. The 50-year-old ensemble--violinists Joel Smirnoff and Ronald Copes, violist Samuel Rhodes and cellist Joel Krosnick--has no original members, but these four are all veterans of this quartet and others.

Juilliard String Quartet, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos, 8 p.m. $35 to $45. (562) 916-8500.

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all day Festival

What do Ray Bradbury, Steve Martin and 120,000 Angelenos have in common? They’ll at be at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Now in it’s seventh year, the festival celebrates every aspect of the written word: authors, ideas, books, stories. Among the 195 writers scheduled for appearances--besides Bradbury and Martin--are Mary Higgins Clark, Jared Diamond, Maya Angelou, Gore Vidal, Gay Talese and Joseph Wambaugh. Six stages, plus plenty of theaters and classrooms, will be full of readings, storytelling, panel discussions and book signings.

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the UCLA campus. Tickets free at Ticketmaster outlets. Parking, $6. (800) LA-TIMES, Ext. 7BOOK or www.latimes.com/festivalofbooks.

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8pm Dance

“Chicanos, the Spirit of Aztlan,” the latest full-evening historical epic from choreographer Gema Sandoval and her Danza Floricanto/USA, traces the evolving cultural identity of Chicanos, from the irresistible myths of lost cities and ancient homelands to the reality of life in contemporary California. In six segments, we revisit Aztec rituals, colonial Catholicism, migrant workers in the U.S. and the like, all punctuated by Sandoval’s pithy political insights and authoritative stagings of traditional dances.

Danza Floricanto/USA, “Chicanos, the Spirit of Aztlan,” Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., downtown L.A., 8 p.m. $20. (213) 680-3700.

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2pm Music

Young international prizewinners Alexandru Tomescu, a violinist from Romania, and Pavel Petrov, a pianist from Russia, make local recital debuts this weekend. Born in Bucharest in 1976, Tomescu has taken 28 international awards. Petrov, a graduate of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, has won first prizes in major Russian competitions as well as honors in Spain and Italy.

Alexandru Tomescu and Pavel Petrov, Trinity Lutheran Church, 1340 11th St., Manhattan Beach, 2 p.m. Free. (310) 546-3106. Also Sunday, at Beverly Hills Public Library, 444 Rexford Drive, 2 p.m. Free.

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all day Pop Music

The idea behind Fan Nation, which returns to Irvine on Saturday, is a pop-rock version of country music’s annual Fan Fair. In addition to hearing a slew of artists in one spot, fans have the opportunity to collect autographs and sit in on question-and-answer sessions. Last year’s inaugural Fan Nation did just that with the Go-Go’s, Billy Idol, Counting Crows and others. This year’s lineup is stronger on current hit-makers, with Sheryl Crow, Ryan Adams and John Mayer heading a bill that also features the Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel and Five for Fighting.

Fan Nation 2, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, 1:30 to 11 p.m. $28.50 to $63.50. (949) 855-8096.

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all day Art

Joining the effort to revitalize the Los Angeles River, the Arroyo Arts Collective will host “River Alchemy,” a site-specific installation gracing banks of the river. Working with the annual Gran Limpieza (“big cleanup”) by Friends of the Los Angeles River, artists will create 20 eco-friendly installations along the river’s bike path. Activities for kids also are scheduled.

“River Alchemy,” Los Angeles River bike path between Knox Avenue and Oros Street, Los Angeles. Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. (323) 850-8566.

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8pm Theater

“Death of a Salesman,” the Arthur Miller classic about an ordinary man’s failed pursuit of the American Dream and its toll on a family, reunites Interact Theatre Company members Eddie Jones, Marilyn McIntyre and director Anita Khanzadian for the first time since the company’s 1994 hit production of Elmer Rice’s “Counsellor-at-Law.” Jones is the tragic Willy Loman, McIntyre his burdened but protective wife.

“Death of a Salesman,” Interact Theatre Company, 5215 Bakman Ave., North Hollywood, 8 p.m. Regular schedule: Thursdays to Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends May 26. $15 to $25; opening night, $40. (818) 773-7862.