University Orchestra to Perform Free Concert for Valentine’s Day Friday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. Compositions that convey a sense of triumph and world travel will be the focus of the University Orchestra’s annual, free Valentine’s Day concert for the public. Under the direction of UMass Lowell music faculty member Mark Latham, the ensemble will perform Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italien” and Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol,” allowing audience members to experience Italy and Spain as these master classical composers imagined them. A performance of Mozart’s sweeping “Symphony No. 40” will convey the depths of tragedy and the joys of transcendence. Durgin Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell. 

History of Lowell’s Mills Focus of Free Book Discussion. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7 to 9 p.m. Martha Mayo, a Lowell history expert and UMass Lowell librarian, will lead a talk about the rise of the American Industrial Revolution based on the book “Lowell: The Mill City.” This is the second event in a four-part book discussion series that is free and open to the public. Subsequent sessions explore the history of the city’s firefighters and the significance of the Merrimack River to Lowell’s development. Books on each topic will be provided for free during each program. Members of the public are encouraged to pre-register by contacting UMass Lowell Outreach Librarian Sara Marks at Sara_Marks@uml.edu or 978-934-4581 or by going tohttp://uml.beta.libguides.com/programming.  O’Leary Library Learning Commons, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell.

Acclaimed Poet to Discuss Writing, Creative Process Thursday, Feb. 26, 6 p.m. Poet and playwright Claudia Rankine will read from her work and share insights into her creative process during this free, public event. Rankine is chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and her latest book, “Citizen: An American Lyric” was a finalist for the 2014 National Book Award in poetry. Her talk is one in the Writers on Campus Series presented by the UMass Lowell English Department and the Center for Arts and Ideas. O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell.

 Melissa Manchester to Perform Benefit Concert, Mentor Students Saturday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. “You Gotta Love the Life – An Evening with Melissa Manchester” will be a unique concert celebrating the release of the Grammy Award-winner’s new CD while raising scholarship funds and featuring performers enrolled in UMass Lowell’s music-education programs. The performance – Manchester’s only New England appearance on her current tour – will cap her three-day visit to the university as an artist-in-residence. During her stay, she will teach classes and mentor students inUMass Lowell’s renowned music programs. Tickets to the show are $15 for UMass Lowell students with a valid student ID, $35 for the public and $125 for the concert and a champagne VIP reception with Manchester after the show, where she will sign copies of her CD. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Joyce Pang Scholarship Fund for the UMass Lowell String Project, which provides schoolchildren throughout the Merrimack Valley with stringed-instrument instruction and music classes. Tickets are available at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell box office, www.tsongascenter.com and 866-722-8780.  Durgin Concert Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell.