Flute virtuoso Sir James Galway’s mainland tour with JoAnn Falletta conducting the Irish Chamber Orchestra was scheduled to end in November. But Falletta, artistic director for the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra, had a request.

"I said, ‘Jimmy, how about we do two more concerts? We’ll go out to Hawaii and do the Mozart.’ And he said yes," Falletta said.

As with a good performance, spontaneity has played a key role in scheduling for the orchestra, which begins its second season Oct. 19 and 20. It’s not a typical way of doing things; classical artists tend to schedule their performances years ahead of time — but it seems to be working.

"We have two things really going for us," Falletta said. "People want to come and work with this orchestra. Many of them have great memories of working with the Hono­lulu Symphony, and they want to help.

"And also, in a strange way, since we’re asking them on relatively short notice, they know whether they’re busy or not that week. … They’ll say, ‘I’m not busy so I’d love to come.’ That’s happened with a number of people."

The result is a fall symphony season full of "superstar" soloists and conductors, performing mostly classical favorites and one groundbreaking new work. It portends well for classical music fans, who in mid-October alone can attend opera ("Turandot" on Oct. 11, 13, 15), the Hawaii Pops (Oct. 20) and chamber music recitals by visiting artists (the Escher Quartet on Oct. 12) and local musicians (the Galliard String Quartet on Oct. 21, 22 and 28), as well as the symphony opener.

The symphony season opens with violin virtuoso Sarah Chang, with the orchestra led by JahJa Ling, the Indonesian-Chinese conductor of the San Diego Symphony. Chang is well known to island audiences, having played with the Hono­lulu Symphony several times since emerging as a child prodigy more than 20 years ago.

"I’ve worked with her many times, and she is a fantastic player," Falletta said. "She’s also very generous in terms of working with the public. She loves to meet audience members and be with donors afterward."

Chang has chosen to perform works by German composer Anton Bruch, "and I’m thrilled about it," Falletta said.

Ling is a conductor Falletta tried to get for the orchestra’s first season, but scheduling conflicts got in the way. "He comes with an enormous pedigree," Falletta said. "He worked with the Cleveland Orchestra (one of the "Big Five" U.S. orchestras) for many years and is really at the top of the conducting world."

Ling is also known for a lively presence on stage, dancing on the podium and interacting with musicians and the audience.

The fall symphony season shifts into high gear in November with concerts on three weekends. First off will be pianist Cecile Licad, well known to local music lovers, performing the monumental Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18, on Nov. 3. "I asked her specifically, ‘What is the piece you most want to play?’ and she said Rachmaninoff Two," Falletta said. "She’s coming really wanting to share this piece with the audience." Leading the symphony for Licad will be Tito Munoz, an up-and-coming conductor who also has worked with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Galway, who performs Nov. 16 and 17, is nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute." There’s little he hasn’t accomplished in the music world: more than 30 million albums sold, appearances on concert stages worldwide and movie soundtracks, including for the Academy Award-winning "Lord of the Rings."

"His Mozart (Flute Concerto No. 2 in D Major) is just a shining example, the epitome of that work," Falletta said. "And I know from working with him he often likes to do encores as well."

Pianist Joyce Yang has given several well-received solo and chamber music recitals here in recent years, but her Nov. 24 concert will be her first with an orchestra. She will give a single performance of the ever-popular first piano concerto of Tchaikovsky. It’s a nice pairing because the Tchaikovsky is the work most closely associated with the late Van Cliburn, and Yang was a silver medalist in his competition in 2005. She also brought the legendary pianist to tears performing for him at a celebration of his career in 2012.

Conducting the orchestra will be Jean-Marie Zeitouni, a Canadian musician who "was a big favorite among the musicians here," Falletta said. He will lead the orchestra in Stravinsky’s "Petrouchka," which features a chord so uniquely discordant that it’s called "the Petrouchka chord."

December brings an unusual program to Hawaii with the return of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck. In a throwback to a time when performers wrote music for themselves, he’ll perform his own work, "The Imposter," a new concerto that is said to contain hints of Stravinsky, Bartok, Copland, Gershwin and Earl Scruggs. "Franz Liszt, a great virtuoso, composed music for himself because everything else was too easy for him," Falletta said. "I’m sure there’s a little of that in Bela Fleck, that there’s nothing interesting or challenging enough for him that’s written for the banjo."

Conducting that concert will be Michael Stern, son of famous violinist Isaac Stern. Noting the importance of the concert dates, Dec. 7-8, Stern has programmed music by American composers.

The symphony concludes the first half of the season with the ever popular Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on Dec. 23. The symphony is going local for much of this concert, with soprano Chiho Villasenor, mezzo-soprano Maya Hoover, tenor Kip Wilborn and bass Leon Williams singing the demanding lead vocal roles. They’ll be backed by Esther Yoo’s Oahu Choral Society, with the orchestra directed by Andrew Litton, who led a major revival of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Scheduling is still underway for the spring symphony season, Falletta said. In the meantime the freewheeling nature of the symphony schedule has her in constant contact with concert artists, conductors, local musicians and symphony representatives to finalize the season. "It’s good for me to keep the word about the Hawaii Symphony very current on the mainland," Falletta said. "Of course, there are lots of people who’ve said, ‘We’d love to come, but I’m busy, please call again.’"

Music lovers who want a bit of tune-up before the symphony season starts up can attend an Oct. 12 concert by the Escher String Quartet at the Hono­lulu Museum of Art’s Doris Duke Theatre. It is coming courtesy of the Hono­lulu Chamber Music series. Jonathan Korth, president of the series, praised the quartet’s "youthful enthusiasm" and said members have trained with some of the finest ensemble programs in the world. "They’re really fantastic, and I think they have a lot to say with whatever they choose," Korth said.

The series is bringing a particularly eclectic program to Hawaii this season. Of particular entertainment value should be the piano duo of Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe on Nov. 16. Their arrangements of pop and classical tunes often have them intertwining arms and jumping over and behind one another.

"It’s almost acted out as they play," said Korth. He’s seen the duo twice, and "both times, they had the audience on their feet right away."

Korth said newcomers to classical music might also enjoy the Ebene Quartet, a French group that does jazz improv as well as the classics. "As far as I know, that’s something unique in the string quartet world," he said.

The series includes performances by violinist Martin Beaver, the former first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet, and an East-meets-West collaboration featuring the new-wave Japa­nese group Kyo-Shin-An and the award-winning Cassatt Quartet.

"There’s something for everyone," Korth said. "There’s also some concerts that are some great introductions to classical music, doing some crossover stuff while still doing a very high level of playing."

Chamber Music Hawaii, which spotlights local performers, has already started its season. Among its eclectic offerings are a November concert featuring new works for harpsichord, and silent-movie night in May, during which Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd films will be screened while music composed for the films is performed. Listed are Chamber Music Hawaii’s concerts through the end of 2013. For a complete schedule, visit chambermusichawaii.com.