InConcert Sierra

For more than 70 years, InConcert Sierra has presented the top classical and chamber musicians from around the world to perform in Nevada County. The non-profit arts organization’s first concert took place in June 1946 at the Veteran’s Memorial Building in Grass Valley.   

Seven decades later, InConcert Sierra continues to attract the best in classical music from top emerging artists and world class musicians from around the globe to perform at the Seventh-day Adventist Church off Highway 174 — from violinist Joshua Bell to pianist Emanuel Ax to the Vienna Boys Choir to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Year over year, InConcert’s Artistic Director Ken Hardin’s programming carries on the tradition of filling houses.  

As part of their mission, InConcert Sierra offers a warm, inclusive for enjoying music, as well as providing educational opportunities for youth and adults. Whether it is in their annual Third Sunday Season series of six classical concerts, Sierra Master Chorale and Orchestra concerts, intimate house concerts, or educational outreach events, they take their commitment to bringing world-class music to the community seriously. Each spring, InConcert Sierra hosts two Third Grade Education concerts where students from around western Nevada County attend a live classical music experience. 

“InConcert is dedicated to encouraging the imagination of young minds through music,” said Hardin. “To that end, we provide bussing and access to this youth concert at no charge to all interested third-grade classrooms in our community. It’s important for us to have them experience live music in the very concert venue we use each month for our Third Sunday Series.”

InConcert Sierra’s Third Sunday Series features chamber, orchestra and choral music from September through May each year. Performances are at the Seventh-day Adventist Church off Highway 174 in Grass Valley. The 2016-17 season featured nine concerts, including a return by the Vienna Boys Choir. They also present special performances, more intimate house concerts and educational seminars/concerts.

“What I am most proud of with InConcert Sierra is that we don’t just present performances, they are really experiences for our audience and musicians alike,” Hardin said. “From our pre-concert forum where the audience gets to know the artist through on-stage interviews, on through to the encore, it’s go gratifying to watch peoples’ intrinsic reaction to the music. Our audience truly embraces great classical music!”

If you’re looking for more information on upcoming concerts, stay tuned, the 2018-19 season line up will be announced at the April 15th concert.

© 2018 InnSide Nevada City, Photos © by Erin Thiem and Craig Silberman