A rare encounter with one of classical music’s most unusual instruments

GRASS VALLEY, CA — Even after a lifetime devoted to music, InConcert Sierra Artistic Director Ken Hardin has never seen or heard a baryton in person. That’s about to change.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our audience and for me,” says Hardin. “I first learned about the baryton in college music courses, and I’ve been curious about it ever since. I’ve never had the chance to actually see or hear one. This is going to be a real treat!”

On Sunday, November 15, at 2:00 pm, InConcert Sierra presents the internationally acclaimed Valencia Baryton Project, bringing this extraordinary and nearly forgotten instrument to Grass Valley.

So, what exactly is a baryton? Imagine a cello-like instrument with a hidden set of strings that can be plucked while the musician plays the others with a bow. The result is a fascinating combination of sounds, almost as though two instruments are being played at once.

The baryton is also notoriously difficult to master. Its complex construction, challenging tuning requirements, and unusual playing technique contributed to its disappearance from the concert stage nearly two centuries ago.

Matthew Baker is one of only a handful of musicians worldwide who perform on the baryton. Based in Valencia, Spain, Baker founded the Valencia Baryton Project to bring this remarkable instrument and its music back into the spotlight.

The Valencia Baryton Project includes acclaimed violist Brett Walfish and cellist Ismar Gomes, both accomplished chamber musicians whose international performances and extensive experience bring exceptional artistry to this unusual trio. The baryton creates a string trio unlike any other. The ensemble has performed more than 100 concerts throughout Europe and North, Central, and South America, introducing audiences to sounds few have ever experienced.

The baryton was once the prized instrument of European aristocracy, particularly Prince Nikolaus Esterházy of Austria, who loved playing it. His court composer, Franz Joseph Haydn, wrote an astonishing 123 trios specifically for the prince to perform on the baryton.

But the Valencia Baryton Project isn’t simply recreating the past. The ensemble also commissions and performs new music, demonstrating that this centuries-old instrument still has plenty to say.

The concert will feature three of Haydn’s baryton trios alongside works by Luigi Tomasini and contemporary composers David Gorton, José Zárate, and Baker himself. Among the selections is Gorton’s How sighs resound, commissioned by the ensemble and inspired by music from the 17th century.

For Hardin, who has spent decades bringing exceptional musicians and musical experiences to Nevada County, the performance represents something especially exciting: the chance to discover an entirely new sound alongside the audience.

And for concertgoers, it’s an opportunity to hear a remarkable piece of musical history that few people in the world ever get to experience.

The performance will take place at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Grass Valley at 2pm with a pre-concert talk at 1:15pm.

Since 1946, InConcert Sierra has brought world-class classical music to the Sierra Nevada, including educational programs, outreach and collaborations that inspire a passion for classical music. ICS is currently building Crown Point Venues featuring a state-of-the-art acoustic concert hall, conference center and black box theater, to further enhance the arts and culture of the region.