InConcert Sierra presents WindSync, a dynamic wind quintet, bringing their unique blend of exceptional artistry, youthful energy, and effervescent programming to Grass Valley on Sunday, March 16, at 2 PM
WindSync is known for connecting with audiences through storytelling, humor, and interaction, making the experience fun and accessible. They are “a group of virtuosos who are also wonderful people, too.” (Alison Young, Classical MPR).
Their program entitled “Taxonomies” reflects this concept by exploring the beauty, complexity, and interconnectedness of nature through music.
The program flows through works such as Dieterich Buxtehude’s hauntingly beautiful “Passacaglia in D minor” that musicologists suggest have been inspired by natural rhythms, including those found in nature, such as bird calls and flight patterns.
Viet Cuong’s magnificent and bittersweet “Flora,” is inspired by plant life cycles, and arrangements such as Väsen’s “Botanist Suite” is deeply tied to the idea of categorizing and celebrating the natural world in a harmonious and artistic way. Mozart’s Serenade No. 12 for Winds in C minor, K. 388, often called “Nachtmusik” or “Night Music” also relates to taxonomy through classification and structure.
The program also includes Leonard Bernstein’s “Make Our Garden Grow” from “Candide.” Just as taxonomy finds unity in diversity, this piece brings together diverse musical themes culminating in a unified message of hope and growth. The arrangement for winds by LaMoure, takes Bernstein’s already intricate and stirring work and enhances it to bring out even more of its beauty through wind instruments.
WindSync launched an international touring career after winning the 2012 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and the 2016 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. WindSync has appeared in concert at Ravinia, the Met Museum, Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, the Library of Congress, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
“In 2018, they ‘blew’ us away and we’re ready for a repeat performance. They connect with the audience, both youth and adults, uniquely, and their musicianship is incredible” said ICS Artistic Director Ken Hardin.
The quintet will perform for over 600 third-grade students from 23 classrooms that are from 11 local schools on Monday, March 17. This is one of InConcert Sierra’s nine youth programs and one of the most popular with local teachers.
The Sunday concert is part of InConcert Sierra’s Third Sunday Series and includes a pre-concert forum at 1:15pm to hear more about the music to be performed and the artists.
Since its founding in 1946, InConcert Sierra has brought world-class classical music to the Sierra Nevada Region. The organization offers outreach programs, educational opportunities, and collaborations to inspire a passion for classical music. ICS is currently constructing the Crown Point Venues, which will include a concert hall dedicated to acoustic music, a large conference center, and a black box theater.
WHAT: WindSync
WHEN: Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 2pm
WHERE: 12889 Osborne Hill Road, Grass Valley, (Seventh-day Adventist Church)
TICKETS: $50 general admission, $5 youth 18 and under
Phone: 530-273-3990; online at https://www.inconcertsierra.org/pages/concerts/2425windsync.php – or in person