InConcert Sierra presents: The Sounds of Spain

Grass Valley: InConcert Sierra presents The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s concert program, “Spanish Journey,” featuring an eclectic ensemble of CMS superstar roster artists on Sunday, April 27 at 2pm.

The ensemble includes soprano Jessica Rivera, pianist Soyeon Kate Lee, violinist Kristin Lee, cellist Clive Greensmith, and Grammy award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux. 

Curated by violinist Kristin Lee, the program is a musical journey through Spain—a land of vivid colors, captivating rhythms, and rich textures— highlighting the depth and beauty of its cultural heritage.

The distinctive Spanish style is expressed in piano trios of Falla and Turina, while guitar, an instrument deeply associated with Spain, is played by Grammy Award winner Jason Vieaux. Complementing the program are vocal works by Sarasate, Rodrigo and Obradors, the texts of which beautifully express the flair and passion of the Spanish language.

InConcert Sierra audiences know Jason Vieaux well—he’s a longtime favorite, and this marks his fifth concert on the ICS Third Sunday Series. He gave solo performances in 1998, 2000, and 2015, and returned last January 2024 with bandoneonist Julien Labro, earning multiple standing ovations.

“I’m so pleased to be able to come back to Grass Valley again, this time in a little over a year, to perform with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, for our wonderful “Spanish Journey“ program. InConcert Sierra has been a really important series for me and the development of my career over the years, starting way back in the late 90s. I hope that you will enjoy what these terrific musicians can do,” said Vieaux.

“The Spanish Journey program is very interesting in that the instrumentation is piano, cello, violin and then we have a mezzo soprano and guitar. The singer and guitar element are really essential to the sounds that we associate with Spanish music ….” says violinist and program creator, Kristin Lee.

This program balances intimate and grand expressions of Spanish music, making for an emotionally rich and stylistically diverse concert experience.

“What’s unique about these Spanish composers is that every single one of them made a point of putting their traditional sounds into their compositions,” said Lee.

 There is a complimentary pre-concert forum at 1:15pm to learn more about the artists and the music to be performed. The concert begins at 2pm.

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 new acoustic concert hall, conference center, and black box theater.