August 13, 2018 – For InConcert Sierra’s upcoming 2018-19 season, Artistic Director Ken Hardin has once again curated an exciting Third Sunday Series that draws the best and brightest in classical music to Nevada County.

“Next season we are happy and proud to present another remarkable line-up of fantastic musicians. I was surprised and pleased to have the opportunity to book two of the finest pianists in the world, Anne-Marie McDermott and Marc-André Hamelin, both of whom I’ve been hoping to bring to our community for some time now,” Hardin said. “We’re also delighted to have one of the finest organists in the U.S. — Paul Jacobs — coming to Grass Valley. So I’m thinking of 2018-19 as the season of the keyboard. But that’s not to say that the season’s other artists don’t measure up to the same standard!”

The Third Sunday Series begins in September with the InConcert Sierra Orchestra, under the direction of Hardin. The orchestra, comprised of local and regional professional musicians, performs favorite orchestral works previously suggested to Hardin by audience members.

In October, pianist Anne-Marie McDermott will perform. The Philadelphia Inquirer called her, “…one of the great American pianists of her generation.”

The Philadelphia Brass quintet takes the stage in November with their high level of technical expertise, combined with “…a verve and spirit to brass ensemble playing that invariably turns the audience into something resembling a cheering section, while at the same time leaving them breathless,” according to The Sullivan Review.

December features the Sierra Master Chorale and Orchestra Holiday Concerts, a joyous holiday tradition for many in the community and a favorite of the InConcert audience.

In January 2019, InConcert returns to piano music with Marc-André Hamelin, of whom the New York Times’ Critic David Allen wrote, “Is it possible for a pianist to be too good? If anyone faces Jeopardy with that question, it’s Marc-André Hamelin… Outwardly miraculous, beneath the surface it felt as if each note’s every possibility had been considered in advance, the ensconced in a pianism of total authority.“

Each season, Hardin enjoys finding ensembles that showcase a unique variety of instrumentation. February’s Third Sunday Series artists, the Ensemble Schumann do just that — the award-winning trio performs with oboe, viola and piano.

The famed St. Lawrence String Quartet performs in March 2019. The quartet is renowned for the intensity of its performances, its breadth of repertoire, and its commitment to concert experiences that are at once intellectually exciting and emotionally alive.

In April 2019, Grammy-award winning organist Paul Jacobs gives a solo recital. As chair of the Organ Department at Julliard, Jacobs is credited for his influence upon the revival of symphonic works featuring the organ. He has been hailed as “one of the major musicians of our time” by The New Yorker’s Alex Ross.

The 2018-19 season draws to a close in May 2019 with the Spring Concert, featuring the Sierra Master Chorale and Orchestra.

InConcert Sierra, formerly known as Twin Cities Concert Association, has been presenting classical music in Nevada County for more than seven decades. Board member Keith Porter recalls experiencing his first classical music concert in Grass Valley in 1952, presented by Twin Cities Concert Association.

“I was just a kid, but that concert left an indelible mark,” said Porter. “More than 60 years later, InConcert Sierra still attracts the best emerging artists and premier classical musicians from around the globe to perform in Grass Valley. Even more importantly, the organization continues to create a truly memorable concert-going experience.”

Season packages and individual tickets are now on sale for the 2018-19 Third Sunday Series. They are available online at www.inconcertsierra.org or by phone at 530-273-3990. Individual tickets are also available for purchase at BriarPatch Co-op. For more information about the upcoming season, please visit the website at www.inconcertsierra.org