Classical guitarist Connie Sheu will kick off the 41st season of the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series.
The 41st season of the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series will start Oct. 16 with classical guitarist Connie Sheu.
The five-concert series features renowned classical artists performing at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, known for its great acoustics and serene ambiance. The church is located at 2901 Nojoqui Ave., in Los Olivos (one block west from the downtown flagpole).
“We present this concert series to enrich lives through the exquisite beauty of masterworks performed by brilliant musicians,”Artistic Director Robert Cassidy said in a news release. “We invite you to join us for one or all of these performances.”
At 5 p.m. Oct. 16, Dr. Sheu will present “Voices of Classical Guitar: Music of Barrios, Paulian, Johanson and more,” a concert of classical guitar music by women composers and some of her new arrangements.
Dr. Sheu is a guitarist and teacher who has performed everywhere from Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall to Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. She has performed in venues in Moldova, Italy, Hungary and across the U.S.
Dr. Sheu is the general manager for the Guitar Foundation of America and teaches at the Colburn School. She performs with flutist Elise Henry as Duo Arroyo and is part of Street Symphony.
Here’s the schedule for the other concerts.
— 5 p.m. Nov. 20. Robert Cassidy, Ani Aznavoorian, and Adam Barnett-Hart will perform works by Haydn, Rachmaninoff and Schubert during “An Evening of Chamber Music.”
— 5 p.m. Feb. 12. Pianist and Music Director John Churchwell will perform “Love Songs and Dances-An Evening of Liebeslieder” with special guest vocal artists and Robert Cassidy.
— 7 p.m. Feb. 16: Grammy–award-winning violinist Johnny Gandelsman will perform “This Is America,” a newly commissioned project featuring 20 new works for the solo violin written by Americans and U.S.-based artists. Mr. Gandelsman is a founding member of Brooklyn Rider and is part of YoYo Ma’s SIlk Road Ensemble.
— 7 p.m. March 18. The Radian String Quartet will perform works such as the Mozart Piano Quartet in E-flat Major and the Brahms Piano Quartet in C Minor during “The Journey from Classicism to Impressionism.” The quartet consists of Mary Beth Woodruff, violin; Basil Vendryes, viola, and Andrew Smith, cello, with guest pianist Robert Thies.
email: dmason@newspress.com
FYI
The Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series will start its 41st season Oct. 16.
Tickets for each concert cost $20 for general admission and $35 for patrons. To purchase, go to smitv.info/syvconcerts. Tickets will also be available at the door.
The concerts are free for all students with ID. Door open a half-hour before each concert.
All COVID-19 protocols will be followed. For the Oct. 16 concert, the series’ organizers are asking that everyone attending be vaccinated and wear masks inside. Attendees are also encouraged to dress warmly because the venue might get cold.
For more information, call SYV Concert Series Coordinator Linda Burrows at 805-705-0938 or email syvconcerts@smitv.org or call the St. Mark’s office at 805-688-4454 or visit www.smitv.org.
