Valencia Baryton Project
GRASS VALLEY, CA – An 18th-century Baroque string instrument rarely seen or heard in modern concert halls is coming to Grass Valley.
On Sunday afternoon, November 15, InConcert Sierra welcomes the internationally acclaimed Valencia Baryton Project, offering a rare opportunity to experience the extraordinary sound of the baryton, an instrument once favored by European aristocracy but now nearly forgotten.
The ensemble’s founder, Matthew Baker, is one of only a handful of musicians in the world who perform on the baryton. Based in Valencia, Spain, Baker founded the Valencia Baryton Project to revive the remarkable body of music written for this unusual instrument and introduce it to modern audiences.
The baryton resembles a viola da gamba, an early relative of the cello, but with a fascinating difference. In addition to the strings played with a bow, it has a second set of metal strings running behind the fingerboard. These strings resonate sympathetically and can also be plucked with the player's thumb while the other strings are bowed.
Valencia Baryton Project
The result is something like two instruments being played at once, producing a rich, delicate sound unlike anything heard in a traditional string trio.
The baryton reached its height of popularity in the 18th century, particularly at the court of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy of Austria, who was an enthusiastic amateur baryton player. His court composer, Franz Joseph Haydn, wrote 123 trios for baryton, viola, and cello, creating an extraordinary repertoire for an instrument that would eventually fade into obscurity.
The baryton eventually fell out of favor, largely because of its complex construction, challenging tuning requirements, and the exceptional skill needed to play it. To date, very few musicians have mastered the baryton, making Baker's work especially significant.
The Valencia Baryton Project has performed more than 100 concerts throughout North, Central, and South America and Europe, introducing audiences to an instrument that was once considered the pinnacle of aristocratic musical sophistication.
Valencia Baryton Project
While Haydn's music is central to the ensemble's repertoire, the Valencia Baryton Project also champions new composers who are discovering new possibilities for this centuries-old instrument.
Their program will span more than 300 years of music, featuring three of Haydn's baryton trios, a trio by Luigi Tomasini, and newer compositions by David Gorton, José Zárate, and Baker himself. Gorton's “How sighs resound,” commissioned by and written for the Valencia Baryton Project, incorporates music by 17th-century composer John Jenkins, connecting the instrument's historical roots with modern creativity.
For those curious about music history or simply interested in hearing something entirely different, the performance offers a chance to experience an extraordinary instrument that disappeared from the concert stage, brought vividly back to life with a superb string trio ensemble.
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.
Valencia Baryton Project
KNOW & GO:
WHAT: Valencia Baryton Project
WHEN: Sunday, November 15, 2026 - 2pm / 1:15pm pre-concert talk
WHERE: 12889 Osborne Hill Road, Grass Valley (GV Seventh-day Adventist Church)
TICKETS: $50 general admission, $5 youth 18 and under
Tickets: via Phone at 530-273-3990, online, or in person on concert day
The Valencia Baryton Project performs music written for an ancient and little-known instrument, the baryton—a cross between the viol da gamba and lirone. Founded by Matthew Baker—one of only a handful of baryton performers worldwide—the Project brings a new dimension to the traditional string trio using baryton, viola, and violoncello, for which Haydn wrote 123 works, alongside music by composers past and present.
InConcert Sierra was originally founded in 1946 as Twin Cities Concert Association (TCCA) at a meeting at the historic Bret Harte Inn in downtown Grass Valley.
The concept was to create a concert series featuring famous professionals, while also stressing the value of exposing musically inclined children to world renowned talent, establishing a priority still emphasized today. Within the first few months, TCCA cultivated more than 1,100 members, and the first concert was held at the Grass Valley Veteran’s Memorial Building on October 10, 1946, featuring Charles Kullman, noted tenor of the San Francisco Opera. In response to the extreme enthusiasm of his audience, Kullman was reported to have said, “It is a delight to have an audience like this. I like Grass Valley…and I would rather sing here than in Vienna.” During the next several months, three more concerts showcased international talent to finish that first series.