In the Beginning . . .
in 1982, a small brave band of music lovers with a dream gathered in the
Sierra Nevada foothills to produce a few summer concerts. Today, Music in the Mountains brings the classics to life year round, with a festival for
every season.
Our Mission . . .
Music in the Mountains exists to enhance the
quality of life in Nevada County by presenting outstanding performances of
predominantly classical music and by offering exceptional educational
opportunities for youth and adults in music appreciation, performance and
composition.
Our Philosophy . . . challenges the notion that classical music is stuffy. We
present the full spectrum of "classical music" by including pops, jazz, big
band, and Broadway music in our repertoire. Our chamber concerts feature
comfortable cabaret-style seating around candlelit tables. Enthusiasm is the
essential ingredient for any concertgoer - more important than formal dress or music
knowledge. Music in the Mountains sells over 12,000 tickets to over 36 concerts
annually. Our goal is to exceed your expectations.
We're Located . . . in the historic northern California gold mining towns of Grass
Valley and Nevada City. Our venues include a traditional concert auditorium - the
newly renovated Amaral Family Festival Center at the Nevada County Fairgrounds
- and during
the summer we also have picnic style seating amid the pine trees on the picturesque lawns at the Nevada
County fairgrounds.
A Brief History . . .
| The first Music in the Mountains Summer Festival
took place in June of 1982 under the auspices of City Opera, a nonprofit corporation
founded in 1978 in San Francisco by Paul Perry and Terry Brown. With the move to Nevada
County, the purpose of City Opera was changed from producing little known works and
obscure operas to producing a Summer Festival. Utilizing the existing local volunteer
chorus, the Golden Chain Chorale which was already under the direction of Paul Perry, as the core
of the Festival, professional musicians were hired from orchestras throughout the United |
States. That first Festival was comprised of
fourteen concerts, including a free KinderKonzert, over ten days and took place in St.
Joseph’s Hall, with a capacity of 280, the Nevada Theatre seating 250, and the
American Victorian Museum (now Miners Foundry) seating 150. It included works for
orchestra and chorus, as well as chamber music, all performed by this resident group of
musicians. In 1985, the corporate name was changed from City Opera to Music in the
Mountains and the Golden Chain Chorale was renamed the Festival Chorale. |
Growth and Develpment since that first year can be summarized in three principal categories -
Programming, Staff and Facilities. |
Programming: The length of the Summer Festival has increased from 10 to 17 days.
Including rehearsal time, the orchestra is in residence in Nevada County for
three full weeks with new programs at each performance. In 1984, an evening Pops concert at the County Fairgrounds was added and
proved to be a great success both financially and as a crowd pleaser. Jazz was added in
1986, Big Band in 1987. |
Chamber concerts were also presented as
“one-time shots” outside the Summer Festival beginning in 1985. The Young
Musicians’ Competition was added in 1987, with $3,500 in prizes at stake. In the
1994-95 season, the chamber concerts were consolidated into two “mini-fests”
– two three-day weekends of concerts in both November and March. The
popular Holiday
Choral Concerts have always been a part of the schedule, and are presented in December. |
|
Staff: Artistic Director, Paul
Perry, and past Executive Director, Terry Brown, became full-time salaried positions in
1983, after volunteering their services for the first year leading up to and including the
Summer Festival. Two part-time Administrative Assistants, formerly volunteers, were hired
in 1986 and 1989. In 1987 a paid Festival production crew was added. A part-time Marketing
Director was hired in 1990, funded by an Irvine Foundation grant for two years.
Today, in addition to our employees in the office,
we have a group of volunteers who work at anything from office
receptionist duties to research projects on a regular basis - and whom we
couldn't do without.
Our current management is made up of Sherry Bartolucci and Terry Brown Co-Executive Directors; Gregory Vajda, Artistic and Music Director; Chrissie Marshall, Office Manager; Nancy Donahue, Box Office Manager; Mark Vance, Education Coordinator; and Rich Mapes Production Manager. |
On July 8, 2009, Gregory Vajda was named as Artistic and Music Director after a year-long international search. (Paul Perry had retired in 2008 after 25 years and was named Artistic Director Emeritus). The Festival Orchestra has gradually
increased in size and today numbers 55 players.
The all volunteer Board of Directors is composed of up to 30 members.
Our volunteer support group responsible for hospitality and
benefit events, The Alliance, was created in 1987. Currently The Alliance has
over 400 members and its own Council, with the President of The Alliance sitting on the
Music in the Mountains Board of Directors. The Alliance members produce benefit events,
hospitality events, ushering, parking, office work and assisting with production at the
Festivals. (for more information about The Alliance and volunteering, click here). |
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| Facilities: Our performing home in the
Amaral Family Festival Center at the Nevada County Fairgrounds became a reality in 2001.
Our 20th Anniversary was celebrated in this renovated building, which was acoustically
|
enhanced and outfitted with luxury seating, along with state
of the art heating, cooling and lighting systems. The hall can be variably configured, seating up to 600. It is close to major highways and has ample parking. |
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