In Person: Classical Guitar Concert with Dr. Connie Sheu

The first concert of the 41st season of the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series opens on Saturday, October 16, 2021, with classical guitarist Connie Sheu. This five-concert series features renowned classical artists performing at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, noted for its stunning acoustics and serene ambiance.

On Saturday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m., 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 dynamic guitarist, devoted teacher, an ardent advocate of classical guitar. Past performances have brought her to Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, 92nd St Y, Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall; venues in Moldova, Italy, Hungary; and across the United States. Dr. Sheu serves as 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.

Tickets may be purchased online at https://smitv.info/syvconcerts. Tickets will also be available at the door. General admission tickets are $20, and patron tickets are $35. Concert admission is FREE for ALL students (with a student ID). Doors for each concert open 30 minutes before the start.

For the safety of our guests, the California Department of Public Health and Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health COVID safety protocols will be followed and may change throughout the series. For the October 16 event, we ask attendees to be vaccinated and wear face coverings indoors. The venue will have plenty of fresh air, and physically distanced seating will be available. (*Note: Attendees are encouraged to dress warmly as it may be cool inside the venue.)

This season the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series proudly presents the following concerts:

·Saturday, November 20, 2021, 5:00 p.m.
Artists: Robert Cassidy, Ani Aznavoorian, and Adam Barnett-Hart
Program: “An Evening of Chamber Music,” performing works by Haydn, Rachmaninoff, and Schubert.

·Saturday, February 12, 2022, 5:00 p.m.
Artist: Pianist and Music Director John Churchwell
Program: “Love Songs and Dances-An Evening of Liebeslieder” with special guest vocal artists and Robert Cassidy.

·Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 7:00 p.m.
Artist: Grammy–award-winning violinist Johnny Gandelsman, a founding member of Brooklyn Rider and part of YoYo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble,
Program: “This is America,” a new commissioning and recording project featuring over twenty new works for solo violin written by American and US-based artists celebrating America’s rich cultural tapestry.

·Friday, March 18, 2022, 7:00 p.m.
Artists: The Radian String Quartet with Mary Beth Woodruff, violin, Basil Vendryes, viola, and Andrew Smith, cello, with guest artist Robert Thies, piano

Program: “The Journey from Classicism to Impressionism” is an ambitious program of string masterworks, including the Mozart Piano Quartet in E flat major and the Brahms Piano Quartet in C minor.