Jason Julien January Flyer

Not-so-typical Classical Duo

Grass Valley, CA:  On Sunday, January 21 at 2pm, InConcert Sierra presents Grammy Award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux and French superstar accordionist and bandoneonist, Julien Labro.

Jason Vieaux is the Grammy-winning co-founder of the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music and is recognized as “among the elite of today’s classical guitarists” -Gramophone. NPR has described him as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.”
Acclaimed by the Chicago Tribune as “the upcoming accordion star, “Julien Labro has solidified his position as a leading accordion and bandoneón player in both classical and jazz genres. Described as “a triple threat” for his brilliance, poetic melodic sensibility, and clever arranging, Labro has garnered international acclaim for his artistry, virtuosity, and creativity as a musician, composer, and arranger.

“I have wanted Jason to return and have also been watching Julien Labro’s career skyrocket. When I saw them on a roster together, I knew our audience would be excited to hear them and booked them immediately,” said ICS Artistic Director Ken Hardin.

In 1992, Vieaux became the youngest first prize winner in the Guitar Foundation of America International Competition’s history. Recognizing his talent, ICS booked him for a solo concert in March 1998, and he returned for sold-out performances in March 2000 and January 2015, continuing to captivate audiences with his numerous awards and successes.

“I’m looking forward to returning to InConcert Sierra. This time I’ll be performing with the wonderful bandoneon and accordion virtuoso, Julien Labro. You’re going to love this incredible musician if you haven’t heard him already. I’ve been collaborating with Julien for 15 years now, and we made a couple of terrific albums on Azica Records together. We’re going to play works by Piazzolla, some Bach solos, some Pat Metheny, a work by Julien from his “Double Concerto” that I premiered with him, and there’s some cool encore music in the bag as well,” said Vieaux.

In 2007, Labro and Vieaux met at a post-concert gathering. Recognizing that classical music could be even better by combining their “not-so-typically classical” instruments, they joined forces and have toured ever since. As described by Jason, expect something “entertaining, fun, exciting, and virtuosic in the unusual pairing of these two instruments.”

A few highlights of the January 21 program will be the four-movement “Histoire du Tango” by Astor Piazzolla, who devoted his life to advancing and nurturing tango as a serious art form; 20-time Grammy-winning guitarist/composer Pat Metheny’s beautiful and passionate “Antonia”; solos for both Jason and Julien by J.S. Bach; Piazzolla’s “Escualo” and “Libertango,” arranged by Labro; and Dino Saluzzi’s charming “Minguito.”

There will be a pre-concert forum at 1:15pm. For additional information and tickets, please visit www.inconcertsierra.org or contact us at 530-273-3990.

InConcert Sierra is a Nevada County nonprofit organization that presents concerts featuring the world’s leading and emerging classical musicians and produces its own Sierra Master Chorale and InConcert Sierra Orchestra concerts, with robust educational opportunities for all ages.

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What:              Guitarist Jason Vieaux and Accordionist/Bandoneonist Julien Labro

When:             Sunday, January 21, 2024, at 2pm (1:15pm Pre-concert Forum)

Where:            12889 Osborne Hill Road, Grass Valley, CA (Seventh-day Adventist Church)

Tickets:           $48 general, youth under 18 free