Nevada County music history was made in 1946 and will be re-made on May 16, 2010, when the Twin Cities Concert Association changes its name to InConcert Sierra at the end of the current concert season.

Twin Cities is Nevada County's oldest arts organization.

“We are no longer an association,” Executive Director Julie Taylor Hardin said in explaining the change. “There are no membership dues, just a very reasonable ticket price for top-notch concerts. The current name doesn't exactly trip off the tongue.

“And over the last few years, Twin Cities Church (west of Grass Valley) has become well-known in our community, and many have incorrectly assumed TCCA is associated with the church,” Hardin added.

As The Union reported in June 1946, TCCA was formed under the auspices of the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce to “afford citizens of both Grass Valley and Nevada City a talented group of artists and entertainers of national fame”.

“TCCA was the first local organization to present nationally and internationally-acclaimed musicians to local music lovers, and it has offered great music to Nevada County audiences for 63 years,” said TCCA Artistic Director Ken Hardin, Julie Taylor Hardin's husband.

The organization has developed by leaps and bounds from its humble beginnings. The name change is the next leap.

Vienna Boys Choir to perform

The “InConcert Sierra” name, chosen after years of research and thought, reflects broader ambitions than the original name suggests.

Audience members come from Nevada County, from over the county line in Yuba and Placer counties, and further afield. The organization counts nearly 200 season ticket holders, and concerts regularly have audiences of more than 300.

“The change of name to InConcert Sierra is part of our plan to continue filling the community's appetite for great music,” said TCCA Board President Keith Porter, who attended his first TCCA concert in 1953. “It gives us an opportunity for creative marketing to expand our reach and attract new audiences.”

The season has grown from four concerts to a seven-concert “Third Sunday” series. The program includes house concerts in private homes, master classes, fundraising events including a free concert and wine-tastings, and educational scholarships and outreach activities.

The affiliate Sierra Master Chorale offers regular performances, and TCCA offers special events such as the once-in-a-lifetime visit of the Vienna Boys Choir coming in March 2010.

Despite the name change, the organization maintains its community roots as an active member of local organizations including the Grass Valley and Nevada County Chambers of Commerce.

The new logo for InConcert Sierra, with its misty outlines of the Sierra Nevada, retains the piano logo designed for TCCA by local graphic artist Janaia Donaldson.

TCCA by any other name would sound as sweet. So, “InConcert Sierra” it is.

Nevada County resident Charles Atthill writes classical music reviews for The Union's Prospector magazine.