In Grass Valley, a new concert hall is rising from what was once a software company’s office building.
Back in 1946, music lovers there and in Nevada City — two small California cities established during the Gold Rush of 1849 — started the Twin Cities Concert Association to bring classical music to the area. Over the last 79 years, the organization, now known as InConcert Sierra, has presented performances in a number of different venues, most recently the Grass Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church.
For some years, InConcert Sierra sought a new venue to call its own. “The church has been a wonderful partner to us, and it has excellent acoustics,” Artistic Director Ken Hardin told SF Classical Voice.
But the setup came with some restrictions. The presenter can only schedule one concert per month at the church, and events cannot be held Friday night through Saturday night in observance of the Sabbath.
In 2018, the late Beverly Riddle, a longtime supporter, offered InConcert Sierra a gift of $2 million to be used within a decade to start the process of building a concert hall. With this money, the organization was able to purchase a 42,000-square-foot office building, then assessed at about $8 million, for the bargain price of $2.2 million.
InConcert Sierra planned construction in phases, aiming for a staggered opening of three venues in the building — the concert hall, a black box theater, and a conference center — with the complex to be known as Crown Point Venues. Fate then intervened: The organization closed escrow on March 3, 2023, and the next day, a storm dumped so much snow that part of the roof collapsed.
While that might sound like a disaster, the building was insured for $5 million, paid immediately. This amount was sufficient funding to launch construction, with a new goal of opening all the facilities at once. The total cost of the center is budgeted at $13 million.
Crown Point Venues is expected to debut in September 2026. Hardin Hall — a name selected by a generous donor — will seat 540 people and have a stage big enough to accommodate an orchestra and chorus.
The Ken Getz Black Box Theater, designed with configurable stage and seating, will seat up to 150 spectators for performances and up to 200 for meetings. The Yosemite Conference Center, a name chosen by Riddle, will seat up to 300 people for banquets and 400 or more for meetings.
Both Hardin Hall and the theater will have dressing rooms, and there will be a separate rehearsal space in the complex.
The Grass Valley-Nevada City area, population roughly 18,000, has become a magnet for retirees who have enjoyed the cultural amenities of the greater Bay Area and want local access to classical music. InConcert Sierra’s 2025–2026 season includes appearances by the American Brass Quintet, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, the Sierra Master Chorale & Orchestra, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
