Name: Vista Philharmonic Orchestra – Artistry Prevails
Start: 2025-05-03T19:30:00
Location: Groton Hill Music Center

Groton Hill Music Center is set to host an exhilarating array of performances, embracing a diverse spectrum of genres and cultural narratives. From festive orchestral celebrations to introspective solo performances, the 2024-2025 season promises to captivate audiences with its rich tapestry of sound. Highlights include the Vista Philharmonic Orchestra's enchanting 'Christmas Magic', the dynamic Celtic rhythms of Lúnasa, and the profound pianistic prowess of Yulianna Avdeeva. Each event is designed not only to entertain but also to inspire, making this season an unforgettable journey through music's multifaceted landscapes.

Groton Hill Music Center: A Symphony of Cultural Celebrations

The Vista Philharmonic Orchestra invites you to embark on a captivating journey through sound and culture with their 2024-2025 season at Groton Hill Music Center. From the heartwarming 'Christmas Magic' to the thought-provoking 'Artistry Prevails,' each concert is a testament to the power of music in transcending boundaries and celebrating diverse influences. Join us as we explore the richly woven tapestries of classical compositions that promise not only to entertain but also to inspire and invoke deep reflection.

A Symphony of Heritage and Harmony: Vista Philharmonic Orchestra's 2024-2025 Season

The Groton Hill Music Center is set to host an unparalleled series of musical events, bringing together acclaimed artists, diverse compositions, and expressive performances. From the renowned violinist Midori’s soulful melodies to the spirited symphonies of the Vista Philharmonic Orchestra, each event promises to resonate with cultural richness and artistic brilliance. These performances not only showcase the talents of world-class musicians but also explore themes of heritage, endurance, and evolution, offering audiences an immersive and reflective musical journey.

Harmonies of Heritage: A Season of Musical Celebrations at Groton Hill

Groton Hill Music Center is preparing to host a series of enthralling performances, featuring a dynamic blend of classical and contemporary music. From the expressive violin tunes of Midori and Özgür Aydin to the compelling orchestral arrangements by Vista Philharmonic Orchestra, each event promises unique cultural narratives and artistic explorations. Adding to the excitement are talented guest performers like Nicholas Canellakis and Zlatomir Fung, enhancing the musical experience with their extraordinary prowess. These events, set from March to May 2025, illuminate the power of music to connect, inspire, and transform.

Harmonious Journeys: Groton Hill's Diverse Musical Showcases

The Vista Philharmonic Orchestra at Groton Hill Music Center is set to captivate audiences with a series of performances that explore the rich tapestry of global musical influences. With renowned guest performers like cellist Nicholas Canellakis and saxophonist Kenneth Radnofsky, the concerts promise to deliver both emotional depth and historical resonance. The program spans from the evocative compositions of Dvořák and Ravel to the poignant works of Ullmann and Hailstork, culminating in a profound season finale that champions change and respect.

Vista Philharmonic Orchestra: A Harmonious Journey Through Sound and History

Groton Hill Music Center

Vista Philharmonic Orchestra

With the 2014 formation of I’m With Her, singer/songwriters Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins introduced an essential new force into the world of folk music: a close-knit alliance of highly esteemed musicians, each graced with a deep understanding of folk tradition and unbridled passion for expanding its possibilities. Since delivering their critically lauded debut See You Around and standalone singles like “Call My Name” (winner of the 2020 Grammy for Best American Roots Song), the trio have routinely taken time out from their individual careers to dream up songs together—eventually arriving at a new album exploring themes of ancestry, lineage, and the collective human experience. On their long-awaited sophomore LP Wild and Clear and Blue, I’m With Her now bring their luminous harmonies to a soul-searching body of work about reaching into the past, navigating a chaotic present, and bravely moving forward into the unknown. The band’s two 2026 Grammy Award wins bring their career total to three, and the collective career GRAMMY nomination count amongst all three members to 39.   

I’m With Her – Sing Me Alive Tour 2026

World renowned pianist Brad Mehldau expands the language between genres with an homage to the late indie folk artist, Elliott Smith, whose music inspired a generation of songwriters, joined by Chris Thile (mandolin / vocal), Blake Mills (guitar / vocal), Matt Chamberlain (drums), and John Davis (bass). This lauded band is backed by the 17-piece A Far Cry chamber orchestra on Mehldau’s rich cinematic arrangements.

Brad Mehldau: Ride into the Sun – the Music of Elliott Smith

Session Americana returns to Meadow Hall with acclaimed singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst for a night of rousing favorites that will make you want to sing along!

Session Americana with Kris Delmhorst

Molly Tuttle is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and virtuosic guitarist whose innovative blend of bluegrass, Americana, pop, and rock has made her one of the most dynamic artists in modern roots music. In 2025, she released her boldest statement yet, the critically acclaimed So Long Little Miss Sunshine, nominated for two GRAMMY® Awards—Best Americana Album and Best Americana Performance for the lead single “That’s Gonna Leave A Mark.” Recorded in Nashville with producer Mike Joyce (Orville Peck, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson), the album marks Tuttle’s fifth full-length release and her most ambitious reinvention to date: a vibrant, deeply personal body of work rooted in self-acceptance and transformation.

Molly Tuttle

Hull's latest album, A Tip Toe High Wire, marks a bold new chapter - her first independent release - spotlighting her songwriting and instrumental prowess. Featuring guest appearances by Béla Fleck, Tim O’Brien, and Aoife O'Donovan, the album balances tradition with innovation. The project has been met with widespread acclaim and is nominated for four GRAMMY Awards, including Best Bluegrass Album, underscoring Hull’s continued evolution as one of acoustic music’s most visionary artists.

Sierra Hull

Hailed as a “skilled and stylish player” (The American Organist magazine), Nicole Keller serves as Chair of the Department of Organ at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan. She has earned a reputation for colorful, virtuosic performances praised by audiences and presenters alike. Ms. Keller has performed in historic venues including St. Patrick Cathedral, New York; Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Paris; Dom St. Stephan, Passau; St. Patrick Cathedral, Armagh, Northern Ireland; and The Kazakh National University for the Arts, Astana, Kazakhstan.

Nicole Keller, organ

The universe of guitar knows no boundaries for The California Guitar Trio. Since 1991, the group has enthralled listeners with a singular sound that fearlessly crisscrosses genres. The trio’s questing spirit drives it to explore the intersections between rock, jazz, classical, and world music. It even throws in the occasional surf or spaghetti Western tune for good measure.

California Guitar Trio

GRAMMY award-winner Madison Cunningham returns with Ace, her third record for Verve Forecast. Depending on the game, an Ace can be the highest or lowest card, zero or infinity. A breakup feels similar—one path crumbles, while all others remain infinitely possible. How do you write about heartbreak when you’re going through it? Ace tracks every part of it: falling out of love, having your heart broken, and then falling in love again. Co-produced by Cunningham and Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Rilo Kiley, Bahamas, Peach Pit), the fourteen-track album is honest and full of heart, even as it breaks.

Madison Cunningham: The Ace Tour

Grammy winner and reigning two-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Trey Hensley has been called a “musical phenom” by NPR, “a guitar-slinging superhero” by Bluegrass Today, “Nashville’s hottest young player" by Acoustic Guitar magazine, and “the Swiss Army knife of roots music” by WMOT Radio’s Craig Havighurst. Hensley’s artistry has received high praise from the likes of Merle Haggard and Marty Stuart. An Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival invitee who has collaborated with Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Taj Mahal and Tommy Emmanuel, Hensley is known for his other-worldly guitar playing, jaw-dropping musicianship and soulful storytelling. Having recently announced his signature guitar with Taylor Guitars: The Trey Hensley Gold Label 510e, Hensley is set to release a new album, Can’t Outrun The Blues, on March 6, 2026. The title cut has spent multiple weeks at #1 on the bluegrass charts.

Trey Hensley

A native of the Bronx, Samara Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as asinger in her church’s gospel choir. And while her family history is deeply musical—her grandparents helmed the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, and her father, the musician and songwriter Antonio McLendon, has produced, composed and arranged his own astounding original work—she didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college at SUNY Purchase. During her studies there she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as a rising star to watch. She was heard, by audiences and critics alike, as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique and charisma that defined her jazz heroines—including Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Carmen McRae.

Samara Joy Septet

Sam Grisman is a bassist and bandleader at the helm of a commanding improvisational ensemble performing live acoustic music in the tradition shaped by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.

Sam Grisman Project

Canada’s internationally renowned virtuoso fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy take their music to new heights with an all-new show. Bursting onto the music scene with exuberant youthful mastery, their two eldest children Mary Frances and Michael Leahy join their parents for a night of musical magic. Don’t miss this rare event this spring!

Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: Four On The Floor

Our season finale is deeply meaningful to all of us in the Vista Philharmonic. This is a performance about change, about respect, and about standing up for the things we believe in.

Vista Philharmonic Orchestra – Artistry Prevails

Articles & News