TR FILE PHOTO The Valencia Baryton Project, which features Sioux City native Matthew Baker on his namesake instrument, will perform at the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC) Wednesday night. They first visited the community last April.

When the Valencia Baryton Project — then composed of Matthew Baker, a Sioux City native with a quirky namesake instrument, violinist Estevan de Almeida Reis, and cellist Alex Friedhoff — made its first trip to Marshalltown almost exactly a year ago, they received a warm welcome. enthusiastic local classical music fans and students who may aspire to follow in their footsteps one day, playing at the Marshalltown Performing Arts Center and Tannin Wine Bar.

After a year of traveling across the US and Canada, the Valencia Baryton Project will be back in town Wednesday night for its first ever live music performance at the newly renovated Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC) at 709 S. Center St. it reopened last fall. For Baker, the stop was extra special as he would get the chance to reconnect with his aunt, Lenihan High School Associate Principal Liz Jurgensen.

“So excited to be back in Marshalltown this next week. It was such a great welcome last time it felt like home!” said the baker.

Those who saw the project last time out will see a few new faces – cellist Amy Domingues and violinist Brett Walfish are now in the lineup – and they will be giving a second performance of the new work written for them by Canadian composer Steve Zink. Last year, Zink’s ‘The River’ was one of their most popular sets.

As previous reporting in TR has pointed out, the Baryton, a 16-string instrument described as a cross between a viola de gamba and a lirone, is one of the world’s rarest instruments, and Baker considers it an honor to carry on the rich tradition. players since centuries ago.

The show will kick off with a reception from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. featuring appetizers, a cash bar and a group meet and greet followed by a concert from 7 to 8:30 a.m. For ticket information, contact MACC by calling 641-758-3005 or emailing director@maccia.org.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.