Classically North County 

If you live in North County and haven’t made the acquaintance of Symphony of the Vines, here’s your opportunity. This relatively new chamber orchestra will perform baroque masterpieces from Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi in a gorgeous setting with “Bach in the Mission,” a concert at the recently renovated Mission San Miguel on Jan. 14 at 8 p.m.

• PHOTO BY WILLIAM WHITNEY

Symphony of the Vines, now in its second season, was founded by conductor, pianist, and horn player Dr. Gregory Magie in 2010. He relocated to the Central Coast approximately five years ago and says he’d noticed an absence of North County-based classical music organizations, something he sought to remedy.

The orchestra boasts many players already familiar to local classical music lovers, such as violinist Pamela Sheffler, also of the Redskunk Jipzee Swing Band; cellist Jeanne Shumway; bassist Clifton Swanson; and Caroline Tobin, principle clarinet to the SLO Symphony, Santa Maria Philharmonic, and several other groups.

“I see us continuing to get firmly established with a following and solid patrons,” conductor Magie said of his goals for the orchestra in 2012.

“I’d like to see us find a permanent home,” he added.

Symphony of the Vines has performed in North County churches, at Atascadero Lake Pavilion, and at the Templeton Performing Arts Center, but it has no fixed location just yet.

For more information, or to buy tickets online to “Bach in the Mission,” visit symphonyofthevines.org. Tickets can also be purchased at Boo Boo Records in SLO and at Matt’s Music in Templeton. Admission is $10 to $30.

The next SOV concert in the works, planned for Saturday, April 14, and featuring works by Haydn, Mozart, and Karlowicz—with Marek Zebrowski on piano—takes place at the Santa Margarita Ranch.