Indianapolis Symphony Blog

I'd like to welcome Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra violist Terry Langdon to the blogosphere with her first online article -- shifting!

Have you ever wondered how the string players in the ISO land on all their notes exactly on pitch and on time with no markings on the fingerboard underneath the strings to tell them where the notes lie?

There are, depending how you calculate it, at least fourteen positions for the hand on the fingerboard, and moving from one position to another is called...

I meant to write this post yesterday on Valentine’s Day.

But it really wasn’t Valentine’s Day in Indianapolis. February 14, 2013 became Thomas Ramsey Day, thanks to a proclamation by Indy Mayor Greg Ballard.  Tom is our Vice President/General Manager, and he is retiring after 29 years of exceptional service to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.  Yesterday, the entire orchestra family celebrated with Tom and his wife Susan. We were all feelin’ the laughter and the love for our veteran GM.

So...

Hello Everyone:

It certainly has been a long time since I have written on my blog.  I thought many of you might be curious about my topic for today:  Behind the Scenes During and Between Yuletide Concerts.  The month of December is exhausting for my colleagues.  Not only are many of us at the Hilbert Circle Theatre but we also split up for Messiah and our just completed wonderful Classical Christmas Concert.  In my usual format I am going to list 'what is going on - yep - behind the scenes'.

1. ...

I'm an unapologetic Daddy's girl, so I had no problem handing my blog space over to my friend and colleague, Sarah Myer Ross, the ISO's marketing director. She's got a good father-daughter story to share, in perfect timing with our "Spanish Seductions" concerts this weekend.

When I heard that the ISO would be programming classical guitarist Milos for the 2012-13 season, I was very excited to hear that this kind of concert would be coming to our stage. Classical guitar has a very special place...

Last weekend marked the beginning of our Metropolitan Youth Orchestra’s 18th season, with 225 students enrolled. New and returning students, teachers and families alike are excited to start a new year.

• “My favorite moment is seeing a new student receive an instrument for the first time. Eyes light up along with a grin that goes on all day.” – Ruth Wolff, Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Manager
• “Thank you so much for this opportunity. Drew and I had a great time and he just proclaimed he loved it and...

Hello, again!

My name is Shannon, and I was the Communications Intern for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra last fall.  Although I'm headed back to the hills of New Hampshire for my senior year of college this fall, I'm writing this guest blog to share my excitement for the ISO's 2012-2013season!  Single tickets are now on sale, so start planning which of the amazing array of concerts you'll attend this season!  (And a shoutout to my fellow college students: remember, we can get tickets to most...

Nobody walks away from Marsh Symphony on the Prairie empty-handed.

At every concert, there are vendors and sponsors handing out all sorts of exciting goodies. My favorite Symphony on the Prairie party favor thus far was a sunflower and coupon from  McNamara Florists. It was a perfect summer moment seeing the audience dotted with thousands of yellow flowers. They made for festive table decorations too!

If flowers aren't your thing, fear not. You can always find free fans, toys, popsicles, ice cream...

Chances are, you will see somebody you know at Marsh Symphony on the Prairie. I've run into old friends, neighbors and coworkers, just to name a few.  Maybe it's just me, but I always find these out-of-context reunions delightful.

I was so happy to see my neighbor Kelly at Star Spangled Symphony!

The outdoor concert space lends itself perfectly to casual conversations with old acquaintances and new,  including the nice folks on the neighboring picnic blanket. Not to brag, but I've been offered a...

Looking down at the Symphony on the Prairie stage gives me an idea of how Dorothy must have felt standing at the gates of Oz. How could there possibly be so much green? Across Indianapolis, the grass is yellowed and crispy. With a high today of 103, the thought of spending any time outdoors is almost unbearable. Summer concerts, such as this weekend's Disco at the Symphony- A Tribute to the Bee Gees, have provided a haven in the form of a patch of cool, green grass.

When the maestro strikes up...

Hello All:

Paul Berns here, and it has been awhile since I wrote and thought during our fabulous July 4 concerts and after "The Music of Queen" this would be a good time.

So, after our July 3 performance at Symphony on the Prairie, I have a short conversation with a young boy with his family.  He plays clarinet and bass clarinet in his school band - he was so proud and I was proud of him.  I believe he is from the Center Grove area and so will have a world class music system to perform with.

Also,...

I've always loved the 4th of July. Celebrating here circa 1994.

At Marsh Symphony on the Prairie you are surrounded by friends and familiar faces with a backdrop of green grass, breathtaking music and stars. Sounds like a scene out of a movie, right? While not all of my memories of Symphony on the Prairie are Oscar-worthy, they are all moments that I cherish.

So far, my favorite SOTP memory is the 2001 Star-Spangled Symphony show. My family rolled up in a Dodge minivan weighed down by a feast of...

I look forward to summer picnics year-round. One of my favorite dining destinations is Marsh Symphony on the Prairie: the ultimate “dinner and a show."  At the last Symphony on the Prairie concert, I was in good company, referring to both my friends AND a fabulous meal.

Our menu included a salad with Indiana tomatoes from Johnny’s Market in Broad Ripple, lemon and pepper pasta, chicken piccata, and fresh fruit for dessert. Not bad for novice cooks, right? I recommend using paper plates for easy...

By the time the piece really gets going, I find myself suddenly thrust into the heart of bustling, 1920s New York. Every corner I cross clamors with the noises and colors of people shouting, cars creaking their way down unevenly paved streets, and trolley cars lilting to the imprecise rhythm of their tracks.

This picture flashes in my mind every time I experience George Gerswhin’s Rhapsody in Blue. (Recently, I witnessed a stellar performance by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at Marsh Symphon...

I took the only empty seat left in stage terrace yesterday morning during the Indianapolis Symphony's coffee concert.

I just had to.

There was no way I would miss the chance to see our Music Director, Krzysztof Urbanski, conduct the "composition of fear" (as pre-concert host Doug Dillon referenced it): Penderecki's Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima. While I watched and felt the grip and rip of this piece, it was easy for me to conclude that Krzys doesn't actually conduct this modern work...

Last night as I fumbled with the clicker before retiring to bed, I saw that "Mr. Holland's Opus" was on -- the fictional film about Glenn Holland, a wanna-be composer-turned-music teacher and father of a son who's hearing impaired. It's a good 'ole sappy film which received mixed reviews and forced every non-musician in the country to grab the dictionary to look up the term "opus" and the encyclopedia to brush up on a little Beethoven history. [no Wiki back then, kids].

But I like sap every so...

For Easter weekend (April 6-7), the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is premiering the full symphonic work Missa Mirabilis by Stephen Hough, world-renowned-pianist-turned-composer. In the program notes, Stephen writes that his Christian faith runs deep in this work, and that his faith started as a baptized Methodist and later a confirmed Anglican and then, to the disapproval of his "very Orange Liverpool" grandmother, Catholicism. Interestingly enough, Stephen's faith isn't just in the score....

The first classical music concert I remember attending as a young student was a performance of Mahler's "Resurrection" symphony performed by the Louisville Orchestra, the closest professional orchestra to my hometown of Georgetown, IN.  My teacher at the time thought this would be an especially interesting piece for me given it's great bass part.  In fact, the first minute or two of the work is dominated by the low strings, showcasing the power and intensity of these sections, with the music...

Stellar.  Astronomical. A Big Bang of a weekend.

I know. Using space terms to describe Holst's most famous work The Planets can get a little overdone, but I don't care. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra defied gravity.

First, I must call attention to the amazing work of our stars this past weekend:  Music Director Krzysztof Urbanski, soloist Zach De Pue (our Concertmaster) and Principal Guest Concertmaster Alex Kerr.

And what did the reviews say? The audience?  Here's a sample of the kinds of...

I love season announcements.  There's something about the anticipation of an entire new season filled with great concerts that gets me way too excited!  It's hard to choose just a couple of favorites, but I'll try and point out which concerts I'm particularly looking forward to. 

Of course, as the Assistant Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, I have to plug my own concerts and the symFUNy Sundays series where I will be conducting three of the four performances.  We'll have music...

Upon thinking about blog topics for this weekend's John Denver concerts with Jim Curry and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, I decided there's really no need to re-invent the wheel.  My good friend Bob Schultz blogged last summer about his family's affection for John Denver's music.  So, allow me to re-post below, and let's go down that country road again.

Ahhh, a Rocky Mountain High once again! My wife Diane and I can still remember when we heard the tragic news of John Denver’s death on...