Devouring Downtown - morsels and music

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 by Jessica Di Santo
Devour Downtown

Indianapolis is in the midst of its wildly successful, biannual food extravaganza: otherwise known as Devour Downtown. From now until January 22, you can go to any participating Devour Downtown restaurant, choose from a special menu, and get one heck of a deal (2 for $30, in most cases).

But food isn't the only deal this time around. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is now in on the deal:  buy 2 tickets to Hello, Dolly! (second mezz) or Mozart's Symphony No. 40 (main floor) and get 'em for $...
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Farewell from the Clarinerd!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

ClarinerdNow that I’ve sappily snapped photos of the Hilbert Circle Theatre marquee, the Symphony Centre entrance, the Marketing and Communications Department sign, and my desk…I feel it is time to pen one final blog post.

As this is my last day at the ISO, my sentimental mood has led me to reflect back on the amazing opportunities this internship has afforded me – meeting and interacting with a group of wonderful co-workers, taking private lessons from the ISO’s principal clarinetist, hearing some of my...

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The ISO - A Great Night Out, Easy on the College Kid's Wallet

Friday, December 9, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

College girls at the ISO!
Me and my friend Gwen at the ISO in October!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my transition to downtown Indy from the hills of rural New Hampshire, it’s that city living is alarmingly pricey.  Marsh groceries, City Market lunches and (a few too many) trips to the Fashion Mall add up at an alarming rate, leaving scant any funds for recreational pursuits. However, while swanky clubs and fancy restaurants might be out of the monetary question, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has taken...

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It's a tradition!

Thursday, December 1, 2011 by Everyone's a Critic
Since purchasing discount Yuletide tickets through Franklin College in the middle 90s, I have made it a tradition to attend Yuletide to get into the Christmas spirit. It is always such a wonderful show. Of course, as soon as my daughter was old enough, I had to share Yuletide with her. In 2007, she was four at Christmastime. It had been a particularly difficult year for our family, including my father's death. The holidays were going to be hard for us. A friend who new how much I have always...Read More »

Relive Your College Years with the ISO

Monday, November 28, 2011 by Deirdre O'Brien

College

It's been six months since I graduated from college and what do I miss the most? Well, that might be a trick question. But one thing I do miss A LOT is student ticket prices. Gone are the days when I can attend world class arts events on the cheap. Or are they?

With Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Cyber Monday special, all (well, most) tickets to Classical, Pops, Symphonic Hits and Happy Hour performances are priced at the student rate of $12. Now, I don't mean to get preachy, but this is a...

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A Percussion Concerto World Premiere!

Sunday, November 6, 2011 by Paul Berns
Paul Berns
I urge you to purchase tickets now for the Nov. 11-12 Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra premiere of Joseph Schwantner's Concerto for Section Percussion and Timpani and Orchestra!

Joe is a Pulitizer Prize winning composer.  He was commissioned by the Percussive Arts Society (an International organization) to write this composition.  We met with Joe about three years ago and have been practicing since July 1.  As a group of 4 timpani/percussionists I believe we have put in more than 50 hours. The...Read More »

Make Us Laugh

Monday, October 3, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo
I bet you have a friend or relative who likes to forward funny emails.  You know, the ones that say "Funniest Church Signs," "10 Things Never to Say to Women," (I can think of more than 10), "Priceless Wedding Invitation from Mother of the Groom," or "Awkward Family Photos."

Don't tell my mother-in-law (because she's the sender!), but I usually disregard or delete most of these emails; however, the Awkward Family Photos website is a must.  I picked a few of my holiday-themed favorites below.

The Classic
The...
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A New Season

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 by David Glover
David Glover
Wow, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's season is off to a big start! We're coming off our first week with new music director, Krzysztof Urbanski, as well as our Opening Night Gala with performances by Garrick Ohlsson and Time for Three.  We've just started off a one week sale of all remaining tickets at $28 dollars (Krzysztof's current age!), and our first Symphonic Hits concert is coming up this weekend.  

I'm excited to be continuing as the host of Sound Off, the pre-concert event before...
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Musician Picks - Round 2!

Thursday, August 11, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo
On Monday, Aug. 8, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's single tickets went on sale to the public. In this blog post, I mentioned a few of my favorite pieces, concerts, moments that I was excited about, and I also included what percussionist Paul Berns was looking forward to.

And now, we have violinist Jennifer Greenlee and Principal Bassoon John Wetherill submitting their picks.  Lo and behold...there's some similarity here!

From Jen Greenlee:

Jen GreenleeI found it difficult to find highlights, because the...Read More »

Big Day - Aug. 8, 2011

Friday, August 5, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo
ISOIt's a big day at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on Monday, Aug. 8 at 9 a.m.  That's when the flood gates open and single ticket purchasers can "have at it" and secure the best seat in the house for virtually any concert of their choice (except Yuletide Celebration - you'll have to wait for late September, folks).

Which begs the question...what concert are you looking forward to the most?

I know my picks.  I blogged about this particular piece of musica year ago. Thank goodness I get to...Read More »

Music al fresco

Thursday, July 14, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo
This week is one of those unusual weeks in the ISO calendar when the orchestra players are just, well, everywhere. Four outdoor locations to be exact. Welcome to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra - al fresco style!

On Thursday, July 14, we travel west to the lovely town of Danville, Indiana and perform at the picturesque amphitheatre in Ellis Park. Danville boasts just over 8,000 residents and to my naked eye, it seems like at least half of these friendly folks enthusiastically attend this...Read More »

Share Your Prairie Memories Contest - Announcing the Winners!

Monday, June 27, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo
SOTP Prairie Memories ContestI love having contests on this blog. Contests allow us to give away cool stuff like tickets and gift cards. Contests allow us to get the word out about Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concerts, events and programs so that more people attend. Most importantly, contests allow us to hear from you - our blog readers - and interact with you.

But when it comes time to pick the winner, I'm not a fan of our contests. It's the old cliche...you're all winners in my book. So, I will follow my own rules,...Read More »

family fun

Thursday, June 16, 2011 by Symphony Stories
My husband and I bought tickets to go to the music of Queen. It was the first time we had attended an event there and we were hooked! We ended up buying ticket packets and taking our family. We have been to several shows since then with our son, and parents. I love being able to sit around and visit with family and friends, enjoy a picnic and great music. We are so happy we found out about this! We are excited every year to get the schedule in the mail! Can't wait for summer time!

Name: Jillian...Read More »

Never Too Young

Thursday, June 16, 2011 by Symphony Stories
We had season tickets to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra back in the '80s and went to Symphony on the Prairie a few times back then, but then we moved away from Indy and could come back only occasionally. We still have two daughters and their families in the Indianapolis area, so last year I bought a Value Pack so we could all go to Symphony on the Prairie together, including our ten, nine and two year old grandchildren. We chose the concert with Maestro Urbanski, and knew right then he...Read More »

Behind the Scenes for Cirque de la Symphonie

Thursday, June 9, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo
I simply went backstage for a picture or two.  Two hours later, I learned more about rigging than I ever wanted to know and gained even a greater appreciation for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's crazy-smart stage crew.

Cirque de la Symphonie is this weekend (and few tickets are left - hurry!), and there's more to this show than meets the eye.  When I learned that the aerialist was in the house and that the crew was installing his pulley system, I had to snap a few photos.  Here's the...Read More »

More to Discover at the ISO

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 by The Intern-al Report
AndreaUnfortunately, this is my last week as an ISO intern. I have had a great three months learning from the wonderful people here at the Symphony, exploring orchestral music, meeting the musicians and doing lots of writing for them. What a fun experience!

Although I'm graduating and moving on to new opportunities, I have a feeling I will never really 'get away' from the Symphony. I know I'll be back to chat with the people I've met here and, of course, to attend some of the great upcoming concerts!

Th...Read More »

Symphonic Hits and a Conductorial Debut

Friday, March 25, 2011 by David Glover
For the next Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Symphonic Hits Concerts (April 1 and 2 at 7:30), we welcome up-and-coming British conductor Michael Francis, who was brought on board just a couple weeks ago, replacing Mark Wigglesworth who is expecting a child back in England.  Michael Francis has made quite a reputation stepping in at the last minute.  In fact he launched his conducting career in 2006 by stepping out of the bass section of the London Symphony and into a rehearsal of Shostakovich's...Read More »

The Joy of Haydn's Creation

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 by Be our Guest

Eric Stark, ISC Artistic DirectorDr. Eric Stark is the Artistic Director for the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and a professor at Butler University's School of Music. As our guest blogger, he provides some additional commentary about this weekend's performance of Haydn's Creation.

Haydn's Creation is a favorite in the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir repertoire because the choral writing is both radiant and descriptive. We get some of the greatest moments in the whole piece! The announcement of "and there was LIGHT" has to rate up at...

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News, news and more news

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo
A Mid-Week Roundup

TONIGHT. The legendary singer Liza Minnelli performs. In about an hour, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra begins rehearsing and Ms. Minnelli arrives later for a sound check.  There are only a handful of tickets left - so hurry and call the box office!  639-4300.
3-4-2
3-4-2.  If you go to our website, you're immediately greeted by the best deal anywhere. Pick any two Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concerts in the Classical, Pops or Symphonic Hits series, and you'll receive the...Read More »

Free tickets one year started a tradition with a great friend.

Thursday, December 2, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
A neighbor-friend somehow got free comp tickets to the show the first year that we lived in Indy many years ago. I went with my neighbor the first year and did not know what to expect. We had such a great time that we decided to make it an annual outting for the two of us. My friend has since moved away two years ago, but so far she has always made a trip back to Indy so that she can go to the Yuletide Celebration with me.

Name: Christine LaForte
Indianapolis