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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New Year's Eve with the ISO - a must for any audience!

Friday, December 30, 2011 by Paul Berns
 
Hi Everyone:

Sorry I have not written since the very successful premier of the Schwantner Concerto for Section Percussion, Timpani and Orchestra in November.  We are still hearing from audience members and musicians how exciting these performances were - thanks to all!

While visiting my 94 year old Mom in Toledo she asked about my next concert and I told her about our exciting New Year's Eve performance followed by my BAND playing 'all styles of music' in the lobby and our 'official countdown'...
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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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From the Archives: Program Books of Old

Friday, October 7, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

This morning, my boss Jessica gave me the keys to the ISO’s archive room and told me to “have at it.” As I stepped into the tiny room tucked away in the middle of the Marketing and Communications floor and caught a glimpse of the treasure trove of old ISO photographs, music scores and random artifacts – including a cornet with the baseball stuffed in the bell about which I am quite curious and thus plan to explore in a future blog post – my history-dork senses were awakened.

As a lifelong...

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"Carmina Burana" in Pop Culture

Thursday, September 22, 2011 by Shannon Draucker
New Communications InternHello, everyone!

My name is Shannon Draucker, and I'm the new Communications Intern for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. I am so excited to be here - meeting great people, listening to wonderful music, and learning a lot about the organization!

After I was hired, I immediately visited the ISO's website to peruse the program for this season.  When I saw that the ISO, joined by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and Children's Choir, would be performing Carl Orff's masterwork Carmina Burana, I...Read More »

A Symphony on the Prairie Love Story

Thursday, June 23, 2011 by Symphony Stories
It all started August 8, 2009 while watching the "Mozart in Moonlight" of the Marsh Symphony on the Prairie concert series. I was by myself watching the concert that night because all the friends I invited to watch this concert were either at work or had other plans or plain not interested with classical music at all. I was at that time enjoying my independence at 33 years of age, single and unattached, living at my very own apartment and simply enriching my life. Then there was this gentleman...Read More »

A Season Finale and Beethoven's Book Clubs

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 by David Glover

David GloverThe final Symphonic Hits of the season is upon us, and in fact, it's the final week of the Indianapolis Symphony Orcehstra's Classical Season.  Next week, summer officially begins with the Indianapolis Symphony's move out to the Prairie.  For this last concert, we're hearing Beethoven's final two symphonies led by Music Director Emmeritus, Raymond Leppard. 

These two works are as different as they could be.  The 8th Symphony is bubbly and delightful (it even lacks a slow movement), and imitates...

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The Journey to Beethoven's Ninth

Wednesday, June 8, 2011 by David Glover

David Glover

"Give it more vowel," Assistant Artistic Director Michael Davis implores the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir.  "A little longer - really full," he coaxes.  "Keep everything going." 

This past Tuesday I found the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir hard at work, preparing for next week's Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra performances of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.   Watching them, I was struck by how much time and effort goes into preparing for a work as grand as this one.  

The work starts weeks, months,...

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Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante: "Anything but sedate and stuffy"

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo

I'm gladly turning over my blog to our very own Principal Viola Michael Isaac Strauss, who performs as soloist this weekend alongside ISO Concertmaster Zach De Pue. Mike and Zach will be playing Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra. This will be the first time the pair has played this piece together.

Zach and MikeThe Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 364 (320d), is a work that is dear to my heart. I have played the work with over half a dozen...

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A Season of Excitement!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 by The Intern-al Report
AndreaIt's finally here!

The 2011-2012 season has arrived and it is filled with concerts that will arouse great memories, take you on a tour of the world and challenge the musicians to perform at their highest level. Live music in Indianapolis seems to get better with every season at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra!

Three concerts have me particularly excited! Urbanski Conducts Smetana, March 29-31, will be Bohemian perfection. I was fascinated to learn that Smetana composed most of this...Read More »

An Impromtu Introduction

Sunday, January 30, 2011 by Brian Smith
Violists Sheldon Person and Amy Kniffen and Bassist Brian SmithToday was a good day.

It has been said that the most challenging part of the classical music business these days is trying to bring in new, excited people to build the next generation of concert goers in order to help sustain the future of our art form.  And in a world of endless entertainment choices just a mouse or remote control click away, its no wonder that we have to work harder to make sure the beauty and power of classical music is available to everyone that wants it.  

So I thought to...Read More »

A Family Comes Together

Friday, December 3, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
My fondest memory of the Yuletide celebration is the fact that my mom's side of the family.. 15 people.. came together every year for 7 years to attend. We would get all dressed up and drive downtown together. The Christmas Carol was always our favorite act and my cousins and I always anticipated the intermission when grandma would buy us a holiday cookie and drink in the lobby. We would always eat Santa's hat first and then joke as we made him look like a pirate after one eye went missing....Read More »

A Family Tradition

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
I am sixteen years old and have gone to every Yuletide with my aunt, mom, and sister since I was two years old, so it has sort of become a family tradition. Every year I look forward to seeing who is going to host Yuletide and what special performances they will have. There have been some pretty amazing hosts and performances over the years, from the classic tap dancing Santas and The Night Before Christmas to once in a life time experiences like the African Children’s Choir. As soon as you walk...Read More »

…Yuletide Quarrels Being Won by a Child…

Monday, November 29, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
We were taking our places in the first few seats of Row N when an argument ensued. As is customary for us, I had gone in first, sitting in the seat next to “the stranger.” My teenage son Parker had halted in the aisle, making way for his brother Mason to take the seat beside me. Mason held back and waved Parker in ahead of him. Parker refused. “I’m not sitting next to her,” he said, looking at me with feigned disgust. “Oh, yes, you are,” Mason stated emphatically. “No way,” Parker asserted. “I...Read More »

Jake's First Yuletide

Monday, November 29, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
My husband and I have attended the Coffee Pops Concert Series since before he retired in 1991. In 2000, Yuletide Celebration was a part of the Pops Series and I was really looking forward, as always, to the event. Unfortunately that week, our daughter-in-law's grandfather died and his funeral was the day of the concert. We offered to keep both grandsons that day while she and our son traveled to northern Indiana to be with her family. But what to do about our Yuletide tickets! After talking it...Read More »

Vivid memories!

Friday, November 26, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
When I think back on past Holiday seasons, the Yuletide Celebration always holds priority in my rolodex of memories. I'm 26 years old now and still remember, vividly, my visits to the Yuletide Celebration as a little girl. The giddiness covered over me as my family filed through the doors of the Hilbert Circle Theater. Out of the crisp December air and away from the streets where horse's hooves could be heard trotting around Monument Circle. Colorful hues of light radiated from the top of the...Read More »

Seriously, you need to see this.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
In December 1997, I was halfway through my sophomore year at Butler. I had just started taking harp lessons in January, and my harp teacher, Diane Evans, was the principal harpist with ISO. She knew how much I loved musicals and pops concerts, so she told me in November that I absolutely must check out Yuletide at the Symphony. I balked. First of all, tickets were almost $20 at the time, and as a broke college student, that sounded ridiculous. I didn't know anything about the show, and I wasn't...Read More »

family

Friday, November 19, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
My story is the experience the Yuletide Celebration has for our family. We have 4 children from 22 to 11. The night we dress up and come downtown, eat out downtown and experience Yuletide together is one I will always treasure. My kids know we can't afford it and know we have made sacrifices to take the whole family. They feel the Christmas spirit throughout the whole evening. It's as if time stands still during the rendition of the Night Before Christmas.  Thanks for providing such an...Read More »

magical evening out

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
When our daughters we little, 5, 8,and 11 ( they are now 25, 28, and 31) my husband got tickets through his work and we went to our first Yuletide event. The girls and I got all dressed up and we "encouraged" him to as well. hehe. We drove downtown and we were just mesmerized by what we saw. The girls started asking the next year about the first of november are we going to the Yuletide daddy? So for many years that was our annual event for the holidays. The girls would love getting dressed up...Read More »

A WHOLE family event!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
My fondest memory of Yuletide is going as a whole family last year in 2009. My husband and I had gone to see the Yuletide show several years back and I cried most of the way through the show, thinking how I would love to be able to come back one day and bring the whole family. We have three boys and they all love music and dancing, but especially our youngest. The problem is that our youngest son has autism. Being in a public place with a lot of people and crowd noise is very troubling to him....Read More »