high strung

On Tuesday, March 16, I got to attend a recital by our very own Rob Danforth and Julie Beckel Yager at DePauw University.  They both played beautifully -- technically and musically!  It is difficult enough to prepare all of the ISO parts every week, and then to take on a recital in addition is really commendable!  After they each performed solos and then duets together, the other three members of the ISO horn section, Jerry Montgomery, Jill Boaz and Rick Graef, joined Rob and Julie for the premier performance of Jim Beckel's In the Mind's Eye, Images for Horns and Orchestra.  This piece and the performance of it blew me away (figuratively speaking!)!!  Jim explained beforehand that his inspirations were works of art -- how the artists created them and how the viewer perceives them.  I love this concept!  It usually seems to go in reverse, where we hear a piece of music and try to imagine colors or pictures that the music creates, or stories, which was the subject of our recent Discovery concerts for elementary school students.  This recital at DePauw was a preview of the ISO Classical Series concerts at Hilbert Circle Theatre on May 14 and 15, where the ISO horn section will perform the World Premier of In the Mind's Eye with orchestral accompaniment.  It's going to be so exciting!  

Don't miss this opportunity to take a closer look at the extraordinary talents of these ISO members!  Speaking of extraordinary talent, concertmaster Zach DePue is performing the Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 2 on these same concerts!  See you there!