
As I was looking over Prokofiev's Lt. Kijé Suite for
this
weekend's performances, I began to wonder about the place of
movie music in our concert halls. I was struck by the fact
that after a century of great cinematic achievements, very little
of the often equally as great music has made its way onto our
classical concerts. Outside of some of the earliest scores by
the Russian greats, Prokofiev and Shostakovich, it is rare to see
any film music on our so-called "serious" concerts.
What is the...
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My mom is, and always has been, my concert buddy. We're really the
only two in our family who makes a habit of subscribing to the
Broadway series in Indy; attending our coffee pops and classical
performances here with the Indianapolis Symphony; and going nuts
for any live musical performance when we occasionally visit the Big
Apple.
And the ritual is the same: we nestle into our seats, read
the program notes, and right before curtain, I lean over and say to
mom: "Did you remember to turn off...
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Now
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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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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“My Requiem was
composed for nothing…for fun, if I may be permitted to say
so!”
-Gabriel Fauré

Gabriel Fauré
I must admit that I was a bit confused when I learned that the
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's
Classical Christmas concert would feature Fauré’s
Requiem. Although I was unfamiliar with this
particular piece, I thought back to my music history class, in
which I learned that a “requiem” refers to a mass for the dead – a
somber tribute to the departure of souls. Images of the...
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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...
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Happy December!
This month, we're amping up our social media sites to celebrate the
most festive season of the year! Maestro Man has already donned a
Santa hat, and we've posted an album full of images of our Yuletide
preparations. And from today through Christmas, look for a special
ISO "treat" (pictures, blog posts, Yuletide scoop, etc.)
every day on our social media sites!
So this holiday season, visit us at Hilbert Circle Theatre for
Yuletide Celebration, Scottish Rite Cathedral for
Classic...
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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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Although it is nearing my bedtime (significantly earlier since I
shifted gears from being a college student to a "working girl"), I
feel compelled to quickly blog about tonight's incredible
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concert.
While I have been blown away by every ISO concert this season,
tonight's was particularly spectacular. Not only did I relish every
moment of Beethoven 7 (see my previous blog post for my musings on
this underrated symphony), but more importantly, Lang...
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While classical music lovers have long cherished the classic
opening motif of Beethoven’s Fifth, the pastoral-sounding wind
solos in Beethoven 6 and, of course, the “Ode to Joy” melody in
Beethoven’s Ninth, Beethoven’s Seventh often lies under the
radar.
Yet, upon its premiere in 1812, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 was
strikingly well-received. Not only did Beethoven assert that his
Seventh Symphony was one of his best works, but critics and fellow
musicians also celebrated the piece. Richard...
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What little girl didn't prance around her living room
belting "Sixteen Going on Seventeen?" What teenager didn't
experience some kind of adolescent romantic longing as the stars of
the high school musical crooned "Some Enchanted Evening?" What
music appreciation teacher didn't at least reference "Do-Re-Mi" in
a lesson on Solfege syllables?
Although I am a self-proclaimed "orchestra dork" and will
exalt the unparalleled power of classical music until my dying day,
I cannot deny that the works of...
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Maybe I've been watching the
World Series too much, but I see this weekend's
Symphonic Hits Concert as a fast
ball, right down the middle. It's strong, it's exciting, and
it doesn't pull any punches - no contemporary works, no difficult
to understand rarity, just three masterworks from the heart of the
ever popular Romantic repertoire. We have an overture by
Bellini inspired by Romeo and Juliet, THE quintessential Romantic
piano concerto by Robert Schumann, and a fatalistic symphony...
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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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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...
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If
two years ago anyone had told me that the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra concert for which I would be most
excited this season would be
Mahler's First Symphony, I would have called them
crazy.
For most of my life as a classical musician, I could
never bring myself to like or even understand Mahler's
compositions. Beethoven symphonies, Brahms sonatas, and even
Strauss tone poems made sense to me, but these long, loud, and
laborious Mahler works that call for an army of brass
players and...
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Hello, 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...
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I purchased a new toy for myself last spring: a fancy-schmancy
Nikon 3100 digital camera (it also takes video, although I'm not
interested in reading that page yet in the handbook. One thing at a
time for this beginner).
I don't want to be a professional photographer or even an amateur
for that matter. I just want to play one on TV.
So this season, I put myself to work at several Marsh
Symphony on the Prairie performances to capture a bit
of the audience, the environment, the entertainers and...
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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...
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