The Sounds of Scotland

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

I was first introduced to Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony a few years ago when I had to play the second movement clarinet solo for a summer program audition tape. While learning the fingerings, attempting to perfect the articulation patterns and drilling the section with a metronome to train myself to play it more quickly, I repeatedly listened to the recording of the peppy, folk-like second movement. This lively section consists of a rousing dance theme and bouncy woodwind staccatos and...

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Bringing Brahms to Life

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 by Shannon Draucker
Me and BrahmsIn an effort to avoid a reputation as the intern who creepily writes about composers' graves, I will refrain from discussing what a transcendent experience I had visiting the resting place of Johannes Brahms at the Zentralfriedhof ("Central Cemetery") in Vienna. I will simply post a picture instead (see left).  In my excitement about the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's performance of Brahms' Third Symphony this weekend, I will however write a bit about the fascinating man that was Johannes...
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Three for Three

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 by Symphony Stories
After graduating from DePauw University in May 2009, two of my friends and I stayed at our alma mater working various jobs, trying to fend off real life just that much longer. The economy was uncertain, and our futures looked like they might be bleak for a while. We enjoyed spending time together, but our worries about the new chapters of our lives made it hard for us to live in any given moment. Every time I smiled, I felt like I had a hornet’s nest in my throat. Misery was spreading around the...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 »

Symphony - on - the - Prairie

Thursday, June 16, 2011 by Paul Berns
Paul BernsHi Everyone:

I have not written for awhile - just too busy.! But, we are getting excited about this summer's run at Symphony on the Prairie.  The music looks fantastic.

Was at Home Depot (kitchen remodeling project and porch furniture) and I saw a couple picking out chairs and discussing if the attached umbrella would bother other concert goers at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concerts this summer.  So, we struck up a conversation - they recognized me (darn pony tail).  A great couple -...Read More »

Queen Rocks

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 by Symphony Stories
My husband and I brought our two boys (ages 10 and 12 at the time) to see the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra perform Queen. We put our blankets and chairs down, ate dinner and waited for the concert to start. Our youngest wanted to go down in front of the stage when it started, so one of us went with him. Slowly, more and more people came down, and eventually our whole family was front and center. We all sang and danced through the whole concert and never went back to our chairs! It felt like a...Read More »

30 Seasons of Outdoor Celebrations

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 by Jessica Di Santo
Hard to believe, but the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Marsh Symphony on the Prairie series is celebrating its 30th season this summer.

It's funny how much has changed (the orchestra under a tent ca. 1986).

Symphony on the Prairie ca. 1986

And what still remains the same (our Nike swooshes and bangs are smaller now, but thank goodness you can still sit back, relax and listen to great symphonic music under the stars).

Symphony on the Prairie ca. 1984

What are your memories of Symphony on the Prairie through the years?  Do you have a favorite performance?  A...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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Vivaldi's Four Seasons Makes a Comeback

Monday, May 9, 2011 by David Glover
David GloverI've been really looking forward to this week's Symphonic Hits concert for a long time.  While I love the music we play week in and week out, it's nice when the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra turns to something that is a bit different from its usual stomping grounds.  This week's concert includes the Vivaldi Four Seasons which comes from the Baroque Period in music history, and it's one that we here at the ISO don't often get to visit.  The Four Seasons is of course one of the most famous...Read More »

Making Music, Changing Lives

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 by The Intern-al Report
AndreaThe title says it all. Making music and changing lives is what the Indy Symphony does. And now, you have a very special chance to help us change the lives of deserving children.

On April 15, the Indianapolis Symphony and the Columbia Club will host "Making Music Changing Lives," a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (MYO), and we would love for you to join us!

MYO is an amazing program sponsored by the ISO's Learning Community that provides individual and chamber music lessons...Read More »

A Sneak Peek at My Desk

Tuesday, March 1, 2011 by The Intern-al Report
Andrea
This is my sixth week at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and I am finally starting to get my desk organized. Just a little behind, right?

It does my Type A heart good to see a freshly-organized stack of manila file folders labeled and stuffed and sitting in my desk organizer next to my stacks of ISO program books and collateral materials. What can I say, I'm a neat freak.

The best part of organizing my desk was that as I separated my messy stack of papers, I realized just how many...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 »

Dreaming of Fond memories

Tuesday, November 23, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
I've only been to Yuletide Celebration once-- it was possibly 15 years ago. It was a fieldtrip with the school orchestra I was in. I always have enjoyed performances, and although I don't remember much, I do remember enjoying it. I'd like to share the wonderful holiday experience with my husband some time. I would love for this year to be memorable with this prize-- he's been laid off from his career, and was diagnosed with a chronic debilitating illness this summer. We sure could use some...Read More »

My Mom's Last Yuletide Celebration

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 by Everyone's a Critic
My mother was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on June 18, 1999. It was a horrific summer as she spent a month in the hospital. Was home, going to get blood/platelets every week. December of 1999, my grandmother, her mother passed away. Our family had gone through a lot of emotions. The week after my grandmother's funeral we planned to have an early Christmas. We decided to start off our Christmas Celebration Weekend by going to the Yuletide Celebration on a Friday nite. It was neat to...Read More »

Discovering the unknown 'happy' Mahler

Monday, November 1, 2010 by Zack French

This coming weekend we return to the full force of our Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians (and then some) to command another performance of a Mahler symphony, which thankfully (for me, anyway) has been an annual tradition for most major orchestras since the mid-20th century.  While I probably said in my last blog that Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony (his 2nd) was my favorite, I will probably eat just a few morsels of those words.  Each of his symphonies affects me in different ways, and...

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What I did on summer vacation

Friday, September 3, 2010 by Dinah Montgomery
Dinah Montgomery It's hard to believe we are in the final weekend of Symphony on the Prairie!  The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians have been on a 3 week vacation, which began after the Tribute to Michael Jackson.  Conner Prairie has still been a busy place without us, presenting the music of Duke Ellington, The Beatles, Buddy Holly and now River City Brass Band.  Every September one of the assignments I was always given in school was to write a paper on what I did over vacation.  It's been decades...Read More »

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 by Jessica Di Santo

Jessica Di SantoI can’t believe summer is almost over. I can’t believe Marsh Symphony on the Prairie is ending. But I do believe that we will see the 100,000th patron enter those Conner Prairie gates this weekend.

In 2009, we celebrated with Debra Fleetwood, as she was the lucky 100,000th patron to arrive.

If patron number 100,000 walks through our gates (we think on Thursday evening), it will be the third time in history that we have achieved that feat.  What helped bring us to this magic number? Amazing...

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The Finish Line

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 by Jessica Di Santo


Ben LuttrellIt's a bittersweet goodbye. Ben Luttrell has worked as the Symphony's intern this summer for the fundraising event, Circle the City for the Symphony. Thanks for all the hard work Ben!

As I stood looking at the Circle the City for the Symphony finish line when I took a picture, the first thing that came to my mind was “I’m looking at the Finish Line-sponsored Finish Line.” The next thought was “This is really surreal.”

From what I’ve gathered from other interns and friends from BSU, many internship...

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Final thoughts

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 by Sean Newhouse
As you’ve probably heard by now, my time as Associate Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is quickly drawing to a close – I’ll be conducting the last concerts of my tenure this weekend at Marsh Symphony on the Prairie, before I head to Boston to take up a new position. 

As I reflect on my two years here in Indy, I’m struck by how fortunate I’ve been to have had an incredible diversity of opportunities with the ISO, conducting on every concert series, from the classical subscription...Read More »

Ben's Internship Adventure

Tuesday, July 6, 2010 by Jessica Di Santo

Ben LuttrellISO Development intern Ben Luttrell gives us another glimpse into planning for the ISO's Circle the City for the Symphony event Aug. 7.

Between Conner Prairie trips, Circle the City for the Symphony duties, internship adventures and the dreaded “professional development," I’d say I’m having quite the summer so far at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The honeymoon of “Wow, I have my own phone line!” has faded into the “I’m expected to do real work” feeling, but I’m quite excited to report that...

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