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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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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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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If you asked me what's been happening this week, this is how I
would sum it up. Maestros. Mansions. Memory. Music. And Jimmy
Fallon.
Our new Music Director, Krzysztof Urbanski ("just call me Krzys")
arrived late Sunday evening. It's been a privilege for me to host
our maestro around town, especially to venues like Lucas Oil
Stadium for a photo shoot on Monday (Krzys will be appearing on the
cover of the winter edition of the Indianapolis Convention
& Visitors Association's 4/c visitor guide)....
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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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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...
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If
you've visited the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra this
season, hopefully you have noticed the newest feature of our
program book, the "About the Instrument" section on page six. We
ask the musicians to tell us about their instrument, its mechanics,
its history and what makes it a unique and necessary part of the
orchestra. This gives the audience insight into what is happening
onstage and behind the scenes to create the wonderful music they
hear.
As part of my internship, I've had the...
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The
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...
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It'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...
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In
this
weekend's concerts, the ISO is performing John Adams'
Lollapalooza, Saint-Saens' Second Piano Concerto (featuring
Ingrid Fliter), Debussy's La Mer, and a piece never before
performed by the ISO: Aaron Copland's Second
Symphony. It's not very often that this occurs, so I
have included Marianne's thoughts from the program book on
Copland's "Short Symphony."
Marianne Williams Tobias has authored the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra's program notes for more than 20
years.
When I entered...
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Wow.
I cannot believe that I've been the communications intern at the
ISO for three
weeks now! It has been a great experience so far and I'm sure it
will only continue to get better.
To commemorate my first three weeks at the ISO, I'm sharing "Three
in Three," three things I've learned about the symphony in my first
three weeks--and three things that you should know, too!
1. The ISO's music is truly phenomenal.
I must ashamedly admit that I had never been to an
ISO performance before starting my...
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This week on the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's
Symphonic Hits series we're presenting three works by
the great Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak. I am also very excited
that we are recording the entire concert for later release on CD!
While all three works on the program have interesting
backgrounds, I thought that here on the blog we could get to
know Dvorak, the person, a little bit better. Many people know that
he lived for a short time in America, but I hope on the following
list you'll...
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Hi
everyone!
It has been a long time since my last blog. But, the
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has been very busy with our annual
Duke Energy
Yuletide Celebration concerts!
I want to inform you of our New Year's Eve concert featuring your
own Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the world class dance
troupe from Indy: Dance Kaleidoscope - it will be like being
in Vienna. And this evening is very affordable!!!
Afterwards you leave your seats and in the lobby you will be
entertained by my 8...
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The season of 2000 Yuletide Celebration was the first time any of
my family had been to the Celebration but one we will never forget.
My daughter was 8 1/2 months pregnant at the time (Sydney was born
December 18th) and from the beginning to the end of the show my
unborn grandchild loved the show. She moved and kicked to the beat
of the music thruout the show!!! It was amazing to see and feel my
daughters tummy jump and move-the baby loved the symphony and the
show! She quieted between acts and...
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My 8 year-old still can't believe that
cartoons were only shown on Saturday mornings "back in the day," as
she calls "my era." Yes, darling. No 24-hour access to
cartoons like digital cable, Cartoon Network and the Disney Channel
provide us today (sometimes I wish we could go back to less
programming). My brother and I had the same Saturday morning
ritual: make some hot chocolate on the stove and turn on
Bugs Bunny and his friends--Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote, Daffy Duck
and Yosemite Sam--and...
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This
morning the rarest of occurrences for a new parent took place in my
home. My wife and young daughter were leaving the house for
the morning, and since my 2 month old boy was a bit under the
weather, I stayed home with him. As soon as the girls were
gone, my boy presented me with a precious gift. He fell
asleep for two whole hours! Now anyone reading this who has a
child knows that these moments where the house is silent are
fleeting and to be cherished.
Given my sudden and unexpected,...
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It’s certainly not unusual to have many musicians in one
family. The Indianapolis Symphony
Orchestra is proud to tout its many family
connections—husbands, wives, children and siblings—in our
ensemble.
But we’ve never had this family connection.
As of this moment, we are in the midst of one of the most
prestigious musical competitions in the world. The
quadrennial “Olympics for the Violin,” otherwise known as the
International Violin Competition of
Indianapolis, is taking place and 40 of the...
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In
an effort to avoid a reputation as the intern who 
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