A Little Something Extra

Happy 2011 everyone!

Before we close the books on 2010, I have to mention a few proud moments of this past year.  One, another record-breaking year with Marsh Symphony on the Prairie; two, a sold out performance with the one, the only, Itzhak Perlman, violinist and conductor; three, fantastic guest artists in our Pops series including the Callaway sisters, Wayne Brady and Bugs Bunny (on the big screen, of course); and four, the smashing success of Duke Energy Yuletide Celebration--the 25th...

Wow.  We received 49 blog entries for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's first Yuletide Celebration “Share Your Favorite Yuletide Memory” contest!  When the contest closed on Friday, Dec. 3 at 5 p.m., I admit, I dreaded picking the winner.   

These 49 submissions are heart-felt stories of family traditions, holiday cheer, inspiration, humor, generosity, loss, hope, love and musical memories.  The contest had no parameters or criteria; and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  We chose the...

Here's round two from our guest blogger and Pink Martini super-fan, Jayne Glick. Jayne is a student at IUPUI at the Herron School of Art & Design, majoring in Visual Communication Design. She has been a Pink Martini fan for about five years.

I’ve been a Pink Martini fan for a while and although I know their albums well, I didn’t really know too much about the people in the band and how it all began. So I decided to do some research and share my results. Believe it or not, how they got started is...

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...

I'm delighted to introduce guest blogger and Pink Martini super-fan, Jayne Glick. Jayne is a student at IUPUI at the Herron School of Art & Design, majoring in Visual Communication Design. Not only does she love being a part of the art and design world, she also enjoys having a connection to the music world. Playing violin since the age of six, she is currently studying with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra violinist, Raye Pankratz.  Right now she is focusing on honing her teaching skills and...

Ms. Joni Reeves!

Here's what Joni had to say when she was notified:

"OH MY GOODNESS!!!  I have been searching the ISO website and blog for the past 22 minutes trying to find out who won!!!!!  I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  You cannot imagine how much this will mean to Kevin Carlsen.  He is SUCH a good man!  He will be crying his eyes out at this performance!  How can I ever repay you!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I must call him right now!"

Congratulations Joni!  And...

October 13, 1984
Charles Staff, writer & reviewer, Indianapolis Star and Indianapolis News
"Thanks to Symphony, Circle's Jewel Glows"
Photo by Joe Young, The Indianapolis News

The Circle Theater made a smashing comeback and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra staged a new beginning last night in one of the biggest evenings in the cultural history of the Hoosier capital.  [Regarding Perlman's performance] Of course, [John] Nelson had an ace up his sleeve with Itzhak Perlman, who is definitely not...

In between all the amazing performances of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra opens its Printing Partners Pops Series this weekend!


Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly has invited back former Yuletide Celebration hostess Ann Hampton Callaway and her sister Liz Callaway for their cabaret-style "Sibling Revelry" show.  I was thinking about doing a Q&A with Ann and her sister, but local performing arts writer Tom Alvarez from the examiner.com be...

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...

I 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...

We're now at Day 4 of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's single ticket launch. The "biggies" are going quickly as we imagined--Josh Bell, Liza Minnelli, Bugs Bunny, Andre Watts and Pink Martini. And we continue to ask our musicians--which classical, pops or special concert would you recommend a person (either a newbie or a veteran) experience this season? 

Bob Goodlett, Assistant Principal Contrabass:
"I would recommend Mahler's 5th Symphony. It has such monumental emotional substance. In...

It'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...

ISO intern Ben Luttrell provides an update on the Circle the City for the Symphony walk/run.

Things are beginning to fall in place.

That’s not to say it hasn’t been stressful. I’d liken it to one of those big domino exhibitions: it’s fun and amazing to watch and you can’t help but admire the hard work that goes into it, but it gets more stressful as each element is revealed and open to the public.

**Something I think needs to be overstated before we go any further: this blog is only one...

Intern Ben Luttrull is feeling the momentum now, as we near the home stretch for the planning of the Circle the City for the Symphony event on Aug. 7. 

If my internship was with the Indianapolis 500, we would be at about lap 350 right now: over halfway through and time to start really focusing on pushing as hard as possible down the stretch.

Some exciting things are happening with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Circle the City event presented by Finish Line on Aug. 7.  For example, our...

ISO 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...