Sound Off

I love season announcements.  There's something about the anticipation of an entire new season filled with great concerts that gets me way too excited!  It's hard to choose just a couple of favorites, but I'll try and point out which concerts I'm particularly looking forward to. 

Of course, as the Assistant Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, I have to plug my own concerts and the symFUNy Sundays series where I will be conducting three of the four performances.  We'll have music from all over the world, dance tunes from throughout history, Ravel's Mother Goose with Enchantment Theater Company, and of course the annual Yuletide Celebration.  It should be great FUN, so bring your kids and enjoy the show!  

Of course with Krzysztof Urbanski's first full season with the ISO, there is lots of interest on the Lilly Classical Series, including a number of new works.  I'm particularly looking forward to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (April 12-13).   The Rite of Spring is always an event, and with Krzysztof's energy (he has already been talking enthusiastically about this!) I'm sure it will be one of the highlights of the year.  Also on the program is a very rare opportunity to hear Brahms' Violin Concerto arranged for Piano and Orchestra.  

The concert I may be most looking forward is Krzysztof's American program (May 30-June 1).  This program has everything, great orchestral works (An American in Paris) a world premiere (William Bolcom's Games and Challenges commissioned for Time for Three) and lots of soloists (Tf3 and pianist Awadagin Pratt).  All of these artists alone are full of energy, but together, I can't imagine what will happen!  

Finally, there's a number of great vocal soloists this season.  I love opera, so I'm particularly looking forward to Thomas Hampson singing Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn (February 22).  Equally at home in the concert hall or singing Verdi at the Met, Hampson is one of the most sensitive and nuanced singers out there, and he is a perfect fit for these Mahler songs.  Also on the vocal front, former ISO music director John Nelson will return for Brahms' Requiem (November 2-3) and Twyla Robinson sings Messiaen with Krzysztof on a concert which concludes with La Mer and Bolero (October 19-20).  

Of course there's great stuff as always on the Pops concerts, and I'm particularly excited to see West Side Story played live along with the film.  This should really be something to see and hear!

Check out our whole calendar because there's so much more that I haven't mentioned.  Here's to a great 2012-2013 season.