The F. Bruce Peck Jr. Music Library at Classical Music Indy contains a wealth of classical recordings, many what you would expect – Beethoven, Bach, Brahms. We are also thrilled to house a number of albums that feature works by outstanding women composers like Clara Schumann, Nadia Boulanger, Valerie Coleman, and Jennifer Higdon. See what music is in our library and why we love it!

Margaret Allison Bonds is an often-unsung master of classical music. Her first-rate works blend styles of African and European origin, and her compositions for voice and piano have profoundly moved audiences. Bonds is best known for her collaborations with the great African American poet Langston Hughes. Read below about Bonds’ life, career, and musical contributions to the American classical music world.

Anne Duthie McCafferty grew up in Indianapolis and has played with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for 45 seasons. She never thought she would have the chance to have a performance job, but when the opportunity arose she took it. Since then, McCafferty has performed for millions of people, performed numerous fantastic pieces, and coordinates the local chapter of Classical Revolution. Read below about her life, career, and impact on Indy.

This week, we kick off Women’s History Month by putting two fantastic musicians in the spotlight: Teresa Carreño, “Valkyrie of the Piano,” and Ethel Smyth, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. These amazing women composed, conducted, and performed all around the globe and made dynamic contributions to the classical music world. Read below about their unique voices and careers.

Indianapolis has a robust local classical music scene, worthy of being treasured as one of our city’s defining assets. And with NOTE, Classical Music Indy aims to tell stories that will delight and surprise avid classical fans, as well as welcome those new to the world of classical music. For this first issue, we chose to feature Women in Music, to celebrate local influencers past and present that have made stunning accomplishments not only with their talent, but also with their leadership in the genre.

Indianapolis is filled with vibrant arts organizations, outstanding artists, and stellar partnerships. The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and Butler University School of Music have teamed up to create their Conducting Fellowship which provides one-of-a-kind professional mentorship opportunities to outstanding students. Meet Dr. James Plenty, the 2016-2018 Conducting Fellow with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. Read about Plenty’s experience with the fellowship and what he plans to do with the skills he’s learned during his time with the ISC.

This Black History Month, we take a look at two dynamic musicians of African descent and a modern organization that is spearheading a more diverse future. Read below about the French composer who led the best orchestra in Paris, the American opera star who stunned audiences with her voice, and an organization that is creating positive change on a national scale.

For our first blog post during Black History Month, we wanted to take a look at a time in American history when the simple act of attending a classical music concert was prohibited for people of color. Renowned African-American opera baritone Robert Honeysucker, who unexpectedly died in 2017, was a student at Tougaloo College in 1963 when he decided to attend a whites-only concert in Jackson, Mississippi. His actions and the many other brave protests of the Civil Rights Movement helped to shed light on the issue of racial prejudice, but how far has classical music really come today?

For this week’s blog feature, we talked to Justin Wade, Executive Artistic Director of Young Actors Theatre, about their mission and approach to Self-Empowerment Theatre, and the role music plays in their productions. Young Actors Theatre will open two shows this weekend: Sleeping Beauty, and Twelve Dancing Princesses, at The Toby at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.