The Artistic Kaleidoscope of Amanda Ira Aldridge
British-born composer, opera singer, and teacher Amanda Ira Aldridge is the topic of conversation for Joshua and Angela on this episode. A promising operatic contralto, Aldridge studied and performed the vocal works of compatriot Samuel Coleridge Taylor. A severe case of laryngitis ended her singing career but provided the catalyst for her to mold and teach vocal legends Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson, and Marian Anderson. Adaptable, resourceful, and musically imaginative, Aldridge created a lineage of melanated moxie whose influence spans generations of groundbreaking Black artists from the 20th century to the present day.
Featured Music:
“Prayer Before Battle,” arranged and performed for harp by Elisabeth Remy Johnson
“Carnival, Suite of Five Dances: I. Cavalcade,” performed by Rochelle Sennet
“Three African Dances, Mvt. 2: Luleta’s Dance,” performed by Bryan Chuan
LOCAL CLASSICAL – AUGUSTA READ THOMAS
In this week’s playlist, we feature works by Augusta Read Thomas (a.k.a. “Gusty”) in honor of the performances of her world-premiere piece, “Toward a Secret Sky”, happening on April 28th and 29th here in Indianapolis. We’ll hear Gusty discuss with host Salvador all about the upcoming world-premiere piece, her background, music, career, and much more.
NEW CLASSICAL – NOW HEAR THIS
n this week’s playlist, we feature violinist and conductor Scott Yoo in honor of the 4th season of Now Hear This! Scott is the Host and Executive Producer of the program. The 4th season premiered this month in April with Scott traveling around the world learning about composers, Astor Piazzolla, Robert Schumann, Andy Akiho, and ending with Isaac Albéniz.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – KURT VONNEGUT MUSUEM AND LIBRARY
In this week’s playlist, we highlight the wonderful Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library (KVML) with the help of the founder and CEO, Julia Whitehead. The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library champions the literary, artistic, and cultural contributions of the late writer, artist, teacher, and Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut. This year Vonnegut would have turned 100 on November 11, 2022. It’s a special year for the KVML and we’ll hear Julia discuss all about the museum, their programs, Vonnegut, and some of his special connections to classical music.
NEW CLASSICAL – JOHN BRUCE YEH
This week’s playlist features performances by the assistant principal clarinetist and solo E-flat clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, John Bruce Yeh. We’ll be listening to many performances by John, specifically featuring music from his new album, Chicago Clarinet Classics.
NEW CLASSICAL – NILO ALCALA
In this week’s playlist, we feature works by Filipino-American composer, Nilo Alcala. His works have been performed in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. He is the first Philippine-born composer to receive the COPLAND HOUSE Residency Award. We’ll hear choral music from Alcala’s album, Onomatopoeia, in this playlist and much more.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – MELANATED MOMENTS SEASON SIX
As we continue celebrating Black Music Month, this week’s playlist will feature music and artists discussed during the latest season of Melanated Moments in Classical Music. All of season six was recently released and featured vibrant discussions about artists such as Scott Joplin, Hazel Scott, Joseph Bologne, and Kenneth Overton, among others.
NEW CLASSICAL – ANTHONY DAVIS
In this week’s playlist, we feature the works of Anthony Davis! He is an internationally recognized composer of operatic, symphonic, choral, and chamber works, and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his opera The Central Park Five. As a composer, Davis is best known for his operas. Opera News has called Anthony Davis “A National Treasure” for his pioneering work in opera.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – THOMAS WILKINS
In this week’s playlist, we feature conductor, Thomas Wilkins. He is Henry A. Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting and professor of music in orchestral conducting at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. We’ll hear performances led by Maestro Wilkins from the album, Dear Mrs. Parks, throughout this playlist.
NEW CLASSICAL – ELEANOR ALBERGA
In this week’s playlist, we feature the works of Eleanor Alberga. Born in 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica, Alberga decided at the age of five to be a concert pianist. Five years later, she was composing works for the piano. She is a highly-regarded mainstream British composer with commissions from the BBC Proms and The Royal Opera, Covent Garden.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – DALLARA INDY CAR FACTORY
Start your engines! This week’s playlist is in honor of the Indy 500. We’ll be featuring the Dallara LLC and hear from their Dallara USA CEO & GM, Stefano DePonti. We’ll hear Stefano and Salvador discuss the history of Dallara, Stefano’s background, and all Dallara LLC offers to the public in this playlist. There will be lots of music with racing, automotive, and fast-paced themes to get you in the spirit for race day.
NEW CLASSICAL – NILO ALCALA
In this week’s playlist, we feature works by Filipino-American composer, Nilo Alcala. His works have been performed in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. He is the first Philippine-born composer to receive the COPLAND HOUSE Residency Award. We’ll hear choral music from Alcala’s album, Onomatopoeia, in this playlist and much more.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – LARA DOWNES
n this week’s playlist, we feature performances by pianist Lara Downes in honor of her upcoming performances in Indianapolis. Ms. Downes performs with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on May 19th and 20th. We’ll hear Lara talk with Salvador about the upcoming performance, her background, and all that she has been up to.
NEW CLASSICAL – NOW HEAR THIS
n this week’s playlist, we feature violinist and conductor Scott Yoo in honor of the 4th season of Now Hear This! Scott is the Host and Executive Producer of the program. The 4th season premiered this month in April with Scott traveling around the world learning about composers, Astor Piazzolla, Robert Schumann, Andy Akiho, and ending with Isaac Albéniz.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – AUGUSTA READ THOMAS
In this week’s playlist, we feature works by Augusta Read Thomas (a.k.a. “Gusty”) in honor of the performances of her world-premiere piece, “Toward a Secret Sky”, happening on April 28th and 29th here in Indianapolis. We’ll hear Gusty discuss with host Salvador all about the upcoming world-premiere piece, her background, music, career, and much more.
NEW CLASSICAL – JOHN BRUCE YEH
This week’s playlist features performances by the assistant principal clarinetist and solo E-flat clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, John Bruce Yeh. We’ll be listening to many performances by John, specifically featuring music from his new album, Chicago Clarinet Classics.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – THE RESURRECTION MIXTAPE
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring conductor, composer, arranger, producer, and songwriter, Steve Hackman. On March 16, 2022, the ISO debuted its new Uncharted Series with the world premiere of The Resurrection Mixtape in front of a crowd of over 1,100! This night will be another to remember as Steve once again guides us through connections between hip-hop and classical music.
NEW CLASSICAL – SALLY BEAMISH
In her early career, Sally Beamish performed regularly with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields and the London Sinfonietta and was principal viola in the London Mozart Players and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. In 1990, she moved from London to Scotland to develop her career as a composer.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – ZAE MUNN
Zae is Professor of Music at Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana where she teaches theory, composition, digital media in music, and orchestration/arranging. Born in 1953, Munn’s early musical training was as a cellist, with additional studies in piano, voice, and conducting.
NEW CLASSICAL – HEARTLAND FILM & OSCARS
This week we celebrate with lots of music from the big screen with the help of Greg Sorvig, Artistic Director of Heartland Film. We’ll listen to selections Greg helped curate for the playlist with music by John Williams, Michael Giacchino, and Randy Newman, to name a few. There will be lots of film music to be enjoyed by all.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – KIAN RAVAEI
In this week’s playlist, we feature the music of Bloomington-based composer, Kian Ravaei. Whether he is composing piano preludes inspired by mythical creatures, flute melodies that mimic the songs of endangered birds, or a string quartet that draws from the Iranian music of his ancestral heritage, he takes listeners on a spellbinding tour of humanity’s most deeply felt emotions.
NEW CLASSICAL – ANDREA CLEARFIELD
Creating deep emotive musical languages that build cultural and artistic bridges, the music of Andrea Clearfield is performed widely in the U.S. and abroad. She has written 160+ works for opera, chorus, orchestra, chamber ensemble, dance and multimedia.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – NICOLE KEARNEY
In this week’s playlist, we feature Nicole Kearney, Winemaker/Founder of Sip & Share Wines. Nicole was named one of 40 African American Tastemakers (Under/Over 40) by Sabrina Jackson. Sip & Share Wines is a boutique winery producing a diversity of handcrafted vegan wines. We’ll hear directly from Nicole throughout this playlist as she and host, Salvador, discuss the history of Sip & Share Wines, her background, upcoming events, music, and much more. Music in this playlist will be perfectly paired for the Sip & Share Wines experience. You’ll also hear some great stories of composers who loved wine.
Shirley Graham Du Bois: Remembering the Revolutionary Composer and Activist
Shirley Graham Du Bois: Rememb …
NEW CLASSICAL – CARLOS SIMON
In this week’s playlist, we bring you works by GRAMMY-nominated composer, Carlos Simon. With activism and social justice at the heart of his writing, composer Carlos Simon is known for his symphonic, concert and film compositions. Simon’s latest album, Requiem for the Enslaved, is a multi-genre musical tribute to commemorate the stories of the 272 enslaved men, women, and children sold in 1838 by Georgetown University, and was nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – REGINA CARTER
In this week’s playlist, we bring you performances by violinist, Regina Carter, in honor of her upcoming concert here in Indianapolis! She is performing at the Madam Walker Theatre on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 7:30 PM. This is a part of the Laureate Series held by the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. Trying to fit Regina Carter into a neatly defined musical category is pointless. She enjoys performing many styles of music—jazz, R&B, Latin, classical, blues, country, pop, African, and on and on. In each she explores the power of music through the voice of the violin.
NEW CLASSICAL – NATHALIE JOACHIM
In this week’s playlist, we feature the music of Grammy-nominated performer and composer, Nathalie Joachim! She is a Brooklyn-born Haitian American artist who is hailed for being “a fresh and invigorating cross-cultural voice” (The Nation) and who engages her creative practice to advocate for music, social change, and cultural awareness. We’ll hear music composed and performed by Nathalie Joachim throughout this playlist and much more.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – REQUIEM FOR THE ADRIFT AND SHATTERED
In this week’s playlist, we highlight the upcoming event, Requiem for the Adrift and Shattered! Indianapolis pianist Clare Longendyke brings healing through art in new multimedia work. The performance features four new works for solo piano by composers Emily Koh, Rex Isenberg, Nkeiru Okoye, and Reinaldo Moya along with a new film created by Indianapolis filmmaker Deonna Weatherly and Weatherhouse Company. The premiere of Requiem for the Adrift and Shattered will take place on Sunday, January 29 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. A reprise performance is scheduled for Sunday, February 5 at 4:00 p.m. at the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation.
NEW CLASSICAL – JESSICA MEYER
In this week’s playlist, we feature GRAMMY-nominated violist and composer, Jessica Meyer. Meyer’s first composer/performer portrait album in 2019 debuted at #1 on the Billboard traditional classical chart, where “knife-edge anticipation opens on to unexpected, often ecstatic musical realms, always with a personal touch and imaginatively written for the instruments” (Gramophone Magazine). We’ll hear performances by Jessica Meyer as well as her compositions from her first album, Ring Out, throughout this playlist.
ISO Concertmaster Kevin Lin Talks EDM, Equity, and the Future of Classical Music
ISO Concertmaster Kevin Lin Ta …
LOCAL CLASSICAL – ELI EBAN
In this week’s playlist, we feature local and Internationally recognized clarinetist, Eli Eban! He teaches at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where he holds a distinguished ranks’ Rudy professorship and serves as the principal clarinetist of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. When not teaching at IU or playing with the ICO, he divides his time between touring as a soloist and chamber musician, and spends his performing and teaching at the Sarasota Music Festival and playing principal clarinet in the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. We’ll hear Eli Eban discuss his musical life and experiences in this playlist paired with some great musical performances that feature him, as well.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – RYAN OLIVIER
In this week’s playlist, we feature composer and multimedia artist, Ryan Olivier. Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Music at Indiana University South Bend, where he directs the electronic ensemble, the Audio-Visual Collective, and teaches courses in music composition, music theory, and music technology.
NEW CLASSICAL – NATHALIE STUTZMANN
In this week’s playlist, we feature recordings conducted and performed by Nathalie Stutzmann! She is the new Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from the 2022/23 season and only the second woman in history to lead a major American orchestra. Nathalie is also one of today’s most esteemed contraltos, she studied the German repertoire with Hans Hotter, and she has done more than 80 recordings and received the most prestigious awards
LOCAL CLASSICAL – INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR
This week we feature great classical and holiday recordings by IndyChoir and hear from their Conducting Fellow, Kiki Porter, as she guides us through all the great things they have done and some upcoming events.
NEW CLASSICAL – FIFTH HOUSE ENSEMBLE
Praised by the New York Times for its “conviction, authority, and finesse,” the Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble harnesses the collaborative spirit of chamber music to reach beyond the traditionally-perceived limits of classical music. The ensemble’s artistic, educational, and civic programs engage theater groups, video game designers, corporate innovators, and folk bands to share stories as diverse as the communities it serves.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – ANDREA BOCELLI
In this week’s playlist, we bring you performances by The World’s Most Beloved Tenor, Andrea Bocelli. He will give his first Indiana appearance as well as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s debut performance with one of the most acclaimed artists in the world on December 7th.
NEW CLASSICAL – HEARTLAND MARIMBA QUARTET
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring the Heartland Marimba Quartet (HMQ). The ensemble was established in 2016 by acclaimed marimba soloist Matthew Coley and has done more than 140 concerts since its inception. The group seeks to give a platform to the music of American composers in its programming and continues to expand its repertoire with works from composers worldwide. We’ll be hearing music from the album, VISION, as well as some performances by their Founder & Executive/Artistic Director, Matthew Coley in this playlist.
Expertise Exceeding Exoticism: Dr. Caroline Ahn, a Skilled Composer, Not a ‘Special’ Case
Expertise Exceeding Exoticism: …
I Fits, I Sits: Jared Thompson, The Classically Cool Cat
I Fits, I Sits: Jared Thompson …
Practice makes Prayer: A Divine Dialogue with Derek Reeves
Practice makes Prayer: A Divin …
LOCAL CLASSICAL – KURT VONNEGUT MUSUEM AND LIBRARY
In this week’s playlist, we highlight the wonderful Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library (KVML) with the help of the founder and CEO, Julia Whitehead. The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library champions the literary, artistic, and cultural contributions of the late writer, artist, teacher, and Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut. This year Vonnegut would have turned 100 on November 11, 2022. It’s a special year for the KVML and we’ll hear Julia discuss all about the museum, their programs, Vonnegut, and some of his special connections to classical music.
Angélique Kidjo: A conversation with Africa’s Premier Diva
Angélique Kidjo: A conversatio …
NEW CLASSICAL – RAVEN CHACON
In this week’s playlist, we highlight Raven Chacon in honor of Native American Indian Heritage Month. Raven Chacon is a composer, performer and installation artist from Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation. He is a recent winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his work, Voiceless Mass. This made him the first Native American to win this prize. We’ll hear music by Chacon and more Native American composers in this playlist.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – RHYTHM! DISCOVERY CENTER
This week we highlight the Rhythm! Discovery Center here in Indianapolis with the help of guest curator, Rob Funkhouser! He is a composer, performer, instrument builder, and Operations and Education Manager at the Rhythm! Discovery Center. He’ll guide us through all the great things happening within the museum in this playlist.
NEW CLASSICAL – LATITUDE 49
In this week’s playlist, we bring you performances by a group dedicated to championing the works of living composers. Latitude 49 is a dynamic mixed-chamber group blending the finesse of a classical ensemble with the drive and precision of a finely tuned rock band. More than sixty works have been written for L49 so far by a multitude of composers ranging from aspiring students to Pulitzer prize-winning masters. With commissioning and supporting living composers at the heart of its mission, L49 strives to engage diverse audiences with new sounds and specially curated programs that reflect the world in which we find ourselves, with all its beauty and curiosities.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – CLASSICAL HALLOWEEN
In this week’s playlist, we help you get in the spirit of Halloween! This Halloween playlist is in conjunction with the upcoming Classical Halloween concert with our great local orchestra, The Indianapolis Symphony. You’ll get a taste of those works, as well as other classical pieces with Halloween themes in this playlist you have grown to love and have yet to experience.
NEW CLASSICAL – ROOMFUL OF TEETH
In this week’s playlist, we feature the Grammy-winning vocal band, Roomful of Teeth. They are dedicated to reimagining the expressive potential of the human voice. By engaging collaboratively with artists, thinkers, and community leaders from around the world, they seek to uplift and amplify voices old and new while creating and performing meaningful and adventurous music.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
This month we feature music conducted by the late Venezuelan-American artist Carmen-Helena Téllez in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Known as a conductor, composer, producer, scholar and interdisciplinary artist, her contributions and advocacy for new classical music were unmatched. Carmen-Helena Téllez was responsible for the commission and world premiere of many works that have garnered the highest critical praise.
NEW CLASSICAL – ISATA KANNEH-MASON
In this week’s playlist, we feature British pianist, Isata Kanneh-Mason. She is the recipient of the 2021 Leonard Bernstein Award, a 2020 Opus Klassik award for best young artist and, as a member of the Kanneh-Mason family, the 2021 best classical artist at the Global Awards.
NEW CLASSICAL – ANNA THORVALDSDOTTIR
Anna’s “detailed and powerful” (Guardian) orchestral writing has garnered her awards from the New York Philharmonic, Lincoln Center, the Nordic Council, and the UK’s Ivors Academy, as well as commissions by many of the world’s top orchestras. Her music is composed as much by sounds and nuances as by harmonies and lyrical material – it is written as an ecosystem of sounds, where materials continuously grow in and out of each other, often inspired in an important way by nature and its many qualities, in particular structural ones, like proportion and flow.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – 2022 IVCI
This week’s playlist is in honor of the upcoming 11th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI). This year it is taking place from September 9-25, 2022. The competition aims to recognize, reward and promote the world’s finest young classical violinists, and encourage understanding, appreciation and support of the violin repertoire by a large and diverse audience. We’ll be highlighting performances of past Laureates in this playlist.
NEW CLASSICAL – APOLLO CHAMBER PLAYERS
This week we bring you performances by the Apollo Chamber Players! Celebrating its 15th anniversary season, this Houston-based ensemble “recasts music for a diverse and multi-ethnic generation” (Strings Magazine) through globally-inspired programming and multicultural new music commissions. We are excited to be featuring this great group and we’ll be hearing music from two of their albums, With Malice Toward None, and MoonStrike. Connect with Classical Music Indy Streaming’s New Classical channel to hear performances by the Apollo Chamber Players.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – PENROD ARTS FAIR
This week we highlight the wonderful organization that is The Penrod Arts Fair. We’ll hear from this year’s Fair Chairman, Ronan Johnson, as well as Penrod Society member, Greg Heinle. The Penrod Arts Fair, also known as “Indiana’s Nicest Day” is one of the largest single-day arts fairs in the country. The Arts Fair is taking place at Newfields on Saturday, September 10th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Penrod” pays homage to Penrod Schoefield, a literary character from Indianapolis novelist Booth Tarkington. In this week’s playlist, we’ll highlight some pieces centered on literary themes, works, and characters, as well as hear all the insights about the Arts Fair from Ronan and Greg.
NEW CLASSICAL – INBAL SEGEV
In this week’s playlist, we bring you performances by cellist, Inbal Segev. Celebrated for her fresh insights into music’s great masterworks, the Israeli American cellist is equally committed to reinvigorating the cello repertoire, and has commissioned and premiered major new works from an international who’s who of today’s foremost contemporary composers. A prodigy who first played for the Israeli president at just eight years old, Segev came to international attention ten years later when she made concerto debuts with both the Berlin Philharmonic and Israel Philharmonic under the baton of Zubin Mehta.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – DRUM CORPS INTERNATIONAL
In this week’s playlist, we highlight the wonderful organization that is Drum Corps International with guest curator, Eric Hjellming. With this year being DCI’s 50th Anniversary and Finals returning to Lucas Oil Stadium, you really don’t want to miss out on any of this excitement. In this playlist, we’ll hear Eric discuss all the insights of DCI and what to look forward to at this year’s Finals Week event here in Indianapolis, and more.
NEW CLASSICAL – UNSUK CHIN
This week on our New Classical channel we feature the works of South Korean composer, Unsuk Chin. She is a contemporary classical music composer who is currently based in Berlin, Germany. Chin has received many honors, including the 2004 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for her Violin Concerto. In 2022 she starts a five-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Tongyeong International Festival in South Korea and her Artistic Directorship of the Weiwuying International Music Festival in Taiwan.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – GEN CON INDY
In this week’s playlist, we bring some fabulous orchestrations of gaming music in honor of Gen Con Indy. Gen Con Indy is back in the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium for The Best Four Days in Gaming this August 4th-7th! Throughout the playlist, we’ll hear from their Director of Events, Derek Guder, and Event Manager, JC Smith. They’ll be discussing all the insights of Gen Con Indy, their roles, and some of their favorite gaming music.
NEW CLASSICAL – NEW LONDON CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
This week’s featured artist is the New London Chamber Ensemble. For over two decades the NLCE has challenged traditional ideas of chamber music with their innovative programmes combining classic repertoire with semi-staged works incorporating drama, speech and action. We’ll be hearing music from their newly released album, WINDSWEPT VOL. II, from Navona Records.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – CHAMBERFEST BROWN COUNTY
This week’s playlist will feature the great festival in Nashville, Indiana- ChamberFest Brown County. This year’s festival takes place August 14-20 and will feature some great guest artists. Notably, this year the Lincoln String Quartet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be performing. ChamberFest was born out of love; love for music, love for people and love for nature. We’ll hear Artistic Director, Andreas Ioannides and Social Media Manager, Nicha Stapanukul discuss what all to expect at this year’s festival and more.
NEW CLASSICAL – TIME FOR THREE
This week’s playlist brings you great performances by Time For Three. On June 10th they released their new album, Letters for the Future, with the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Xian Zhang on Deutsche Grammophon. The album comprises world premiere recordings of two technically demanding and musically virtuosic concerti for trio and orchestra by two Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, written fifteen years apart but both commissioned for the group: Jennifer Higdon’s 2007 Concerto 4-3 and Kevin Puts’s brand-new Contact.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – PRIDE MONTH
In this week’s playlist, we continue our celebrations in honor of Pride Month. This week we feature guest curator and local LGBTQ+ activist, Chris Douglas. He is a founding partner and managing director of C.H. Douglas and Gray Wealth Management. Chris is a lover of classical music and has always been an advocate for the arts. He has been a past president of the Board of Trustees and current member of the Board of Advisors of Dance Kaleidoscope, Indiana’s premier professional contemporary dance company.
NEW CLASSICAL – RANDALL GOOSBY
Signed exclusively to Decca Classics in 2020 at the age of 24, American violinist Randall Goosby is acclaimed for the sensitivity and intensity of his musicianship alongside his determination to make music more inclusive and accessible, as well as bringing the music of under-represented composers to light. Goosby made his debut with the Jacksonville Symphony at age nine. At age 13, he performed with the New York Philharmonic on a Young People’s Concert at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall and became the youngest recipient ever to win the Sphinx Concerto Competition.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – INDY PRIDE
Shelly is the Executive Director of Indy Pride Inc. As a lesbian, wife, and mother, Shelly is passionate about ensuring that LGBTQ+ people feel connected to each other and are provided with equitable opportunities. Shelly has proven to be a dynamic and informative speaker on topics such as Career Development for Queer Students, Mentor Programs, Personal Branding, and ways that local businesses can make their environments more accepting and equitable.
NEW CLASSICAL – JULIUS EASTMAN
As we enter Pride Month, we’ll be hearing the works of a composer who has been overlooked. His name is Julius Eastman. Eastman was born in 1940 and grew up in Ithaca, New York. He was an artist who, as a gay, black man, aspired to live those roles to the fullest. He was not only a prominent member of New York’s downtown scene as a composer, conductor, singer, pianist, and choreographer, but also performed at Lincoln Center with Pierre Boulez and the New York Philharmonic, and recorded experimental disco with producer Arthur Russell.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – BLACK MUSIC MONTH
In this week’s playlist, we celebrate Black Music Month which takes place in June. It was created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 to honor and celebrate Black artists’ contributions to music. We’ll be honoring the late Herman Whitfield III, an Indianapolis native who was a gifted pianist and composer. We’ll also hear performances of artists who have been featured in season four of Classical Music Indy’s podcast, Melanated Moments in Classical Music.
NEW CLASSICAL – VOCES8
In this week’s playlist, we’ll hear the soothing voices of the British vocal ensemble VOCES8. They are proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring globally, the group performs an extensive repertoire both in its a cappella concerts and in collaborations with leading orchestras, conductors and soloists. Versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression are central to the ensemble’s performance and education ethos.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – INDY 500
In this week’s playlist, we are gearing up for the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, which is happening Sunday, May 29th. What better way to celebrate than to feature a great organization that has been telling the rich history of this great race. This week we have guest curator Jason Vansickle of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Jason is the Vice President of Curation and Education and we’ll hear some insights about the museum, his role, and pieces he helped me pair for this playlist.
NEW CLASSICAL – MARIN ALSOP
Convinced that music has the power to change lives, she is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, deep commitment to education, and championing of music’s importance in the world. Marin is the first woman to serve as the head of a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Britain, she is, as the New York Times put it, not only “a formidable musician and a powerful communicator” but also “a conductor with a vision.” Want to hear and learn more about Marin Alsop and live in the Indianapolis area? Join us Wednesday, May 25th at 7:30 p.m. for a special one-night screening of the film The Conductor, featuring internationally renowned conductor Marin Alsop.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – KOKOMO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
In this week’s playlist, we have guest curator José Valencia of the Kokomo Symphony Orchestra (KSO) speaking about the organization and some of his musical background and insights. In addition to working with the KSO, Mr. Valencia is the founding music director and artistic advisor for the cutting-edge Indianapolis-based Orkestra Projekt. He is also Assistant Conductor and concertmaster of the Marion Philharmonic Orchestra and Assistant Concertmaster with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra.
NEW CLASSICAL – BROOKLYN RIDER
Claiming no allegiance to either end of the historical spectrum, Brooklyn Rider most comfortably operates within the long arc of the tradition, seeking to illuminate works of the past with fresh insight while coaxing the malleable genre into the future through an inclusive programming vision, deep-rooted collaborations with a wide range of global tradition bearers, and the creation of thoughtful and relevant frames for commissioning projects.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – MUSIC AND NATURE
Whether we’re listening to music that draws direct inspiration from nature or not, ecomusicology encourages us to question how we listen to sounds even in our everyday environments.
NEW CLASSICAL – WILD UP
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring performances by the Los Angeles contemporary music ensemble, WILD UP. They are led by artistic director and founder, Christopher Rountree. This GRAMMY-nominated ensemble has worked with numerous artists since first forming in 2010. They have held residencies at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Colburn School, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, National Sawdust, and the Hammer Museum, and taught at dozens of educational institutions across the U.S.
NEW CLASSICAL – RAIN WORTHINGTON
In this week’s playlist, we bring you works by American composer, Rain Worthington. Some influences in her works have included world music, minimalism, and romanticism. Inspired by the energy of the contemporary classical scene, she pursued her love of orchestral music and taught herself notation and orchestration.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – CITY MARKET
This week we are highlighting the Indianapolis City Market and our guest curator for this playlist, Executive Director, Keisha Harrison. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Keisha Harrison has called Indianapolis home for almost the past two years.
NEW CLASSICAL – FILM SCORES
This year it is even more important to shine a light on the wonderful composers of film music. The Academy Awards recently mentioned that eight awards will not be presented during the live March 27th telecast including, Best Original Score, Film Editing, Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, Documentary Short, and Live-Action Short and Animated Short. The current plan is to present these eight awards during the pre-telecast hour. We stand with these artists and hope they receive the recognition they deserve.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
In this week’s playlist, we are highlighting pieces and performances by women artists who have Indiana ties in honor of Women’s History Month. This annual event celebrates the important contributions of women of the past to the present. We’ll shine a light on some great woman artists who have contributed to society with their musicianship.
NEW CLASSICAL – MISSY MAZZOLI
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring the works of Grammy-nominated American composer Missy Mazzoli. Missy is an active TV and film composer, writing music for the Amazon TV show Mozart in the Jungle, and is a pianist and keyboardist with Victoire, an all-female chamber rock quintet she founded in 2008 dedicated to her own compositions.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – HARLEM QUARTET
This New York-based ensemble is currently quartet-in-residence at the John J. Cali School of Music and the Royal College of Music in London. The quartet’s mission is to advance diversity in classical music, engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire that includes works by composers of color. There are even some local ties to this amazing ensemble. Cellist Felix Umansky is a native of Carmel, Indiana, and joined the Harlem Quartet in the spring of 2015.
NEW CLASSICAL – RACHEL PORTMAN
In this week’s playlist, we bring you the music of English composer, Rachel Portman. If you don’t know her by name, you might already know her by her music. Portman is an award-winning film composer and has scored for films like Race, The Cider House Rules, and A Dog’s Purpose just to name a few. Portman shattered the glass ceiling with her score for the 1996 film, Emma, and became the first woman ever to win an Oscar for best original score.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – MELANATED MOMENTS
In this week’s Black History Month playlist, we bring you recordings by composers, performers, and artists who have been highlighted in our podcast, Melanated Moments in Classical Music. Melanated Moments is the ward-winning podcast from Classical Music Indy that shines a spotlight on musical works composed by, for, and about Black people.
NEW CLASSICAL – TANIA LEÓN
We are excited to feature composer, conductor, and educator, Tania León in this week’s New Classical playlist. She is a founding member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, León instituted the Brooklyn Philharmonic Community Concert Series, co-founded the American Composers Orchestra’s Sonidos de las Américas Festivals, was New Music Advisor to the New York Philharmonic, and is the founder/Artistic Director of the nonprofit and festival Composers Now.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – JUANJO MENA
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring Spanish conductor, Juanjo Mena. This is in conjunction with the upcoming Classical Series concert by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra happening on January 28th and 29th. Mena will be leading the ISO’s, “Greetings from Latin America” concert. Juanjo Mena began his conducting career in his native Spain as Artistic Director of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra in 1999.
NEW CLASSICAL – MARK HETZLER
In this week’s playlist, we bring you performances by trombonist, Mark Hetzler. He was the former Principal Trombonist of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra, as well as the Florida Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra. One interesting fact about Mark is that he’s a member of the experimental rock band, Mr. Chair, where he plays his trombone while hooked up to an effects pedalboard, giving it an electric trombone feel.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – JORGE MUÑIZ
In this week’s playlist, we bring you the music of northern Indiana composer, Jorge Muñiz. Based in South Bend, Indiana, Jorge is a Professor of Music at Indiana University South Bend’s Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts as well as the Interim Dean. In addition to winning the First Grand Prize of the European Young Composers Competition, Muñiz has won several other international awards including the City of Alcobendas Composition Prize, the Flora Prieto Composition Prize, the Guerrero Foundation Music Prize, the Joaquin Turina Music Prize, and the Spanish Society of Authors Young Composers Competition.
NEW CLASSICAL – DU YUN
This week’s playlist theme is in observance of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. January, 11th is also National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. This has become a growing issue in our time not just in the United States, but across the globe. We are raising awareness on this issue through music, specifically composer, Du Yun.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – HOST OKARA IMANI
Hey, Starshine! This is Okara Imani, Media Production Fellow for Classical Music Indy, and your guide to The “I” in Classical Music. I’m here to highlight the cultural and social intersections of the classical art form, beyond the Classical Period and beyond the constructs of Euro-centric high society origins.
NEW CLASSICAL – SŌ PERCUSSION
In this week’s playlist, we bring you performances by a group who are programming a diverse range of voices, commissioning flexible new works, and re-imagining educational programs. That ensemble is Sō Percussion. They are a percussion-based music organization that creates and presents new collaborative works to adventurous and curious audiences and educational initiatives to engaged students, while providing meaningful service to its communities, in order to exemplify the power of music to unite people and forge deep social bonds.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – HOLIDAY PLAYLIST
It’s that time of year! Bustling shops, family gatherings, and a nip in the air. This week we bring you works for the upcoming Holidays. However you may celebrate, we hope this season is full of joy and good health. The playlist is filled with many works that will surely get you in the holiday spirit.
NEW CLASSICAL – MASON BATES
In this week’s playlist, we bring you works by award-winning composer, Mason Bates. He is an American composer and DJ, which all translates to his works. His works often mix electronic dance music with traditional symphonic writing. Locally, his 2019 Grammy awarding-winning opera, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, was a Jacobs School of Music co-production with the Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, and San Francisco Opera back in 2018.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – CHRISTKINDLMARKT
For this week’s playlist, we connected with the Carmel Christkindlmarkt to create a playlist that will get you in the holiday spirit. The Carmel Christkindlmarkt has brought the old-world charm of Christmas in Germany to Carmel, Indiana. The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is an open-air Christmas market in traditional German style, and was founded as a nonprofit organization in 2017 with the support of the City of Carmel and Mayor James Brainard. It runs annually from November 20th through December 24th.
NEW CLASSICAL – CATALYST QUARTET
In this week’s playlist, we bring you performances by the Catalyst Quartet. The Grammy Award-winning ensemble was founded by the internationally acclaimed Sphinx Organization in 2010. They believe in the unity that can be achieved through music and imagine their programs and projects with this in mind, redefining and reimagining the classical music experience.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – ALASTAIR WILLIS
Alastair’s previous positions include Music Director of the Illinois Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor with the Florida Orchestra’s Coffee Concert series, Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Assistant Conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras, and Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra.
NEW CLASSICAL – JEROD TATE
Tate has held numerous Composer-in-Residence positions and his commissioned works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, and many more.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – MICHAEL SCHELLE
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring local composer and Butler University Professor, Michael Schelle. A man of many talents, he has been the Composer in Residence and founder of the notorious JCA Composers Orchestra at Butler University, a two-time nominee for the Pulitzer Prize in Music, a finalist for the International Humour in Poetry Competition (Paris), a published author (film music book), and a restaurant critic.
NEW CLASSICAL – CAROLINE SHAW
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring Caroline Shaw. She is the youngest ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her composition, Partita for 8 Voices. Shaw is a New York-based vocalist, violinist, composer, and producer who performs in solo and collaborative projects. She performs as a violin soloist, chamber musician, and as a vocalist in the Grammy-winning ensemble Roomful of Teeth.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – ROBERT SPANO
Many great classical music artists have connections to Indiana. In this week’s playlist, we’ll be featuring conductor, Robert Spano, who has Indiana roots. Born in 1961 in Conneaut, Ohio, and raised in Elkhart, Indiana, he grew up in a musical family, composing and playing flute, violin, and piano.
NEW CLASSICAL – SPEKTRAL QUARTET
In this week’s New Classical channel, we are excited to feature the Spektral Quartet. The quartet has received multiple Grammy nominations, as well as one Latin Grammy award. Spektral also takes great pride in its home city of Chicago: championing the work of local composers, bridging social and aesthetic partitions, and cultivating its ongoing collaborations and residencies in the Chicago region.
NEW CLASSICAL – PENROD FAN FAVORITES
Also known as Indiana’s Nicest Day, this year the Penrod Arts Fair took place Saturday, September 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Annually organized by The Penrod Society, this year’s fair featured over three hundred artists, six entertainment stages, and 75 arts-related non-profit organizations, including Classical Music Indy. If you went to the arts fair, Classical Music Indy let people place a sticker on a picture of a living artist of their choice.
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LOCAL CLASSICAL – HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
This week on Classical Music Indy’s Local Classical channel, we present music by composers, performers, and conductors of Hispanic descent, both from the United States and from Latin American countries. This playlist was also guest curated by Consuelo Poland, Founder and Executive Director of the Latinas Welding Guild. Consuelo’s nonprofit organization here in Indianapolis aims to empower Latinas and all women personally, creatively, and economically through welding.
NEW CLASSICAL – SYBARITE5
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring the string quintet ensemble, Sybarite5. They have collaborated with artists like Ehsan Matoori, Shane Shanahan, Jakub Ciupinski, Clarice Assad, and more. Sybarite5 has appeared at festivals including Ravinia, Caramoor, Wolf Trap, Grand Teton, Aspen, Interlochen, Chautauqua, and many others. International appearances include Canada’s Tuckamore Music Festival, the New Docta International Music Festival in Cordoba, Argentina, and the Osaka Festa in Osaka, Japan.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – NATIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK
All the great classical music we love has to have started somewhere, and often that place was in the classroom. All your favorite classical music composers, conductors, soloists, and more couldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for music educators. In this week’s playlist, we are featuring works chosen by Indiana music educators in honor of National Arts in Education Week.
NEW CLASSICAL – CHRISTOPHER CERRONE
In this week’s playlist, we’ll be highlighting works by American composer Christopher Cerrone. Cerrone holds degrees from the Yale School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. He currently teaches at Mannes School of Music.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – PENROD PLAYLIST
Known as “Indiana’s Nicest Day” and one of the largest single-day arts fairs in the country, The Penrod Arts Fair is taking place this year on Saturday, September 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year’s fair will feature over three hundred artists, six entertainment stages, and 75 arts-related non-profit organizations, including Classical Music Indy, all taking place at the beautiful Newfields.
NEW CLASSICAL – EUN SUN KIM
In this week’s New Classical channel we are excited to feature conductor, Eun Sun Kim. She is the first Asian woman conductor to lead an American opera company. As of August 1, 2021, Eun Sun Kim is the Music Director of the San Francisco Opera. A native of Seoul, Kim studied composition and conducting and later continued her studies in Stuttgart where she graduated with distinction. After graduating she went on to win First Prize in the International Jesús López-Cobos Opera Conducting Competition at the Teatro Real.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – CHAMBERFEST BROWN COUNTY
In this week’s playlist, we are highlighting artists that are performing in this year’s ChamberFest Brown County. The festival is taking place from August 17th-22nd in Nashville, Indiana. Part of ChamberFest’s mission has been to bridge divides in rural Indiana through classical music performance and education of the highest caliber.
NEW CLASSICAL – MICRO COMPOSITION PROJECT FEATURES
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring the recordings from the 2020 Micro Composition Project. This Classical Music Indy Program has been very successful and we are excited to share the upcoming premiere concert date for the 2021 Micro Composition Project. The works will premiere at the Indianapolis Propylaeum’s Porch Concert Series on Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. in Indianapolis, Indiana.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – MUSIC IN BLOOM
This week’s playlist highlights living composers, new music specialist artists, and the work of the Music in Bloom Festival, coming to Indianapolis audiences August 11–14, 2021. From full orchestra to solo works, your host, concert pianist, and Music in Bloom founder/Artistic Director, Clare Longendyke guides listener’s through Music in Bloom’s featured artists of past and present.
NEW CLASSICAL – OLYMPIC PLAYLIST
In honor of the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, we are bringing you a playlist filled with music that embodies the spirit of the Olympics. The Olympics are a great way to show the great achievements of athletes from all over the world.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – INDIANAPOLIS BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
The Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra has been the ensemble-in-residence at the Indiana History Center and the University of Indianapolis since 1999. Their performances and recordings are all performed with period instruments built between 1600 and 1750. They make it a mission to perform and promote music of the 17th and 18th centuries using period instruments and historically informed performance practices.
NEW CLASSICAL – JESS GILLAM
In this week’s New Classical playlist we are featuring British saxophonist, Jess Gillam. Gillam’s first breakthrough was in 2016 when at the age of 17, she made history as the first saxophonist to reach the final of the BBC Young Musician Competition.
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LOCAL CLASSICAL – LISTENER SELECTED PLAYLIST
As a listener-supported service, we wanted to program a playlist featuring works specifically selected by our listeners. At the beginning of June, we sent out surveys requesting our listener’s favorite classical pieces, periods, and soloists. The results were great and this playlist includes a little of everything based on the responses. Thank you for making our streaming service possible.
NEW CLASSICAL – JOEL PUCKETT
In this week’s playlist, we are featuring award-winning American composer, Joel Puckett. His music is performed by the leading artists of our day and is consistently recognized by organizations such as the American Composers Forum, BMI, Chorus America, National Public Radio, and the American Bandmasters Association
NEW CLASSICAL – KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI
2021 marked the one-year anniversary of Krzysztof Penderecki’s death. As a polish composer and conductor, Penderecki became a leader in the world of contemporary music. One of his first groundbreaking works was his avant-garde piece, Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima. His music often confronted subjects such as social injustice, religion, and politics.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – BLACK MUSIC MONTH
Since 1979, June has been known as Black Music Month. In the classical music world, black artists are so often underrepresented. In this month’s playlist, we’ll be highlighting music by black composers, soloists, conductors, and more. This playlist has selections spanning from the 17th century to today.
NEW CLASSICAL – XAVIER BETETA
As a composer, Xavier did most of his studies privately with Rodrigo Asturias. In 2013 he won the Silver Medal at the fourth International Antonin Dvorak Composition Competition in Prague. Xavier studied music theory at the University of Cincinnati where his thesis was ranked no. 4 in the National Best-Seller Dissertation List. He obtained his Ph.D. in composition at the University of California San Diego where he studied with Roger Reynolds, Philippe Manoury, and Chinary Ung.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – COREY DENHAM
Corey Denham‘s project resulted in an album that highlights a modern language of classical improvisation for flute and percussion with Jenna Page. This album draws upon experiences and memories from specific landmarks around Indianapolis, recreating the atmosphere of these locations and connecting Indianapolis listeners to places they know and love.
NEW CLASSICAL – LORETTA NOTARESCHI
In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, this week’s New Classical streaming playlist will be featuring Dr. Loretta K. Notareschi and her piece String Quartet OCD. Dr. Notareschi is a professor of music at Regis University and is very open about her mental health. One of the hardest moments of her life was when she grappled with an unnerving postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – CHLOE BOELTER
In 2020, The Classical Music Indy Recording Fellowship sought to provide an opportunity for two outstanding musicians to engage in a top-of-the-line recording experience of their own choosing, while providing mentorship on developing a career in the recording industry. One of the chosen fellows was Chloe Boelter. Chloe recorded a set of female-composed French and German art songs.
NEW CLASSICAL – HECTOR DEL CURTO
In this week’s playlist, we’ll be featuring Argentinean bandoneonist, Héctor Del Curto. Born into a family of bandoneon players, Mr. Del Curto was introduced to the world of Tango and bandoneon by his grandfather, Héctor Cristobal. By the age of 17, he had won the title “Best Bandoneon Player Under 25” in Argentina, and was invited to join the orchestra of the legendary Osvaldo Pugliese, the “Last Giant of Tango.”
LOCAL CLASSICAL – KIDS PLAYLIST
In honor of April being the Month of the Young Child, this playlist was made with kids in mind. We’ll be featuring works that have been in the Fantasia films, cartoons, and more. Pieces like Sergei Prokofiev’s, Peter and the Wolf Op. 67, are great examples of classical music to introduce to children as it includes a spoken narrative.
NEW CLASSICAL – OSCARS
In this week’s playlist, we’ll be featuring music selections from films in honor of the upcoming 2021 Oscars. There is one composer whose works you will hear much of in this playlist and that is the great John Williams. Also included in this playlist is a film score that is a contender for an Oscar this year. It is from the film, Minari and the music is by Emile Mosseri.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – MARK ORTWEIN
In this week’s Local Classical channel, we’ll be highlighting local Indianapolis musician, Mark Ortwein. Mark is a bassoonist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, but his talents don’t stop at bassoon since he is also a sought-after instrumental doubler. Over the last 20 years, Mark has performed in many different musical projects including professional recordings, musical theater, chamber ensembles, jazz, and R&B groups, as well as many orchestral performances, including being a member of the Saxophone section for the Cincinnati Pops under Erich Kunzel.
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NEW CLASSICAL – DAVID LANG
In this week’s playlist, we are excited to feature American Composer David Lang. Lang is already an accomplished composer as he is a Grammy and Pulitzer prize winner. Lang is one of America’s most performed composers and many of his works resemble each other only in the fierce intelligence and clarity of vision that inform their structures. His catalog is extensive, and his opera, orchestra, chamber, and solo works are by turns ominous, ethereal, urgent, hypnotic, unsettling, and very emotionally direct.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – JULIETTE KANG AND BELLA HRISTOVA
Our friends at The International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) have a Laureate Series that features prize winners of past competitions and special guests. As for the competition, violinists from around the world come to compete at this prestigious organization elevating the arts scene in Indianapolis. During this month of March, the IVCI is bringing back 1994 gold medalist Juliette Kang and 2006 laureate Bella Hristova. Since their initial visits to the IVCI, both their careers have been quite fruitful and their names have received international acclaim.
NEW CLASSICAL – AMPLIFY Pt. 2!
The second segment in guest host Clare Longendyke’s Amplify! series presents a program of works by female-identifying composers of color as a celebration of the intersection between Black History Month and Women’s Month. This eclectic program highlights works that celebrate multicultural musical styles from around the world. Enjoy pieces by some of Clare’s favorite living female composers mixed with some of the most important female voices of classical music’s past, voices that continue to influence the aesthetics and compositional approaches of composers today.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – METROPOLIS
This week, we partner with our friends at the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra (ICO) to feature the music from the 1927 silent film Metropolis. Since 1984, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra’s mission has been to advance and promote music composed for the small orchestra through professional concert performances and education programs. On Saturday, March 20th Fritz Lang’s Metropolis will be accompanied live by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.
NEW CLASSICAL – ANNA CLYNE
As Women’s History Month begins, we are highlighting women musicians, composers, and conductors of the past and present. In this week’s playlist, we are featuring London-born composer Anna Clyne. Anna Clyne is a GRAMMY-nominated composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music. Described as a “composer of uncommon gifts and unusual methods” in a New York Times profile and as “fearless” by NPR, Clyne’s work often includes collaborations with cutting-edge choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, and musicians. From 2010–2015, Clyne served as a Mead Composer-in-Residence for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – TESSA LARK
The International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) Laureate Series features prize winners of past competitions and special quests. During this month of February, the IVCI is bringing back the 2014 Silver Medalist Tessa Lark. Ms. Lark has been a featured soloist at numerous U.S. orchestras, recital venues, and festivals since making her concerto debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at age sixteen.
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NEW CLASSICAL – ROBERT PATERSON
In this week’s New Classical playlist, we’ll be featuring works by American composer Robert Paterson. Robert Paterson was named Composer of The Year in 2011 by the Classical Recording Foundation at Carnegie’s Weill Hall. His music has been on the Grammy ballot for the past six seasons, and his works have appeared on National Public Radio’s Best of the Year lists for classical music and regularly appear on radio playlists across the United States.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – JAMES CAMPBELL
In this week’s Local Classical channel we’ll be featuring recently retired Indiana University Clarinet Professor James Campbell. James Campbell has been a soloist with over 60 orchestras, including the Boston Pops, the London Symphony, the London Philharmonic, the Russian Philharmonic, and the Montreal Symphony, and has performed Copland’s Clarinet Concerto four times with Aaron Copland conducting.
NEW CLASSICAL – DR. BILL BANFIELD
This week we bring you the music of Dr. Bill Banfield. Dr. Banfield is an award-winning composer whose symphonies, operas, chamber works have been performed and recorded by major symphonies across the country. Few have a wider, performed professional composing output, that has had public concert performances, reviews, radio, recordings of some 12 symphonies, 7 opera, 9 concerti, chamber, jazz, and popular forms. This alone making Dr. Banfield one of the most performed, recorded composers of his generation. In 2010 and 2016, Dr. Banfield served as a Pulitzer Prize judge in American music.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – CLASSICAL PAIRINGS
In this week’s playlist, we feature the music that was highlighted in the latest installment of Classical Pairings Host Challenge. Beginning mid-November 2020, a different Indianapolis arts leader challenged host Nicholas Johnson with a piece of music to pair with a cocktail, using a local spirit.
NEW CLASSICAL – GRAMMY NOMINEES
In this week’s programming, we bring you music that has been nominated for the 2021 Grammy Awards! The Grammy’s take place near the beginning of each year, however, this year the awards have been pushed back to March 14, 2021, due to Covid-19 precautions. We’ll be featuring music by composers Shulamit Ran, Jennifer Higdon, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. This dynamic trio released their album in collaboration with the Pacifica Quartet entitled, Contemporary Voices in 2020. It has been nominated in the category of Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. The Indiana University-based quartet is also joined by alto saxophone soloist and Indiana University faculty member, Otis Murphy.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – NICHOLAS SOKOL
Nicholas Sokol is a composer, conductor, and pianist specializing in solo, chamber, orchestral, choral, and electronic music. Nicholas’ music has been performed throughout the United States and at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall. His music has been performed by members of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, members of the New World Symphony, the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, and the Atlantic Music Festival New Music Ensemble.
NEW CLASSICAL – AMERICANA PLAYLIST
As we eagerly enter into the new year, we’ll celebrate by featuring Americana works. This weeks’ playlist features the album Not Our First Goat Rodeo. The album is a fun mix between Classical and Bluegrass and is sure to get you into the 2021 spirit. Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile star in this fun and genre-blending album. This is a sequel from their 2013 Grammy award-winning album, The Goat Rodeo Sessions.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – ERIC SALAZAR
Eric Salazar holds a B.M. in Clarinet Performance from Ball State University and an M.M. in Clarinet Performance from Bowling Green State University. He has performed as a soloist and group musician in 8 states of the US and overseas in Belgium. Salazar was also a part of 2020’s Micro Composition Project, in which Classical Music Indy commissioned six different Indianapolis-based composers to create new engaging works to disrupt the genre’s traditional listening experience.
NEW CLASSICAL – AMPLIFY!
The first segment in guest host Clare Longendyke’s Amplify! series presents a program of works by black composers. As performers and audiences around the world aim to expand the classical music stage to include a more equitable and diverse array of voices, this radio program strives to do the same by introducing listeners to new names in classical and contemporary music, new works from these composers, and new aesthetics within classical composition. As music is truly a universal language, let us work to fight inequality and injustice in classical concert music by amplifying the voices that have too long been silenced. Connect with Classical Music Indy’s New Classical Streaming channel to hear Clare Longendyke’s Amplify! playlist.
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LOCAL CLASSICAL- MINA KEOHANE
Composer Mina Keohane’s self-titled group is undeniably jazz but draws more influences from rock and hip-hop grooves rather than the standard swing or bop styles. The Group has been steadily making a name for themselves with a fanbase in the midwest, New England, Down South, and parts of Europe. The beautiful emotional pieces on the album are complemented by tunes with dissonance and edgy bass and drum grooves. Fans of creative modern instrumental music will love the Mina Keohane Group’s Doppelganger.
NEW CLASSICAL – PHIL KLINE
As the Christmas holiday approaches, we wanted to get you in the spirit in a new way. Composer Phil Kline came up with a unique way of Christmas caroling in 1992 where he made the audience become the performer. Phil Kline composed four tracks of music that each participant gets in the form of a CD, cassette, or mp3. Every participant gets a different track and the tracks are meant to be played at the same time, creating a unique mobile sound sculpture that is different from every listener’s perspective.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – TIMOTHY GONDOLA
Timothy Gondola, 26, was born in Ithaca, NY, grew up and resides in Indiana. He majored in geography and minored in music at Macalester College (St. Paul, MN). He’s pursuing a Master’s in GIS at IUPUI. At age four, Timothy started learning piano from his mother. At Macalester College he discovered jazz, delving into the jazz piano repertoire by learning Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum transcriptions, including ones he transcribed himself. In 2013, he also started taking lessons in jazz with Mike Vasich, and classical lessons with Lauri Saeger-Wright.
NEW CLASSICAL – NADIA BOULANGER
This week we bring back guest streaming host, Clare Longendyke. Clare is an award-winning pianist who is nearing completion of her doctorate in piano performance at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and is the founder and artistic director of the Music in Bloom Festival, a series of concerts in Indianapolis highlighting classical music from the 21st century. She is a sought-after pianist, performing over 50 concerts a year in North America and Europe. This week, Clare explores the music of French musical pedagogue and composer Nadia Boulanger.
LOCAL CLASSICAL – ROB FUNKHOUSER
Rob Funkhouser is an Indianapolis-based composer, performer, and instrument builder. He recently received an M.M. from Butler University in Music Composition, and most recently completed confidently, but with an awkward gait for the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet.
NEW CLASSICAL – NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Since 1990, November has been established as National Native American Heritage Month. America has always had a mosaic of cultures dating back thousands of years to the original inhabitants of the land. This week on Classical Music Indy Streaming’s New Classical channel, we feature music by two Native Americans, R. Carlos Nakai, and Brent Michael Davids.
New Classical – Andy Akiho
Composer Andy Akiho has been recognized with many awards during his career, including the Rome Prize, Lili Boulanger Memorial Prize, Harvard University Fromm Commission, the American Composers Orchestra, Carlsbad Commission for the Calder Quartet, Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, and Chamber Music America.
Local Classical – Gabrielle Cerberville
Part of Classical Music Indy’s Micro Composition Project, this week we’ll be featuring Indianapolis-based American composer, multi-media artist, and pianist, Gabrielle Cerberville. Originally from New York State, Cerberville holds a degree in composition from Butler University.
Local Classical – Dance Kaleidoscope
This week, we partner with our friends at Dance Kaleidoscope to feature music by Giacomo Puccini. Dance Kaleidoscope, Indiana’s longest-dancing professional contemporary dance company since 1972, is celebrating its 49th season this year.
New Classical – Halloween Playlist
October is here, and that means it’s spooky season! We take a break from our normal New Classical programming this week to bring you our Halloween playlist.
Local Classical – Stuart Hyatt
Stuart Hyatt is an Indianapolis-based and Grammy-nominated artist and musician who creates interdisciplinary creative projects. He curates the Field Works series, in which experimental musicians transform his locational audio field recordings into music.
New Classical – Hispanic Heritage Month
Running from September 15, the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries, to October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Local Classical – Music Educator Favorites
In celebration of National Arts in Education Week, this week we bring you music inspired by music educators. Several local musicians shared with us inspiring stories of the impact that music educators can have in the lives of students.
New Classical – Classical Hits Reimagined
In addition to featuring music by living composers, part of the vision for CMI Streaming’s New Classical channel is to give you fresh takes on the classical music you already know and love. We make good on that promise this week with the Classical Hits Reimagined playlist
Local Classical – Pet Playlist
This week on CMI Streaming’s Local Classical channel we pay tribute to pets. Anyone who has a pet knows they have their own distinct personalities with unique quirks that are part of the reason we love them.
New Classical – Peck Expansion Highlights
Classical Music Indy recently expanded our Peck Classical Music Library to include significant holdings of underrepresented artists, including women composers and musicians of color.
Local Classical – Video Game Playlist
We all know the film scoring industry produces a great deal of the contemporary music we might consider to be in classical styles these days. Perhaps a less obvious source for new music comes from another entertainment industry, video games.
New Classical – Vox Clamantis
This week we feature music recorded by the vocal ensemble Vox Clamantis. Formed in 1996, Vox Clamantis comprises a diversity of musicians – singers, composers, instrumentalists, and conductors – who have a common interest in the Gregorian chant.
Local Classical – Classical Block Party
This week on our Local Classical channel, CMI Streaming presents our first Classical Block Party. Created in collaboration with some of our local business partners, we present some of classical music’s best “jams” as well as music paired with some of the best local summer food, beer, and cocktails.
New Classical – Sylvan Trio
This week on New Classical, we feature music recorded by the Sylvan Trio. Comprised of the eclectic instrumentation of flute, cello and piano, the Sylvan Trio explores new music as well as pieces from the standard repertoire.
Local Classical – Classical Pairings
To celebrate the release of Classical Pairings Season Two, we will be streaming a collection of works by the many artists that were featured throughout our weekly host challenges.
New Classical – Chineke! Orchestra
The Chineke! Foundation was founded in 2015 to provide career opportunities for young Black and Minority Ethnic classical musicians in the UK and Europe. In 2017, the Chineke! Orchestra, the organization’s flagship ensemble, made its BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall in August and performed at many other leading festivals throughout England, all to great critical acclaim.
Local Classical – Founders Favorites
Hoping to increase the availability of classical music on the radio in 1961, a group of research chemists at Eli Lilly and Company pooled their resources and sought a broadcast outlet for classical music on the air.
#AmplifyMelanatedVoices
Classical Music Indy stands with our Black community. We are here to listen, learn, and lend our support. We believe that classical music is powerful; that it evokes a range of human emotions and creative expression.
Local Classical – Amy Williams
As part of CMI Streaming’s mission to feature local musicians, we also want to include the artistic voice of experts in the community in our programming choices. To that end, this week we bring in a guest host, Clare Longendyke.
New Classical – String Quartets
In the world of classical music, the string quartet is one of the most commonly-composed and performed genres of instrumental music.
Local Classical – A Love Letter to Local Artists
With many arts events cancelled, the staff at Classical Music Indy misses seeing our arts colleagues in person, going to concerts, and seeing audiences react to the great work our local arts organizations provide in our community.
New Classical – John Duffy
This week on CMI Streaming we feature music by American composer John Duffy. Though he passed away in 2015, Duffy’s contribution to new music goes far beyond his over 300 works for symphony orchestra, opera, theater, television and film.
Local Classical – A Love Letter to Local Artists
With stay-at-home restrictions and many arts events cancelled, the staff at Classical Music Indy miss seeing our arts colleagues in person, going to concerts, and seeing audiences react to the great work our local arts organizations provide in our community.
New Classical – Osvaldo Golijov
May is Jewish American Heritage Month and we celebrate this week by featuring music by composer Osvaldo Golijov. Though he was born in Argentina to Romanian parents and spent time living in Israel, Golijov joined the faculty of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1991.
Local Classical – Rob Funkhouser
Despite the fact that we’re all stuck inside, and aside from the occasional random overnight freeze, spring has sprung in Indiana. To celebrate spring, we’re digging into the CMI archives this week to bring you Rob Funkhouser’s “Three Peacetime Images for Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park.”
New Classical – PRISM Quartet
This week on CMI Streaming’s New Classical channel we feature music recorded by the PRISM Quartet. We’re all very familiar with the string quartet as an ensemble, but PRISM, a saxophone quartet, takes chamber music in a new direction.
Angela Brown Brings her Unbridled Zeal to a New Podcast.
Angela Brown brings her unbrid …
Local Classical – Frank Felice
This week on CMI Streaming we feature local composer and Butler University faculty member Frank Felice. Felice is an eclectic composer who writes with a postmodern mischievousness: each piece speaks in its own language, and they can be by turns comedic or ironic, simple or complex, subtle or startling or humble or reverent.
New Classical – Hanna Benn
As we wrap up our Women’s History Month programming, we feature music this week by composer and vocalist Hanna Benn. Benn’s multi-disciplinary approach has incorporated dance, opera, and theatre — submerging boundaries and discovering new sonic landscapes in the process.
Local Classical – Kate Boyd
We continue our celebration of Women’s History Month on CMI Streaming with this week’s featured artist, pianist Kate Boyd. An active soloist and chamber musician, Boyd has performed solo recitals at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Schubert’s birth house in Vienna, the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Musikhalle Hamburg, in addition to many places throughout the US, Greece, Ireland and Canada.
New Classical – Gabriela Ortiz
CMI continues to celebrate Women’s History Month with the music of Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. Her music combines elements of Mexican folk music and popular music with twentieth- and twenty-first century compositional styles.
Local Classical – Eliza Brown
We continue our celebration of Women’s History Month this week by featuring music by composer Eliza Brown. Brown’s work is often interdisciplinary, with a recent focus on musical theater and opera. She also writes music that is, what she calls, intertextual, opening dialogues with existing pieces of music, historical styles, and other cultural artifacts.
New Classical – Jennifer Higdon
All this month on CMI Streaming, we celebrate Women’s History Month by featuring the musical contributions of women artists, including composers and performers. American composer Jennifer Higdon taught herself to play the flute at age 16 before beginning formal music studies at age 18 and composition at age 21. Despite the late start, Higdon has become one of the most often-performed contemporary composers.
Local Classical – David Baker
We wrap up our Black History Month programming this week with music by Indiana composer David Baker. Born in Indianapolis, Baker served as professor of jazz studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, founding the jazz studies program.
New Classical – Kazem Abdullah
This week on CMI Streaming’s New Classical channel, we continue our celebration of Black History Month by featured a couple of African-American conductors.
Local Classical – Angela Brown
We continue our Black History Month programming this week with our featured artist, soprano Angela Brown. Born in Indianapolis, Brown has led a world-renowned career as a vocal soloist. Her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Aida captured instant attention from international print and broadcast media and catapulted Angela onto the world’s prestigious opera and symphonic stages.
New Classical – Anthony and Demarre McGill
Throughout the month of February, CMI Streaming is celebrating Black History Month by featuring music by African-American performers, conductors, and composers. This week, we’ll hear several pieces performed by brothers Anthony and Demarre McGill.
Local Classical – Pavel Berman
In collaboration with the Ronen Chamber Ensemble, this week we feature violinist Pavel Berman. Berman won the 1990 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and serves as guest artist with the Ronen Chamber Ensemble in their performance at the Glick Indiana History Center.
Local Classical – Amy Porter
Flutist Amy Porter has led a distinguished career as a performer and has been hailed by critics for both her performance and her passion for scholarship. In 2006, Porter became the first performing artist to be awarded the University of Michigan’s Henry Russel Award for distinguished scholarship and teaching ability and she has been featured as a soloist with orchestras around the world.
Local Classical – Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
This week on CMI Streaming, we’re featuring a couple of pieces by Ludwig van Beethoven in conjunction with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
New Classical – Eighth Blackbird
This week on CMI Streaming’s New Classical channel, we feature an ensemble that has made a name for themselves performing music by living composers. Eighth Blackbird has been hailed as “one of the smartest, most dynamic ensembles on the planet” by the Chicago Tribune.
Local Classical – Cole Porter
This week’s featured artist on CMI Streaming’s Local Classical channel is iconic Indiana composer Cole Porter. Born to a wealthy family in Peru, Indiana, Porter’s grandfather sent him to Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, hoping he would become a lawyer.
Local Classical – Elizabeth Crawford
Clarinetist Elizabeth Crawford, a faculty member at Ball State University’s School of Music and CMI Streaming’s featured artist for this week, is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, and later studied at Furman University, the University of Michigan, and Florida State University. A longtime member of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Crawford spent the early 2000’s living in London, where she had the opportunity to perform with nearly all the major orchestras in England.
New Classical – Rick Sowash
Ohio-based composer Rick Sowash strives for a sense of authenticity in his music. In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Sowash spoke of the influence of his grandmother, who, though she has passed away, still influences his compositional process, keeping him grounded in music that truly comes from who he is.
New Classical – Holiday Special
This week on CMI Streaming’s New Classical channel, we feature holiday music by living composers. We’re all familiar with our holiday favorites, but contemporary composers are still writing new holiday pieces to celebrate the season.
New Classical – John Williams
This week on CMI Streaming, we feature music by John Williams, an iconic American composer who has been nominated for 51 Academy Awards for his work on music for films dating back to 1967. His first win in the Best Original Score category came in 1975 with his score for Jaws. Just two years later, perhaps Williams most iconic work earned him another Oscar win, with his score for 1977’s Star Wars.
Local Classical – Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
This week on CMI Streaming, we feature our very own Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1930, by Ferdinand Schaefer, the ISO turned fully professional in 1937. Shortly after this transition, the orchestra gained national prominence, releasing a series of phonograph recordings RCA Victor and Capitol Records in the 1940s and 50s.
Local Classical – Dover Quartet
The Dover Quartet rose to international prominence following a sweep of the 2013 Banff Competition, at which they won every prize. Named the Cleveland Quartet Award-winner, and honored with the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Dover Quartet has become one of the most in-demand ensembles in the world, performing more than 100 concerts in North America in 2018 and 2019
Michael Toulouse Interviews Jeff Nelsen of the Canadian Brass
Canadian Brass performs at Clo …
The Determined Pianist, Annie Fischer
Annie Fischer was a Hungarian-Jewish pianist of great renown. Although an unfamiliar musician to Americans, her passion for music and excellent performance ability were greatly admired by her contemporaries. Fischer left behind a wealth of recordings, some from the studio and many from her live performances.
Klezmer: Music to Dance to
Get ready to dance! Although an unfamiliar style to some, klezmer is a music that has an undeniable folk sound that is combined with rhythms of dance. This musical style uses instruments to imitate the laughter and/or weeping of the human voice and is most often heard during times of merriment. Read below to learn more, and to listen to some recordings at the end.
Interview with Jennifer Koh
Violinist Jennifer Koh sat down with Michael Toulouse to talk about the concerto she’ll be performing with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and why this composer’s music means so much to her.
Ballet Pantomime Concert Playlist
James Aikman, Composer-In-Residence with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, has written a new concerto for viola, which will be premiered on April 21, 2018 at 7:30 pm, with soloist Csaba Erdélyi, ICO principal violist. We’ve put together this playlist to preview the ICO performance at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts at Butler University.
Spring Has Sprung! Playlist
Spring has finally arrived after the cold winter! Enjoy this playlist of springtime classical music. This playlist has classics like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and hidden gems like D’un matin de printemps by Lili Boulanger.
NOTE Magazine is Relaunched
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.
Music Unites Artists’ Thanksgiving Traditions
Here at Classical Music Indy we are thankful for our community, our generous donors, and, of course, our talented performers! We connected with several of our musicians to see what Thanksgiving traditions they have with their families. From food to family to music, each artist has their own unique Thanksgiving customs. Read below to see how Corey Denham, Bethany Daugherty, Laura Recendez, Maya Nojiri Sutherland, John Alvarado, and Jennifer Gallegos spend their Thanksgiving!
Classical Music Month in Review, 2017
For Classical Music Month, Classical Music Indy pulled out all of the stops to bring music to the community of Indianapolis. We shared music with over 379,000 people during the month of September. We hope you’ll celebrate with us again next year!
Happy Birthday, Leonard Bernstein!
Leonard Berntsein was an extremely versatile composer who wrote music for everything from solo voice to a full-sized chorus and orchestra. And while he did write wildly popular shows for Broadway, like West Side Story, he also wrote pieces based on his Jewish faith and ancient philosophers. Enjoy!
Happy Birthday Gustav Mahler Playlist
Classical Music Indy now brings you free weekly listening playlists through Spotify. Gustav Mahler, the renowned conductor, visionary composer, and uncompromising idealist in all things musical, was born on July 7, 1860. “A symphony should be like the world,” he preached to a fellow composer, and he provided plenty of real-world examples to show what he meant.
Memorial Day Playlist
Enjoy a combination of patriotic songs for the holiday along with more traditional classical music influenced by the loss of friends and loved ones that composers remember through their music.
Cinco de Mayo Playlist
Starting this week, Classical Music Indy is bringing you free weekly listening playlists through Spotify. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo this week with classical music from Mexican composers!
Highlighting our Female Performers
Classical Music Indy employs a diverse range of musicians for our events around Indianapolis. In 2016 we hired 95 musicians. Classical Music Indy has dedicated our blog articles to outstanding women musicians this month. We’ve shared about great women music educators in America and about under-recognized women musicians throughout history. This week, we take a look at a few of Classical Music Indy’s top performers – women who are doing great work here and now in the city of Indianapolis. Read below about these incredibly talented musicians, and hopefully you’ll hear them at one of our events in the near future!
Eloise Paul: My Music. My Story.
My Music. My Story. is one of Classical Music Indy’s initiatives to feature music, musicians, and music lovers in a fun way. This week we are featuring Eloise Paul, a Mentor at the Andre B. Lacy School of Business at Butler University, and Board Member of Classical Music Indy. She shares with us how music has helped her throughout her life, why she became involved with Classical Music Indy, and why the arts are important to Indianapolis.
2016: One for the Record Books
As we approach the end of this year, we take time to contemplate the successes of our organization. Classical Music Indy’s President and CEO, Molly Deuberry Craft, writes that 2016 was “a notable year.” Read below to see all that CMI has achieved this year in the name of music. Happy New Year and best wishes for 2017!
Día de los Muertos
We attended and performed for Celebrate Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) at the Eiteljorg Museum with partner Nopal Cultural this past Saturday, October 29. There’s still time to visit Nopal Cultural’s Día de los Muertos Linocut Prints and Altar Exhibition that will be on display and FREE to view through Nov. 2 in the Lilly Auditorium at the Eiteljorg Museum. Read below to learn more about Día de los Muertos and the events that happened this past Saturday. 2017 Update: The event is being held Oct 28 from 11am-5pm, learn more here.
My Music. My Story. Maya Nojiri Sutherland.
My Music. My Story. is one of Classical Music Indy’s initiatives to feature music, musicians, and music lovers in a fun way. This week we talked with cellist Maya Nojiri Sutherland who regularly performs with Classical Music Indy. She moved to the US to continue her music education and is currently pursuing her PhD at Indiana University Bloomington. Read Maya’s thoughts on music, life, and community below.
Creating Liquid Music
This week we look at musical innovation and hear from Kate Nordstrum, the Executive Producer of Special Projects for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Through her desire to offer a wider stage for experimental musical expression, she and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra have created a program called Liquid Music.
Classical Music Month in Review
In honor of Classical Music Month, Classical Music Indy stepped up our efforts to connect the community to Classical Music. We brought 27 performances to Indy – that’s nearly one performance a day! Read more about our activities in September in our blog post!
My Music. My Story. Marianne Chalmers-Talkovski.
My Music. My Story. is one of Classical Music Indy’s initiatives to feature music, musicians, and music lovers in a fun way. This week we spoke with Marianne Chalmers-Talkovski, a licensed acupuncturist, about the importance of music in her life and in her work.
Musical Innovation at the University of Maryland
Orchestra musicians are often stuck in a rut when it comes to style of performances and venue. We spoke with James Ross, Director of Orchestral Activities and Professor of Conducting at the University of Maryland, about how his university is trying to change their approach to performing. Read below to learn about some of the innovations they are implementing at the University of Maryland.
My Music. My Story. Camille Zamora.
My Music. My Story. is one of Classical Music Indy’s initiatives to feature music, musicians, and music lovers in a fun way. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage month, we spoke with Camille Zamora, opera singer and founder of Sing for Hope. Music, like life, is better when we embrace more than just the familiar. You can read about Camille’s story in English or Spanish!
Getting Luponed: Classical Shushing from the Stage
Concert etiquette has always been a mystery to classical newcomers. People wonder when they are allowed to clap, how much noise they should or shouldn’t make, and whether or not they are allowed to get out of their seat during the performance. There is an ongoing debate about concert etiquette–to shush or not to shush. This week, we looked at a few examples of performers shushing from the stage.
Losing My Breath
For musicians, dealing with a chronic illness can mean the end of their career. This is the story of singer Margaret Felice, a Boston vocalist whose illness caused her to lose her breath mid-performance. After major surgery and a painful healing process, Margaret was able to overcome her difficulties and come out on the other side.
The Indianapolis Society of the Classical Guitar
This week we spoke with John Alvarado, President of the Indianapolis Society of the Classical Guitar, about how his organization brings the centuries-old art of classical guitar to today’s Central Indiana.
Grove Haus: An Eclectic Venue in Indianapolis
This week we are featuring a wonderful local venue that was the brainchild of Mark and Carrie Ortwein, the Grove Haus. This local eclectic event space is located in Fountain Square and is the location of an upcoming event hosted by CMI, stay tuned for more info in the near future!
My Music. My Story. Bryan Thompson.
My Music. My Story. is one of Classical Music Indy’s initiatives to feature music, musicians, and music lovers in a fun way. We spoke with 19 year-old, jazz saxophonist Bryan Thompson, who grew up on Indianapolis’ west side, attended Broad Ripple Magnet High School for Performing Arts and is currently attending Indiana University.
Creating Culturally-Inclusive School Communities
Continuing our look at education and the importance of diversity and the arts, we spoke with Bob Guffin who was responsible for taking H.L. Harshman Magnet Middle School from a failing school to a model program for student achievement. He shares with us the key tenants to culturally inclusive learning environments and why it matters.
A Culture of Caring: Creating a True Learning Community
“A Culture of Caring is not just an educational philosophy but a means of fostering an open, accepting, and inclusive environment.” Nancy Lindhjem from Children’s Resource Group Indianapolis shows us how a community member can be engaged in developing positive school culture.
In Memory of Kevin Randolph: My Music. My Story.
On June 25, 2016, Kevin Lamont Randolph passed away. Randolph was a musician, educator, and lover of life. Kevin was involved with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (MYO) from its inception in 1995—first as a student, and later as the Program Coordinator. We met with Krystle Ford, Associate Director of the MYO, to learn more and share Kevin’s story.
Outdoor Summer Parties and Music
With the warm weather comes the urge to get outside and get together. Nothing beats a warm-weather soiree with food and music, and getting your guests involved in the food preparations can add an element of fun to the mix. Elise Shrock, from Indy Food Maven, shares a few ways to keep your guests happy, fed, and included in the fun.
My Music. My Story. Kevin Whited.
My Music. My Story. is one of Classical Music Indy’s initiatives to feature music, musicians, and music lovers in a fun way. Here we talk to Kevin Whited, the Executive Director of IndyCog, a local Indianapolis bicycle advocacy group.
The Impact of New Immigration Laws on Music and Musicians
Our country is a melting pot of diverse people and cultures that define the breadth of music we know and enjoy in our daily lives. For this reason, CMI asked our contributor Patrick Hanley, Texas-based teacher and writer to share his thoughts about how new immigration laws are impacting music and musicians, and the ways in which our country embraces and disrupts diversity.
Pack It Up Before You Go-Go: Health-Conscious Festival Feasts
Summertime in Indiana is filled with outdoor concerts! Jennifer Malins, one of our contributing authors to NOTE, gives the run down on how to make healthier choices for bringing food to your favorite outdoor concert. Yum!
Father’s Day: Urban Initiative High-5 Rallies
In recognition of Father’s Day, we spoke with members of the Indianapolis-based Urban Initiative High-5 Rally, a movement that provides positive male role models and male-run high-five rallies to encourage school success for urban students across the city.
My Music. My Story. Trish Crowe.
My Music. My Story. is one of Classical Music Indy’s new initiatives to feature music, musicians, and music lovers in a fun way. In this excerpt from “I Walked Naked Through My House Today…..and So Should You,” our friends at Speak Your Story spoke with Trish Crowe about how music saved her life.
How to Pronounce My Name: Leonard Bernstein
In recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month in May, we hope you enjoy this light-hearted look at Leonard Bernstein by one of NOTE’s newest contributors – Philadelphia-based writer, Michael Silverstein.
Courtney Weaver: My Music. My Story.
This is the story of Courtney Weaver, a professional musician, and survivor of domestic abuse and gun violence who is using her experience to create public awareness through music.
