MAKING MUSIC THAT MAttERS SEPTEMBER 15, 2018 FAMILY CONCERT: MAKING CONNECTIONS AT THE LIBRARY INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC LIBRARY 10 OCTOBER 14, 2018 DEFINING RHYTHMS! PIKE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 12 NOVEMBER 17, 2018 MUSIC THAT SPEAKS TO THE POWER OF CONSCIENCE PIKE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 16 FEBRUARY 17, 2019 GOSPEL CONCERT! PIKE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 18 MARCH 23, 2019 FIRST MUSIC FOR KIDS INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC LIBRARY 22 MAY 19, 2019 SPRING: SPIRITED AND MAJESTIC MUSIC PIKE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 24 Contact Information: Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis P.O. Box 78676 Indianapolis, IN 46278 [email protected] ADVERTISING Onstage Publishing Advertising Department 937-424-0529 | 866-503-1966 www.onstagepublications.com e-mail: [email protected] This program is published in association with Onstage Publications, 1612 Prosser Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45409. This program may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Onstage Publications is a division of Just Business, Inc. Contents ©2018. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. WELCOME FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR elcome to the Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis! In 1941, a group of musicians Wand civic leaders created this orchestra to provide new opportunities to hear symphonic music and to provide musicians with the opportunity to perform at a high level of artistic excellence. For nearly 8 decades, the Philharmonic Orchestra has been connecting with audiences in Central Indiana. Symphonic music is a powerful art form with a timeless appeal–new works are added to a staggering repertoire every year. The Philharmonic Orchestra is pleased to premiere new works written by the winners of the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA) annual student composition award. This premiere gives the student the opportunity to hear his or her work performed by a professional level orchestra and provides our audience with a new work by one of our own Hoosier students. This year’s concert season begins with one of our two family concerts at the Clowes Auditorium at the Central Library of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library (IMPL). We are thrilled by this opportunity to reach downtown audiences with this concert that connects music with stories from the movies and musicals. The second Central Library family concert in March 2019 presents an introduction of music for children of all ages and includes instrument demonstrations! At the Pike Performing Arts Center (PPAC), the October concert reunites alumni of the Philharmonic Orchestra’s Strings and Jazzy Things summer music camp with the orchestra. The November concert focuses on music that was inspired by greatness and speaks to our conscience. The May 2019 concert at PPAC features May Phang, pianist, and celebrates the forces of nature. The annual gospel concert featuring the Philharmonic’s 100-member Symphonic Praise Choir is held each February at PPAC. This year’s concert includes the orchestral work, Harlem Symphony, by James Price Johnson in addition to an exciting repertoire of classic and contemporary gospel and praise music. We also welcome Robert T. Townsend at the new executive producer and conductor of the annual gospel concert. The Philharmonic has a long-standing commitment to educational programs. Each year, the Phil performs “side-by-side” with the Pike school orchestras, providing these students the opportunity to play with established musicians. Each Philharmonic concert is preceded by a “Listen and Learn” discussion lead by the Conductor. These sessions help familiarize audiences with newer works and provide insightful background on favorite classic works. All of this magic is possible due to the thousands of volunteer hours provided by the musicians and choir members to prepare for and perform each concert. We are so fortunate that these gifted musicians have made Central Indiana their home. Dorothy L. Ilgen Executive Director philharmonic orchestra of indianapolis 3 Did You Know? Young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are: • 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement • 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools • 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair • 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance • 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem 4 philharmonic orchestra of indianapolis ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S WELCOME elcome to the Seventy-eighth Season of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis, Wthe city’s largest volunteer Symphony Orchestra! Last season, we continued the mission of Making Music that Matters in our 77th Season, capitalizing on our legacy of nearly eight decades! As an organization, our educational mission goes on as we continue to learn about orchestral music and share that sonic aesthetic and its dimensions with others. We enjoy our responsibility to take our energy beyond the concert space to the community, engaging with musicians, and community members alike. We want our motto, Making Music that Matters, to come to life in action, connection and commitment! With music of Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky, we will bring to life monumental works that speak with such significant emotions. And, this year we will celebrate the Twenty-first Anniversary of our Symphonic Praise Choir, that dream of former Maestro Jackson Wiley. Though daunted by the passing of force- of-nature and beloved Symphonic Praise Choir director Para Lee Gale this past spring, we welcome Dr. Robert Townsend along with our indominable Reginald Walters to the podium for that inspired testament of thought, time and talent as it gives music its passion through Symphonic Praise! So, as we connect all these people and features of our organization to our work, we again commit to Making Music that Matters! To do that, we have created additional defining musical category threads that are woven through the fabric of our season to help the audience understand and enjoy the music we present. Series: Symphony 101 We select certain works throughout our season to view in an academic way, taking them apart and putting them back together! Series: Imagination We explore certain works in a different way—when given a story told in music, what does the composer select for us to envision, or how are we left to imagine what the music means? Series: Phringe (Fringe) Festival We introduce a newer musical work to our audience that is outside (hence, on the “fringe” of ) the usual symphonic repertoire and allow our audience to hear it and assess it. Who knows whether these works will find their way into the mainstream? philharmonic orchestra of indianapolis 5 THE CONDUCTOR ORCENITH SMITH CONDUCTOR, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR rcenith Smith’s leadership has been acclaimed in concert after concert with reviews of Ohis performances garnering words like “triumphant” and “dazzling.” An honors graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory, he is currently the Director of Orchestras and Opera at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Past distinctions include the music directorships of the Chicago Youth Symphony and our own Philharmonic Orchestra, winner of an ASCAP Award for “Adventuresome Programming” at DePauw, and being named the inaugural recipient of the Cassel Grubb University Professorship at DePauw in 1999. He was the American Artistic Director of the Vienna International Youth and Music Festival in Austria, has been on the podiums of symphonies throughout our nation, including, the Seattle Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic, the Terre Haute, Lafayette, and Carmel Symphony Orchestras. In 2018, he conducted the Indianapolis Symphony in thirteen performances of its Discovery Series concerts and continues his role of fifteen years as the cover conductor of the ISO’s Yuletide Celebration. He has taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp and has led academic All-State orchestras in many states across the U.S. He has also conducted the DePauw Orchestras around the world, including concerts in Japan, Spain, France, England, Germany, Austria, Italy, Canada, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York’s Carnegie Recital Hall and Washington’s Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. In competitions, he has conducted the BBC Orchestra (London) and the West Berlin, Germany Radio Orchestra. 6 philharmonic orchestra of indianapolis MISSION AND HISTORY The mission of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis is to present classical music at affordable prices, feature soloists in masterworks and new compositions, conserve the abilities of volunteer musicians of all ages and occupations and aid young people to appreciate and perform great music. hen music store proprietor and percussionist Hermann Rinne founded the Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis, he chose the W name to differentiate his new group from the professional Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Rinne’s vision was to create a first-class orchestra that would provide the many accomplished volunteer musicians in the community with a place to play great symphonic music. His first call for musicians resulted in 13 players, but an article in the Indianapolis Star caused the ranks of his fledgling orchestra to swell. The orchestra presented its inaugural concert on April 28, 1941. The orchestra currently presents a full season of classical concerts each year, including the February Gospel Concert. During the summer, IndyParks hosts the Philharmonic in a free concert in Garfield Park. Prior to each classical concert, the conductor presents Listen and Learn, an opportunity for the audience to meet the musicians and to learn about the music being presented. The Philharmonic continues its unique role as Indianapolis’ community orchestra by advancing music education throughout the city. Recently, the Phil has played an annual side-by-side concert with the Pike High School orchestras. Members of the orchestra donate a weekday morning to perform an introductory concert for 600 Indianapolis Public School third-graders in our Listen Up! program.