Two original members of Carmel Symphony Orchestra retire

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The Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) recently celebrated two of its longest standing musicians at its final concert of the 2025-2026 season.

Ann Manship and Jan Brill retired at the end of what was their 50^th season with the CSO. At the “Symphonic Odyssey” concert Saturday, April 18, CSO Board Chair Nancy Sutton read a letter from Mayor Sue Finkam expressing her gratitude for the musicians’ impact on the CSO and the Carmel Community.

Mayor Finkam’s letter said in part:

On behalf of our community, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation and warmest congratulations to each of you as you take the stage tonight for your final performance with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra. Reaching 50 years of service is an extraordinary milestone, and doing so as two of the Orchestra’s original members makes this moment even more meaningful.

For 50 years, you have each been pillars of the Carmel arts community. 

Your artistry and unwavering commitment have helped shape this organization into the premier resident orchestra for the City of Carmel. Your musicianship has inspired audiences, supported generations of fellow artists and contributed immeasurably to the cultural growth our city is proud to celebrate today.

Both Manship and Brill are original members of the CSO, performing since it incorporated as a non-profit in 1976, helping it grow into a fully professional organization. Manship and Brill have seen many wonderful performance venues and positive changes with the CSO throughout the years, making it a wonderful lifelong avocation.

In addition to a framed copy of the letter from Mayor Finkam, Brill and Manship received a glass trophy, CSO logo blanket and lifetime season tickets to the CSO performances. They also received many heartfelt handwritten notes from fellow musicians and CSO staff and board members.

About Ann Manship

Manship played violin for the CSO and had early training at home from her mother who was a professional violinist and teacher. Manship decided her love of science would serve her best and decided to go to Purdue University for pharmacy.

While at Purdue, she performed with the Purdue Orchestra and Lafayette Symphony. When she finished school in 1975 and began working at a retail pharmacy in Carmel, she saw a callout for the Carmel Symphony.

Manship’s daughter wrote her a message upon her retirement saying, “Congratulations on your retirement from the CSO after 50 years as a violinist. You played while raising active kids. You played while working full-time leading a team of pharmacists. You played because you simply loved it. We saw that after every rehearsal and concert. Through your dedication to the CSO, we learned the importance of feeding your passions even when life becomes demanding.”

About Jan Brill

Brill has been a significant part of the CSO since its founding in 1976, reflecting a lifelong dedication to music and community. Beyond the symphony, she continues to share her talents as a musician, playing in the church orchestra at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis and performing with two musical trios. Rooted in a family tradition of education, she devoted 18 years to teaching private music lessons and earned recognition as an award-winning educator in the Westfield Washington Schools.

Brill’s daughter also had words of thanks to her mom that said, in part, “You and Dad spent so much time helping the organization grow, sustain, and thrive in addition to your cellist contributions, and you have inspired so many young musicians through your efforts. Growing up around music inspired many of our family traditions and created four generations of cellists. These will be core memories for the rest of our lives.”