By STU CLAMPITT
news@readthereporter.com
Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Artistic Director Janna Hymes is adding another notch to her career belt. She has accepted a position with Sedona, Ariz.’s Verde Valley Sinfonietta as Artistic Director & Conductor – but don’t worry, Hamilton County, she will continue to be at the helm for CSO.
Hymes
“This new position is just four concerts a year,” Hymes told The Reporter. “It’s a great little chamber orchestra. The great thing about it is it’s in a gorgeous place. They don’t even want to grow it. They love what they are and they’re happy with how it is. They want to bring the quality up, so they want to bring me in to do what I do, but they don’t have any grandiose plans to make it huge. It’s small, it’s tight, it’s good. They are really dedicated players.”
Hymes said it will be fun for her to be able to add Sedona’s four performances to what she already does in Carmel.
One of the things Hymes required was that the new position had to work with her schedule in Carmel, which was no problem at all for Sedona.
“They were really terrific about it,” Hymes said. “They’re just great people and it’s one of the most beautiful places in the country. To go there and hike and really be part of nature – you really feel it there because there’s a real pull toward that – I love that. It’s a really fun place to go. The people are educated and love music.”
She called the combination of music and nature “the perfect recipe for good health and happiness.”
With one-week rehearsal times before performances, her plan is to fly to Arizona on a Sunday, play the following weekend, then fly back to Indiana.
“And I’m equally excited to continue as Artistic Director for Carmel Symphony Orchestra,” she added. “We’ve made such tremendous strides over the past six seasons, growing CSO into a professional orchestra, expanding programming, ramping up our educational component, and shepherding the organization through the challenges of the COVID years.”
Hymes frequently appears as guest conductor with orchestras throughout the U.S. She also has led orchestras in Mexico, Central America, and Europe. Previous positions have included Music Director of the Maine Grand Opera and the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Resident Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony, among others.
Photo by Larry Kane