The Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra closes its vibrant 29th season with “O Radiant Dawn,” a festive Eastertide celebration presented in partnership with Second Presbyterian Church. The concert takes place at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 3, with a pre-concert talk at 3:15 p.m., at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis.
Tickets can be purchased at IndyBaroque.org. Costs are $35 for general admission, $25 for seniors, and $15 for students.
Led by Second Presbyterian’s Dr. Michelle L. Louer, the program pairs two monumental works of the Baroque sacred repertoire: J.S. Bach’s brilliant Easter Oratorio, BWV 249, and the rarely heard Missa Paschalis in D Major by Jan Dismas Zelenka. The Zelenka Mass calls for four period valveless trumpets – a rare and thrilling sound that promises to fill the grand sanctuary with Baroque splendor.
The concert marks a unique collaboration with Second Presbyterian Church’s 70-voice Sanctuary Choir, under the direction of Dr. Michelle L. Louer, Director of Music and Fine Arts at Second Presbyterian Church. A professional quartet of soloists will narrate the resurrection story through Bach’s oratorio: soprano Madeline Healey, mezzo-soprano Mitzi Westra, tenor Blake Beckemeyer and baritone Jason Steigerwalt.
Bach’s Easter Oratorio: From Sorrow to Light
Opening with fanfares of trumpets and drums, Bach’s Easter Oratorio is a jubilant declaration of resurrection joy. Written in 1725 and revised throughout his career, the work draws on themes of spring, renewal, and rebirth, carrying listeners from the shadows of sorrow into the radiant light of Easter morning. The oratorio’s four characters – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Peter and John – are portrayed by the vocal soloists in a continuous dramatic arc.
Zelenka’s Missa Paschalis: A Baroque Discovery
The concert’s second half introduces audiences to the singular world of Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745), Bach’s Bohemian contemporary at the Dresden court. Composed in 1726, the Missa Paschalis in D Major is a work of exuberant invention, filled with surprising harmonic twists, quirky rhythmic energy, and an expanded orchestration that includes four Baroque valveless trumpets and timpani. Infrequently performed, it will delight audiences discovering Zelenka’s distinctively personal voice for the first time.
A community partnership
This performance deepens IBO’s longstanding relationship with Second Presbyterian Church and its acclaimed music program. Dr. Louer, who holds a doctoral degree in choral conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and advanced degrees from Yale University, has led Second Church’s Sanctuary Choir in a distinguished series of choral-orchestral collaborations over more than a decade. The partnership brings together Indianapolis’ foremost period-instrument ensemble with one of the city’s finest choral forces.
About Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra
Using period instruments and historically informed performance practice, the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra enriches audiences of all backgrounds through exceptional performances, educational outreach, and meaningful community partnerships. Learn more at IndyBaroque.org.
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