Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra opens spectacular fall season with star-studded lineup

Tickets are on sale now for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s (ISO) thrilling fall season beginning in September at Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis.

The upcoming season features top names in classical music today, award-winning Pops artists, and innovative fusions – with the talented musicians of the ISO at the heart of it all. Buy tickets at IndianapolisSymphony.org and see the full season lineup here.

One of the most celebrated artists of his era, Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell headlines the Opening Night Gala on Sept. 23 presented by the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation as the ISO warmly welcomes back the Orchestra’s fourth music director, John Nelson. Joshua Bell performs Bruch’s passionate First Violin Concerto. Soprano Larisa Martínez, who performed with Andrea Bocelli and the ISO in 2022 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, brings her stunning operatic talent to the Hilbert Circle Theatre stage for Mendelssohn’s Ah, ritorna, eta dell’oro.

The IU Health Plans Classical Series brings fan favorites Time for Three back to Indianapolis Sept. 28 to 30 to perform Contact, a dazzling concerto written for them by composer Kevin Puts, who received a Grammy Award for the composition in 2023. Conductor Kevin John Edusei makes his much-anticipated return with a program featuring Prokofiev’s epic Fifth Symphony and Beethoven’s dramatic overture to Goethe’s Egmont. On Oct. 6 and 7, ISO concertmaster Kevin Lin shines in Saint-Saëns’ Third Violin Concerto. Oct. 27 and 28, soprano Janice Chandler-Eteme delivers the immortal words of President John F. Kennedy and poet Robert Frost in a newly co-commissioned work by Adolphus Hailstork titled JFK: The Last Speech.

Led by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, the Printing Partners Pops Series includes Grammy and Tony Award-winner Heather Headley Sept. 15 and 16. Maestro Everly conducts the ISO for Disney in Concert: The Sound of Magic, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, Oct. 21, part of the Film Series presented by Bank of America. Tony Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and recording artist Liz Callaway returns Nov. 10 and 11 to celebrate the best of the stage, screen, and pop hits of the 60s and 70s.

Conductor and composer Steve Hackman returns to bring his visionary Uncharted Series to Hilbert Circle Theatre following sold-out performances last season. The Uncharted Series offers Indianapolis music fans new avenues into classical music, beginning Nov. 8 with Kendrick Lamar X. Stravinsky, which combines Stravinsky’s Petrouchka with Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN.  

Maestro Everly leads the 37th annual AES Indiana Yuletide Celebration Dec. 1 to 23, for a magical holiday production featuring Broadway star Ben Crawford as host, the return of MOIPEI after their debut performance with the ISO in 2022, tap-dancing Santas, dazzling choreography, and stunning costumes. Ben Crawford served as host of Yuletide Celebration in 2012 and 2014 and is known for his stellar performances in Broadway blockbusters including Les Misérables, Shrek, Big Fish, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, and many more. Tickets for Yuletide Celebration are on sale now.

Unheard Voices

Through the Unheard Voices initiative, the ISO continues to highlight the works of composers who have historically been overlooked in classical music. The 2023–24 season features works by Grażyna Bacewicz (1909–1969), Nadia Boulanger (1887–1979), Joseph Boulogne “Chevalier de Saint-Georges” (1745–1799), Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941), Augusta Holmès (1847–1903), Hannah Kendall (b. 1984), Wynton Marsalis (b. 1961) and many more.

ISO subscriptions: the best value

Subscriptions are the best way to experience the ISO, offering the greatest value and the most benefits. Curated and flexible subscriptions are available. For the IU Health Plans Classical Series, patrons who subscribe to the full 16-concert package can receive up to a 40 percent savings over the cost of purchasing a single ticket. For the Printing Partners Pops Series, patrons who subscribe to the eight-concert series receive the equivalent of a 25 percent savings over the cost of a single ticket purchase. Patrons may also choose their own package with the Your Season Your Way option, which includes a minimum of four concerts to receive subscriber benefits. Explore the options at the ISO’s website at IndianapolisSymphony.org, by phone at (317) 639-4300 or in person at the Hilbert Circle Theatre Box Office.

Among many of the benefits of becoming an ISO subscriber is advance ticket buying opportunities for and discounts to special events such as Opening Night Gala and the annual holiday tradition, AES Indiana Yuletide Celebration, and Kroger Symphony on the Prairie. Subscriber benefits include discounted tickets to classical and pops concerts and an opportunity to purchase a pre-paid season parking pass to Express Park Garage, located at 20 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis.

About the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, at home and thriving in the heart of Indianapolis, offers an exceptional artistic and musical experience. The orchestra is open to all and dedicated to creating an inclusive and innovative experiential environment that is inspiring, educational, and welcoming. The ISO celebrates historically beloved performances while engaging audiences by introducing new voices through programming including the IU Health Plans Classical Series, the Printing Partners Pops Series, the holiday traditions of AES Indiana Yuletide Celebration, and the popular Film Series presented by Bank of America. For more information, visit IndianapolisSymphony.org.