Leon Botstein leads TŌN in a concert of music spanning over 200 years, with four 20th-century works presented alongside a brief symphony from 1776. The program begins with Ulysses Kay’s Chariots, inspired by the writings of poet William Blake and others, and John Cage’s whimsical Suite for Toy Piano, both in solo performance by Frank Corliss and Lou Harrison’s orchestration. Then we explore three symphonies of different styles: Stravinsky’s expressive Symphony in C; C. P. E. Bach’s adventurous Symphony in D Major, and one of Albert Roussel’s most beloved works, the vivacious Third Symphony, written for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930.

EPSG:4326

Stravinsky, Cage, and C.P.E. Bach

Fisher Center at Bard

The American Symphony Orchestra returns to Kupferberg Center for the Arts with New York Profiles, a concert celebrating five influential American composers whose work helped define the sound of mid-20th-century America. Each composer had deep ties to New York City, a place that shaped their creative lives and musical legacies.

New York Profiles

Bryant Park

Kupferberg Center for the Arts

In October2021, we announced As Told By: History, Race, and Justice on the Opera Stage, the most extensive and ambitious presentation of opera by Black composers to ever take place in the US. Ulysses Kay’s Frederick Douglass is the second installment of five operas that depict vital figures of Black liberation and thought across 250 years of history.

Frederick Douglass

New England Conservatory of Music

To fantasize is to imagine the impossible. In Bernstein’s iconic West Side Story, two lovers reach across the uncrossable boundaries of race and culture. Ulysses Kay conjures variations on a theme that does not yet exist. And Alice Mary Smith breaks through 19th century gender norms to become England’s first female symphonist.

Fanfare & Fantasy

University of Minnesota

This recital is given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music. Sofie Friedlander is a student of Benjamin Kamins. 

Sofie Friedlander, Bassoon

Alice Pratt Brown Hall

**Event: Black Keys: The Evolution of the Black Classical Arts**

**Date:** Saturday, April 20, 2024  
**Time:** 7:30 PM  
**Venue:** Schrott Center for the Arts, Butler University, 610 W. 46th St., Indianapolis, IN 46208  
**Tickets:** Sold Out - Waitlist Available

Join the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra for a groundbreaking concert, "Black Keys: The Evolution of the Black Classical Arts," on April 20, 2024, at the prestigious Schrott Center for the Arts. This unique event, conducted by Matthew Kraemer and curated by Joshua Thompson, ICO's Creative Partner-in-Residence, promises an unforgettable evening celebrating the rich legacy of Black classical music.

**Featured Performers:**
- **Joshua Thompson:** Piano
- **Kenyetta Dance Company**
- **Jared Thompson:** Saxophone
- **Psywrn Simone:** Vocalist
- **Pamela Ajango:** English Horn

**About the Event:**
Curated by Joshua Thompson, "Black Keys" is an immersive experience that weaves together the power of dance, vocal prowess, and world-class artistry. The concert showcases masterpieces by Black composers and artists spanning over three centuries, including William Grant Still, Joseph Bologne, Nina Simone, Duke Ellington, Harry Burleigh, and Margaret Bonds. This event is a celebration of the contributions of Black artists to the classical music genre, presented with the support of Frost Brown Todd.

**Repertoire Highlights:**
- Coleridge-Taylor: Petite Suite de Concert
- Ulysses Kay: Pieta
- Still: Darker America, Out of Silence from Seven Traceries, Africa Land of Romance, Spiritual A Deserted Plantation
- Ellington: Spring from The River, Single Petal of a Rose, MLK, Movement III from Three Black Kings
- Burleigh: The Frolic from The Southland
- Simone: Four Women
- Bonds/Hughes: Dream Variations

**Additional Information:**
- **Tickets:** This concert is currently sold out. To join the waitlist, please visit the ICO website.
- **Student/Children Tickets:** Free with reserved ticket. Call or email the ICO office to reserve.
- **Young Professionals (40 and under) Tickets:** $20. Contact the ICO office for redemption.

For more information, contact the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra at 317-940-9607 or info@icomusic.org. Don't miss this extraordinary celebration of the Black classical arts at the heart of Indianapolis.

Ulysses Kay

Events

Upcoming events

May 31, 2026

Jalen Dobson, trumpet · Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Past events

7 - 8 Feb, 2026

Stravinsky, Cage, and C.P.E. Bach · Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College

12 - 14 Sep, 2025

New York Profiles · American Symphony Orchestra

About

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