INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR INC
4600 SUNSET AVENUE, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46208 www.indychoir.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR IS DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF CHORAL MUSIC, TO CREATING AND PERFORMING NEW CHORAL MASTERWORKS, AND TO COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.

THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR, CELEBRATING ITS 84TH SEASON IN 2020-2021, IS PROUD TO BE ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST ESTABLISHED AND DYNAMIC MUSICAL INSTITUTIONS. AMONG THE MOST ACTIVE SYMPHONIC CHORUSES IN THE UNITED STATES, THE CHOIR REACHES MORE THAN 20,000 PERSONS EACH SEASON THROUGH PERFORMANCES AND EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. THE 150 VOLUNTEER SINGERS DEMONSTRATE THE CHOIR'S COMMITMENT TO MUSICAL EXCELLENCE THROUGH THEIR TALENT AND DEDICATION DURING EACH 11-MONTH SEASON. THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR WAS FOUNDED IN 1937 AT THE REQUEST OF THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (ISO) TO PERFORM THE GREAT CHORAL-ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE. THIS CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP EXHIBITS THE BEST OF COLLABORATIVE IDEALS - TWO INDEPENDENT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS COMBINING THEIR STRENGTHS TO CREATE BEAUTIFULLY LASTING MUSICAL RESULTS. FOLLOWING THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR'S ACCLAIMED PERFORMANCE AT CARNEGIE HALL DURING THE 2016-17 SEASON, THE GROUP TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON D.C.'S KENNEDY CENTER AS A GUEST OF THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DURING THE SHIFT FESTIVAL IN APRIL 2018. THE CHOIR'S LATEST RECORDING, FESTIVAL OF CAROLS, WAS RELEASED BY NAXOS IN 2019 AND FEATURES TWO-TIME GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST SYLVIA MCNAIR.IN ADDITION TO COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCES WITH THE ISO, THE SYMPHONIC CHOIR PRESENTS ITS OWN PERFORMANCES, EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES, AND SPECIAL EVENTS EACH SEASON. THE SACRED MASTERWORKS CONCERT SERIES FOCUSES ON LARGE-SCALE CHORAL-ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE AND ARE COMPLEMENTED BY AN ARRAY OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. THE ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONCERT, FESTIVAL OF CAROLS, HAS BECOME A FAMILY TRADITION AND FEATURES THE CHOIR IN PERFORMANCE WITH ORCHESTRA AND SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS. NATIONAL TELEVISION BROADCASTS, REGIONAL RADIO BROADCASTS, AND RECORDINGS OF FESTIVAL OF CAROLS ARE AVAILABLE.THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR BELIEVES THAT THE ARTS PLAY AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN CULTIVATING A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION. THROUGH OUR SPOTLIGHT CHOIR INITIATIVE, WE INVITE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL CHOIRS TO PERFORM SIDE BY SIDE WITH OUR 150-VOICE VOLUNTEER CHOIR AT OUR ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF CAROLS, ONE OF THE SEASON'S MOST POPULAR CONCERT SERIES. THIS PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES AN EXPERIENCE FOR A YOUNG PERSON TO HONE THEIR MUSICIANSHIP, STUDY SKILLS, COMMUNICATION, PROBLEM-SOLVING, TIME MANAGEMENT, AND MORE THROUGH SIDE BY SIDE REHEARSALS, PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION, AND PERFORMANCE HALL PRESENTATIONS.THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR'S CONDUCTING FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES ONE-OF-A-KIND PROFESSIONAL MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHORAL CONDUCTORS. ESPECIALLY FOCUSING ON LARGE-SCALE CHORAL-ORCHESTRAL MASTERWORKS, THE CONDUCTING FELLOWSHIP IS A COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE BETWEEN THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR AND BUTLER UNIVERSITY, A 4,600-STUDENT LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTION LOCATED IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. THE TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES FULL-TUITION AND STIPEND. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM, THE STUDENT WILL HAVE EARNED A MASTERS OF MUSIC IN CHORAL CONDUCTING FROM BUTLER UNIVERSITY AND GAINED PRACTICAL AND APPLIED EXPERIENCE ADDRESSING THE ARTISTIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE NEEDS OF LEADING SYMPHONIC CHOIRS. THE CONDUCTING FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES A 360-DEGREE EXPERIENCE IN THE GUIDANCE OF A PREMIER SYMPHONIC CHORUS, INCLUDING ARTIST PROGRAMMING, DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, GOVERNANCE, AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES.ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES INCLUDE IN-CHOIR-ING MINDS, A LECTURE-PERFORMANCE FEATURING A CHORAL MASTERWORK, AND WORDS ON MUSIC, A BRIEF LECTURE BEFORE PERFORMANCES. ROUNDTABLES ARE ALSO HELD THROUGHOUT EACH SEASON FOR CHOIR DIRECTORS FROM AREA SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, CONGREGATIONS, AND COMMUNITY ENSEMBLES.COMMISSIONING NEW WORKS IS CRITICAL TO THE CHOIR'S MISSION, AND RECENT YEARS HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMMISSIONED WORKS ADDED TO THE BODY OF CHORAL REPERTOIRE. THE CHRISTMAS CAROL COMMISSION COMPETITION, LAUNCHED IN 2009, ENCOURAGES YOUNG COMPOSERS (35 AND UNDER) TO SUBMIT THEIR WORK FOR A PREMIERE PUBLIC PERFORMANCE BY THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR AT THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF CAROLS AND INCLUDES A $2,500 CASH PRIZE. THE SYMPHONIC CHOIR LED A THREE-YEAR CITY-WIDE COMMISSIONING CONSORTIUM WHICH CULMINATED WITH THE APRIL 2015 PERFORMANCE OF A NEW ORATORIO TITLED ZABUR BY NOTED COMPOSER MOHAMMED FAIROUZ, AS WELL AS ITS RELEASE ON THE NAXOS RECORDING LABEL AND A PERFORMANCE AT CARNEGIE HALL IN 2016. THE NEXT COMMISSIONED WORK WILL DEBUT IN THE SPRING OF 2022 BY AUGUSTA READ THOMAS, AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AND LAUDED AMERICAN COMPOSER.THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY SPANNING MORE THAN THREE-QUARTERS OF A CENTURY, THE SYMPHONIC CHOIR HAS BEEN SERVED BY LEADERS IN THE CHORAL ARTS, INCLUDING MUSIC DIRECTORS ELMER STEFFEN, DON NEUEN, CHARLES WEBB, JOHN W. WILLIAMS, AND ROBERT PORCO, AND HAS GIVEN PERFORMANCES AROUND THE WORLD. THE INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR IS UNDER THE ARTISTIC DIRECTION OF DR. ERIC STARK AND IS A 501(C)3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN RESIDENCE AT BUTLER UNIVERSITY'S JORDAN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS, INDIANAPOLIS.

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