MISSION

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.

BIOGRAPHY

The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir is proud to be one of central Indiana’s most established and dynamic musical institutions. Among the busiest in the country, this organization reaches in excess of 25,000 persons each season with more than 20 performances, and a comprehensive educational/outreach program. The approximately 160 volunteer singers demonstrate the Choir's commitment to musical excellence through their talent and selfless dedication during each forty-week season. The organzation is lead by a professional staff and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

The Symphonic Choir is the choral partner of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, having been founded in 1937 at the Orchestra’s request in order to perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Over the years, our partnership with the ISO has remained at the very core of our existence. Together, we have shared the best of human expression in our performances of works from the breadth of the choral-orchestral repertoire. We are proud that this partnership exhibits the very best of collaborative ideals - two successfully independent arts organizations sharing their strengths to create beautifully lasting musical results.

In addition to serving as “guest artists” for the Indianapolis Symphony, the Choir produces its own concerts and events each season. Annual features include the sold-out gospel Celebration, the innovative Sacred Arts interactive performance experience in collaboration with the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the standing-room-only Festival of Carols (featuring a local high school “Spotlight Choir”), Messiah and the Sacred Masterworks series of major works for chorus and orchestra. Works selected for the Sacred Masterworks series are introduced to the community through an array of free, innovative outreach events, including the dynamic and entertaining In-Choir-ing Minds, a discussion and live demonstration of the music being performed, and theChoral Colloquium, an in-depth examination of each work’s historical and contextual background. The most recent addition outreach program, Hallelujah - What's it to Ya?!, is an educational and engaging look at Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” complete with choir members leading an audience sing-along.

Introducing new works is central to the Choir’s mission, and recent years have seen numerous commissioned works added to the body of choral repertoire. Recent commissions include: “Transcendental Sonnets,” a work for chorus, orchestra and soloists with music by Kyle Gann and text by Jones Very; “From East to West” (Dan Locklair), “There Is God” (James Mulholland) and “Mary with Jesus” (Frank Burch Brown). The Symphonic Choir also is committed to educational experiences for emerging choral conductors, and hosts an annual Student Conducting Workshop and participates in the week long Creating Artistry workshop of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir.

Throughout its history, the Choir has been served by leaders in the choral art, including music directors Elmer Steffen, Don Neuen, Charles Webb, John W. Williams, and Robert Porco, and has given performances in throughout the United States. The Symphonic Choir is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization governed by its own board of directors, in residence at Butler University's Jordan College of Fine Arts, Indianapolis, Indiana.