About
The mission of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra is to advance and promote music composed for the small orchestra through professional performances and educational programs. The ICO is comprised of 34 professional musicians chosen by audition. The ICO annually presents a subscription concert series using a variety of formats including Masterworks and Pops. The ICO Masterworks concerts draw on a body of musical literature spanning four centuries, and the ICO Pops focuses on popular and theatrical genre, all of which are scored for the small orchestra. In addition to presenting the full breadth of chamber orchestra repertoire, the ICO’s subscription concerts feature internationally recognized concert artists as well as superior local talent, present aspiring young soloists, and showcase the talents of contemporary composers. The ICO has commissioned several new works and has performed a number of world and American premieres during its 25-year history.
In addition to this series, the ICO also accompanies many local arts, educational, and religious organizations including the Indianapolis Opera, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, and American Pianists Association. For the fourth consecutive year the ICO will serve as Orchestra-in-Residence for the Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival, now in its 44th season. Through its affiliation with this three-day immersive educational event, the ICO sponsors a nation-wide competition for the composition of new works for chamber orchestra. Additionally, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Broadcast, featuring excerpts from ICO concerts, is aired each Monday night at 10:00 pm on WFYI, FM 90.1.
The ICO offers a full range of educational programs for ages pre-kindergarten through adult in a variety of formats. Two major education initiatives are the ICO FUNtastic Classics and the Indianapolis Youth Wind Ensemble. The ICO FUNtastic Classics, a four-part series of programs that introduce young audiences to classical music and the instrument groups of the orchestra. The Indianapolis Youth Wind Ensemble is a thriving ensemble of more than 40 auditioned high school musicians from private and public schools in the central Indiana.
