Indianapolis symphony orchestra presents an evening with violinist Gil Shaham

One of Ravel’s most-admired works, Daphnis et Chloé, will be among the French-influenced program January 14 and 15 during the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s first performance in 2022.

Artistic advisor to the ISO and guest conductor Jun Märkl brings the passionate work to life through the mastery of the ISO musicians as they perform the extraordinarily lush harmonies typical of the impressionist movement in music. In its original form, Daphnis et Chloé is a ballet in one act with three parts that Maurice Ravel described as a choreographic symphony. Inspired by a second-century AD Greek romance, the courtship depicted between the goatherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloé provides the audience with spell-binding performances from every orchestra section.

In addition, one of the world’s most famous violinists, Gil Shaham, performs Saint-Georges’ Violin Concerto Op. 8 No. 2. The Grammy Award-winner, also named Musical America’s “Instrumentalist of the Year,” made his professional debuts with the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic and took first prize in Israel’s Claremont Competition. He attended Juilliard on scholarship and studied at Columbia University. Shaham was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant and received the coveted Avery Fisher Prize.

Part of the ISO’s “Unheard Voices” programming—sponsored by Lilly—Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was the first classical composer of African ancestry creating 14 violin concertos and was a contemporary of Mozart. While nothing is known about his early musical training or career prior to being documented as a composer, he was affected by racism and racist laws in pre-Revolutionary France, undoubtedly dimming a talent that would have shone brightly otherwise.

Rounding out the program is Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy. Written in 1883, the virtuoso show piece is based on the famous opera, Carmen by Georges Bizet and is one of Sarasate’s most popular—and musically demanding—works. Considered today as the premier Spanish virtuoso, his advice to all burgeoning musicians: “For 37 years I’ve practiced 14 hours a day, and now they call me a genius.”

Performances begin at 8 p.m. Friday, January 14 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday, January 15. Per the ISO health and safety guidelines, proof of vaccination and face masks are mandatory. For more information regarding the policies of the Hilbert Circle Theatre, please visit the ISO website.