Program Notes
The ISO’s program notes, written by Program Book Annotator Marianne Williams Tobias, give an overview of the program and provide historical context about the composer’s life.
Program notes for classical works date back to the 1937–1938 season, when the ISO became a professional orchestra. We invite you to learn about the passion, tragedy, triumph, and inspiration behind the pieces that the ISO performs.
These program notes are held under copyright by the Program Note Annotator and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. We invite you to use these notes as reference material only. The notes should not be reused on websites or printed material without permission from the ISO. For more information or to inquire about notes that are not listed on the website, please contact Jen Huber, Communications Content Manager, at jhuber@indianapolissymphony.org.
Program Notes are organized in alphabetical order, by composer’s last name below.
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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
B
Johann Sebastian Bach
Born March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany
Died July 28, 1750 in Leipzig, Germany
Béla Bartók
Born March 25, 1881 in Sâanicolau Mare, Romania
Died September 26, 1945 in New York City, NY
Ludwig van Beethoven
Born December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany
Died March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria
Leonard Bernstein
Born August 25, 1918, Lawrence, MA
Died October 14, 1990, New York City, NY
Alban Berg
Born February 9, 1885 in Vienna, Austria
Died December 24, 1935 in Vienna, Austria
Luciano Berio
Born October 24, 1925 in Oneglia
Died May 27, 2003 in Rome, Italy
Johannes Brahms
Born May 7, 1833 in Hamburg, Germany
Died April 3, 1897 in Vienna, Austria
Anton Bruckner
Born September 4, 1824 in Ansfelden, Austria
Died October 11, 1896 in Vienna, Austria
D
Claude Debussy
Born August 22,1862 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Died March 25, 1918 in Paris, France
Henri Duparc
Born January 21, 1848, Paris, France
Died February 12, 1933, Mont-de-Marsan, France
Maurice Duruflé
Born January 11, 1902 in Louviers, France
Died June 16, 1986 in Louveciennes, France
Antonín Dvořák
Born September 8, 1841 in Nelahozeves, Czech Republic
Died May 1, 1904 in Prague, Czech Republic
G
Alberto Ginastera
Born April 11, 1916 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died June 25, 1983, in Geneva, Switzerland
George Gershwin
Born September 26, 1898 in Brooklyn, NY
Died July 11, 1937 in Los Angeles, CA
Alexandre Guilmant
Born on March 12, 1837 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Died on March 29, 1911 in Meudon, France
H
Kimmo Hakola
Born July 27, 1958 in Jyväskylä, Finland
Franz Joseph Haydn
Born March 31, 1732 in Rohrau-on-the-Leitha, Lower Austria
Died May 31, 1809 in Vienna, Austria
Paul Hindemith
Born November 16, 1895 in Hanau, Germany
Died December 28, 1963 in Frankfort, Germany
Gustav Holst
Born Sept 21, 1874 in Cheltenham
Died May 25, 1934 in London, England
M
Edward MacDowell
Born on December 18, 1860 in New York City, NY
Died on January 23, 1908 in New York City, NY
Gustav Mahler
Born on July 7, 1860, Kaliště, Czech Republic
Died on May 18, 1911, Vienna, Austria
Felix Mendelssohn
Born February 3, 1809 in Hamburg, Germany
Died November 4, 1847 in Leipzig, Germany
Olivier Messiaen
Born December 10, 1908 in Avignon, France
Died April 27, 1992 in Clichy, France
Darius Milhaud
Born September 4, 1892, in Marseille, France
Died June 22, 1974, in Geneva, Switzerland
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Born January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria
Died December 5, 1791, in Vienna, Austria
Modest Mussorgsky
Born on March 21, 1839 in Toropets, Russia
Died on March 28, 1881 in Saint Petersburg, Russia
R
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Born April 1, 1873 in Oneg, Russia
Died March 28, 1943 in Beverly Hills, California
Maurice Ravel
Born March 7, 1875 in Ciboure, Basse Pyrenees
Died December 28, 1937 in Paris, France
Max Richter
Born March 22, 1966 in Hamelin, Germany
Henri-Joseph Rigel
Born February 9, 1741 in Wertheim am Main, Germany
Died May 2, 1799 in Paris, France
S
Franz Schubert
Born January 31, 1797 in Himmelpfortgrund, Austria
Died Nov. 19, 1828 in Vienna, Austria
Robert Schumann
Born on June 8, 1810, Zwickau, Germany
Died on July 29, 1856, Endenich, Bonn, Germany
Igor Stravinsky
Born June 18, 1882 in Oranienbaum, Russia
Died April 6, 1971 in New York City, New York
Caroline Shaw
Born in 1982
Dmitri Shostakovich
Born September 25, 1906 in St. Petersburg, Russia
Died August 9, 1975 in Moscow, Russia
Jean Sibelius
Born December 8, 1865 in Hämeenlinna, Finland
Died September 20, 1957 in Jarvenpaa, Finland
Sarah Kirkland Snider
Born in 1973
Richard Strauss
Born June 11, 1864 in Munich, Germany
Died September 8, 1949 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Johann Strauss
Born October 25, 1825 in Vienna, Austria
Died June 3, 1899 in Vienna, Austria