When the Carmel Symphony Orchestra takes the Palladium stage, Music Director Janna Hymes is certain of one thing.
“We’re going to be bursting with happiness,” she said. “It’s been quite difficult not to finish this season. While we’ve been making videos connecting with our audience and all of our supporters, it’s been quite difficult physically to have some energy when we aren’t in the same room making music together.”
Hymes announced the 2020-21 “Hope Renewed” schedule May 9 on the CSO Facebook page. The performances are usually held at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.
“It’s our 45th anniversary. When I program the season, there is an emphasis on women, so we have wonderful women composers and women soloists we’re bringing in this season,” Hymes said. “It’s going to be interesting and I think eye-opening because some of these women really are the voice of classical and orchestral music, so I think that is going to be really fun for our audience to hear.”
The Masterworks Series begins Oct. 10 with “Hope Renewed” featuring Gioachino Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville Overture,” and pieces by Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Mozart.
The Masterworks schedule continues on the following dates: Nov. 14, Brahms Requiem; Jan. 9, 2021, Edgar Meyer in Concert; Feb. 13, A Taste of Europe; and March 13, Musical Tales. Dance Kaleidoscope will join COS for Musical Tales.
“The Brahms Requiem will feature Rick Sowers leading the choir, and Rick is retiring from Anderson University at the end of the (2020-21) school year,” Hymes said. “The orchestra has been collaborating with him way before I joined, so that is going to be an exciting collaboration. So, we hope school is in session so the students can prepare like normal. There is a lot of wait-and-see here. We hope we will be performing in the hall like normal.
“We’ll calling our season ‘Hope Renewed’ when we finally get back to the Palladium stage.”
Meyer was supposed to perform with CSO March 14, but the day before, the Center for the Performing Arts closed because of the initial gatherings restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Pops Series includes Holiday Pops, presented by IU Health, in two performances Dec. 12. It features soprano Heather Bays and the Ambassadors, Carmel High School’s mixed show choir. The series continues with “Beatles Classic Mystery Tour” Jan. 30, 2021 and “A Tribute to John Williams” Feb. 23. Williams is a legendary film composer, and the tribute will be accompanied by video segments.
“It’s the first time we are collaborating with the Center on actual visuals,” Hymes said.
Special performances scheduled in 2020 include at the Gazebo during CamelFest July 4 and at Mallow Run Winery Aug. 8. Special performances scheduled in 2021 include a collaboration with Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre Jan. 15-16, with the production yet to be announced.
“We’ll be in the pit at The Tarkington, so it will be about 22 musicians,” Hymes said. “To have a group of musicians playing for dancers live gives the dancers freedom to express in a different way because they are not tied down to regular rhythm or beat.”
Other special performances in 2021 include a Family Fun concert with an instrument petting zoo Jan. 17 and a Side-by-Side concert with Fishers High School March 7.
