Carmel Symphony Orchestra Artistic Director Janna Hymes has been eager for Gabriela Martinez to share the stage with the orchestra.

“I have not worked with Gabriela before, but she has been on my radar for quite some time now,” Hymes said. “She is playing one of Mozart’s most beautiful piano concertos. I am excited to have the opportunity for the orchestra to play Mozart, a composer that stretches them because of (his compositions’) transparency and delicate nature, and to work with Gabriela, a great pianist.”

Martinez will be the guest artist for CSO’s 2023-24 season opener with Masterworks 1 at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.

“I love the ‘Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20’ and am thrilled to be bringing it to life (with the CSO),” Martinez said. “It was the first concerto Mozart wrote in a minor key, so it is full of pathos and dramatic, striking feeling. It begins with a stormy first movement full of urgency. It is followed by the second movement — a romance which truly feels like the respite after the storm. It has a sublime melody which really showcases Mozart’s lyrical genius. The third movement is a wonderful rondo which continues to explore the push and pull of conflicting modalities, but it ultimately ends in a triumphant major key, symbolizing the triumph of lightness over darkness.

“So, (I am) looking forward to performing it with the Carmel Symphony. I am excited to be traveling to and performing in the Indianapolis area for the first time.”

The CSO’s opening piece is “Take Me Home Clouds, Take Me Home” by Caroline KyungA Ahn.

“She is extremely talented and someone I have wanted to bring to our audience since I heard of her a few years ago,” Hymes said. “The piece is brilliant and brings together her thoughts of family, community as well as anxiety about flying. Caroline is a dedicated mother and wife, as well as an accomplished academic, serving as artistic director at Anderson University. The piece is thrilling and a wonderful opening to our season.”

Hymes said the concert also features Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7.”

“(It’s) one of the greatest pieces ever written for orchestra,” Hymes said. “We are using a slightly smaller orchestra to represent what would have been used when these pieces were premiered. Most of the time the CSO is a large orchestra, but playing music of the Classical Era is important for the orchestra to play because nothing gets hidden and the ensemble needs to balance and phrase every note together, as though they are playing chamber music.”

For more, visit carmelsymphony.org.