For Lyndsay Moy, Indianapolis Opera’s Opera in the Park is always special and this one has special significance.
Moy, director of education and community engagement for Indianapolis Opera, will be joined by Ganson Salmon as feature performers in Opera in the Park in a 7 p.m. free concert Sept. 7 at Garfield Park in Indianapolis.
“Since this is our 50th anniversary season, we really wanted to highlight Hoosier talent, so (general director) David (Starkey) graciously asked me to sing because I was raised in Indianapolis,” Moy said. “I went through Indianapolis Children’s Choir. I did show choir and (earned) my undergraduate (degree) at DePauw University.”
After earning a master’s degree at Cleveland Institute of Music, she returned for her residency at Indianapolis Opera in 2015.
“I’ve been here with the company ever since,” she said. “That’s just been a big joy for me. It’s really fun to showcase some homegrown talent. It’s always a great concert. It attracts people from all walks of life. It’s a free event. It’s wonderful for people from all backgrounds enjoying the same fabulous music,”
Moy, a Brownsburg resident and Pike High School graduate, will perform the Italian version of “Gabriel’s Oboe/Nella Fantasia” with oboe player Pam Ajango. She also sings “Alto’s Lament.”
“It features a lot of musical theater and a lot of comedy, which is my bread and butter,” Moy said. “I’ve done three musical theater roles with the company, most recently Nettie in ‘Carousel.’’”
There will be some pieces from “Barber of Seville,” which Indy Opera will perform in November.
Salmon is appearing in Opera in the Park for the first time since 2021.
Salmon will sing “Nessun Dorma” from “Turandot” and a piece from “Rigoletto.”
A Heritage Christian School graduate, Salmon grew up in the Lawrence area and returned during the COVID-19 pandemic when theaters were closed in New York City.
“Being an Indy-bred tenor, it feels only right that I get the honor of playing a part in this 50th anniversary season,” said Salmon, who lives in Whitestown. “I think Opera in the Park is one of the best events in the gamut of opera events because of how fun and casual it is. It’s an event I think all opera companies should do. I just get so thrilled to sit and listen or participate. I think it’s one of the best ways to introduce newcomers to opera and a way to sit and enjoy each other’s company and listen to great music.”
For more, visit indyopera.org.
