Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra

The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra made it's debut in Gary, Indiana on December 7, 1941. As the nation pulled together, a group of individuals, without hesitation or prompts, burst into the Star Spangled Banner and played to a grieving audience recovering from the events of the day.

 

The orchestra, a group of 75 rostered professional musicians, is under the leadership of Music Director and Conductor Kirk Muspratt. Some of the best professional musicians in the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana area are members of the Orchestra. 

 

The Symphony plays a full season of subscription concerts, as well as a free summer concert series, the South Shore Summer Music Festival. Additionally, a number of educational outreach initiatives, designed to allow interaction and personal involvement by students, are performed for area schools which include “hands-on” opportunities to explore a variety of musical instruments and attend live concerts for young audiences. There is also a Young People’s competition where children of all ages get the chance to play on stage during the concert season.

 

The Northwest Indiana Symphony Youth Orchestra, an auditioned group of more than 60 student musicians in middle-through-high school is under the leadership of Conductor Philip Bauman and annually performs two concerts each year plus a side-by-side with the professional orchestra.

 

The Northwest Indiana Symphony Chorus, an auditioned, volunteer group of over 100 voices, is under the direction of Dr. Nancy Menk, Professor of Music at St. Mary's College. Annually, they perform many concerts both with the orchestra and independently.

 

From its humble beginnings, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra has become a cultural asset that serves as a unifying force for all Northwest Indiana communities.  The Symphony is dedicated to providing quality orchestral programming that provides opportunities for enjoyment and expands interest in and understanding of diverse music. This season, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra celebrates 72 years of presenting the finest musical programs to its audiences.