The 2022-2023 concert season from the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra (LSO) celebrates Music Director and Conductor Nick Palmer’s final season after 16 years at the non-profit organization’s artistic helm. The season lineup includes the B-Side nightclub series at Rat Pak Venue, full orchestra Mainstage Concerts at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, and the family-friendly Lollipop Concert.
Innovative and informal, the B-Side Series kicks off the season on August 22, bringing audiences up-close and personal with small LSO ensembles at the downtown Rat Pak Venue. The hour-long concerts feature music curated by the musicians themselves and a casual, come-as-you-are vibe. Highlights of the Series include Astor Piazzolla’s tango-inspired take on Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”; a folk rock and electric fiddle mashup with Wendy Kline, Jeff All, Michael Kelsey, and Blake Watts; Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Harp, and Viola; an evening of Latin jazz; a violin/cello duo; and a rock/jazz fusion group. The B-Side concerts begin at 7:30 pm preceded by a cocktail hour and all ages are welcome.
The Mainstage Concert Series begins in November 2022 with “Tweet About It”, a bird-centric concert program comprised of Respighi’s baroque-inspired “Gli uccelli (The Birds)”, Stravinsky’s ultimate musical fairytale “The Firebird”, and Tan Dun’s “Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds”, featuring birdsong played on audience smart phones. Other season highlights include Holiday Pops, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8, and the youth winners of the Keller Concerto Competition. The season finale sends Maestro Palmer off in style with his favorite pieces, a world premiere of Grace Brigham’s “Mesmerism” for orchestra and electric violin, and LSO Principal Bassoonist Catherine Marchese on a movement from Mozart’s Concerto for Bassoon. A new, shorter concert format for the Mainstage Series features approximately one hour of music performed without an intermission beginning at 7:30 pm.
Kids and their grown-ups get a night out on the town together at the Lollipop Concert in February 2023. All ages of concert-goers learn about the instruments of the orchestra and hear excerpts from much-loved pieces in a relaxed family atmosphere. Running just under an hour, the Lollipop Concert begins at 7:00 pm. The evening program is preceded by two daytime field trip concerts for 4th and 5th graders from the Greater Lafayette area and surrounding 14 counties.
“The LSO is deeply grateful to Maestro Palmer for his direction over the last 15 years,” LSO executive director Sara Mummey reflected. “We look forward to celebrating his time with the organization over the coming 2022-23 season, and to deepening our commitment to fostering inclusion and diversity throughout the search process.” Maestro Palmer agrees, “I am so proud of what we have been able to accomplish as an organization: from the forefront of what an orchestra should be in the 21st-century, the LSO is constantly breaking new ground with innovative, inclusive programming and presentation.”
Discounted packages are available for adults, seniors, and students for the Mainstage and B-Side Series, as well as single tickets. Patrons who purchase a ticket package before June 30, 2022 will receive two complimentary tickets to bring friends along to any concert in their selected events.
For full concert information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.lafayettesymphony.org or call 765-742-6463.
Launched in 1951 as a non-profit organization, the LSO is focused on enriching the cultural life of the Greater Lafayette community and 14 surrounding counties through musical excellence and educational experience. About 80 percent of its patrons are from Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County, while the remainder are from the surrounding counties of Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Pulaski, Tipton, Warren and White.