Mocktails & Masterpieces

Get to know the artistic minds at work for the collaborative performance New World with Dance Kaleidoscope and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on May 17, 18, 19, 2024! Guest Conductor, Andrés Lopera, DK Artistic Director, Joshua Blake Carter, and DK Associate Artistic Director, Stuart Lewis, discuss the collaboration, artistic decisions, choreography, inspirations, and more!

Learn about ICO virtual education module launched in 2021, What Makes Music American, with its hosts Matthew Kraemer and Joshua Thompson. Project support from: Central Indiana Community Foundation: CICF This episode originally aired on youtube on May 14, 2021.

ICO's Creative Partner in Residence and concert curator, Joshua Thompson, discusses the classical programming and artistic collaborations with Maestro, Matthew Kraemer. “Black Keys,” weaves together dance, powerhouse vocals, and world-class artistry and featuring fellow artists Psywrn Simone, Kenyetta Dance Co., and Jared Thompson. The repertoire includes masterpieces composed by Black contributors in classical music that span over three centuries: William Grant Still, Joseph Bologne, Nina Simone, Duke Ellington, Harry Burleigh and Margaret Bonds. This concert is sold out, but learn about other ICO concerts at icomusic.org

Get to know Joshua and Jared Thompson twin brothers and artistic collaborators on "Black Keys: The Evolution of the Black Classical Arts." Black Keys will have its first live performance to a sold-out audience on April 20, 2024 at the Schrott Center for the Arts with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. Learn more: https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/black-keys-the-evolution-of-the-black-classical-arts/

Learn about ICO's signature fundraising event, Orchestration. Orchestration 2024 is March 16, 2024 at Crane Bay, so many of the details discussed in this interview hold true for the 2024 event. Tickets https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/sf-0018000000euDndAAE/events/vevt:f097d10f-c3b9-4392-9d4a-93fe7c40abc7/home/story

ICO Music Director, Matthew Kraemer, interviews composer, Richard Einhorn. Einhorn composed the oratorio "Voices of Light" for chorus, soloist and orchestra to accompany the classic silent film, "The Passion of Joan of Arc." ICO will present Voices of Light on March 9, 2024 at the Schrott Center for the Arts. DePauw University Choirs and professional soloists will join the orchestra for this collaborative performance! https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/the-passion-of-joan-of-arc-voices-of-light-film/

Music Director, Matthew Kraemer, is joined by Butler Film Professor, Allison Harthcock. They discuss the impact of Metropolis on film, German Expressionism, the dawn of science fiction, and Maestro Kraemer discusses the Huppertz score.

Enjoy this re-aired interview, available for the first time as a mocktail, with Richard Lin, 2018 IVCI Gold Medalist. Dana Stone, Executive Director, interviews Richard about the music, his violin and more! Learn about upcoming ICO concerts at icomusic.org

Get to know Julian Rhee with this special interview by Matthew Kraemer, ICO Music Director. Julian is the 2022 Silver Medalist of the IVCI. Julian will join the ICO on January 20, 2024 for the Silenced Voices concert playing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. Other music featured on the concert by Schreker and Korngold and the world premiere of "Anne Frank's Tree" by Victoria Bond. https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/silenced-voices/

Enjoy this special edition of Mocktails and Masterpieces recorded live at the Ann Katz Festival with Indianapolis JCC on November 2023. Victoria is joined by ICO Creative Partner-in-Residence, Joshua Thompson, and ICO Executive Director, Dana Stone. They discuss Victoria's compositional style and process and the evolution of the commissioned project, "Anne Frank's Tree." Hear excerpts of a string quartet reduction of the new piece which will premiere on January 20, 2024 on the Silenced Voices concert with the ICO. Visit for information and tickets! https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/silenced-voices/ Musicians Featured: Alfred Abel, violin & soloist Emily Popham Gillins, violin Colette Abel, viola Nancy Smith, cello

Enjoy this interview from June 2023 with ICO Chorusmaster, Eric Schmidt. Eric and Executive Director, Dana stone, discuss the return to Handel's "Messiah" and Saint Saens Christmas Oratorio plus the Sing-Along. Get Tickets for this year's "Classical Christmas" and "Sing-Along" at https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/a-classical-christmas/

Maestro Matthew Kraemer and Classical Christmas soloists, Mary Martin and Norman Shankle, discuss ICO's upcoming concert on December 8 and 10. Hear their favorite Messiah stories and learn about their experience with "new-to-them" Saint-Saens "Christmas Oratorio." Tickets are available for Classical Christmas on Friday, December 8 at 7:30PM AND Christmas Sing-Along (Messiah and Carols) on Sunday, December 10 at 3:00PM Purchase now

Enjoy this interview from December 2021 with then, new ICO Chorusmaster, Eric Schmidt. Eric and Maestro Matthew Kraemer discuss the return to Handel's "Messiah" in ICO programming and Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Get Tickets for this year's "Classical Christmas" and "Sing-Along" at https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/a-classical-christmas/

Join Maestro Matthew Kraemer and guest soloists Nancy Ambrose King, oboe, and Ryan King, clarinet. They discuss the premiere of Miguel del Aguila's new piece "Concierto Con Brio" featured on ICO's concert Suite Brilliance on November 18, 2023. They share more about their relationship with music, preparation, and more! Milkman's Daughter prepares a "NO-jito" with Nancy's flavors in mind! Plus a bonus Mocktail!!! Purchase Tickets and Learn more about Suite Brilliance: https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/suite-brilliance/

A re-air to podcast format from the June 2023 video edition of Mocktails & Masterpieces. Meet ICO 23-24 Composer-in-Residence, Miguel Del Aguila. Miguel's music is no stranger to ICO audiences. Learn about his musical influences as a Uruguayan-American composer and his compositional process. ICO is part of a consortium to present a new work in November by Miguel, "Concierto Con Brio." This concerto will feature soloists Nancy Ambrose King, oboe, and Ryan King (her son), clarinet. Learn more about the concert on November 18. https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/suite-brilliance/

Aaron Diehl, 2011 APA Jazz Winner, shares his connection with Mary Lou Williams' tour-de-force piece, Zodiac. Aaron and his combo will perform all twelve movements of the Zodiac Suite with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on September 30, 2023. This concert starts the ICO's 40th Anniversary Season! Learn more at icomusic.org Enjoy a recipe for a Zodiac inspired Mocktail from Milkman's Daughter! Special thanks to our sponsor - Anthony Team Realty

This episode was the very first episode of Mocktails & Masterpieces aired on April 30, 2020. Host Maestro Matthew Kraemer introduces the program with a movement from James Aikman's "Peacemakers." This movement "RFK" features the speech from Robert Kennedy given in Indianapolis on April 30, 1968, the evening of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination. "Peacemakers" was commissioned by the ICO in 2015 and was the subject of an Emmy winning documentary by WFYI.

Join us for our first Mocktails and Masterpieces to feature an actual MOCKTAIL. ICO has partnered with Milkman's Daughter, a mobile bartending service, this fall to highlight non-alcoholic drinks with our featured guests in mind. This episode is the first to be distributed as a podcast. ICO Executive Director interviews Pam Ajango, oboe; Candice Kiser, clarinet; and Emily Popham, violin. Special thanks to our sponsor Anthony Team Realty! Learn more about the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.