Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Pines of Rome and Poulencs Organ Concerto

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Pines of Rome and Poulencs Organ Concerto at Hilbert Circle Theatre

A Saturday program featuring Respighi and Poulenc offers orchestral color on an especially big scale. On February 20, 2027, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra brings Pines of Rome and Poulenc's Organ Concerto to Hilbert Circle Theatre, with Jun Märkl conducting and Paul Jacobs at the organ.

Here's the hook: that organ is the Hilbert Circle Theatre's Mighty Wurlitzer. The theatre organ takes a featured role in the concert, not a spot in the background. Poulenc's Organ Concerto puts the instrument and the orchestra in conversation, and you hear it in the very place the instrument lives. That's a specific night out, not a generic classical evening. You get a named soloist, a named conductor and a program built around a rare pairing.

The evening also reaches in more than one direction. The published program lists Handel's Cuckoo and the Nightingale, the Poulenc concerto, a world-premiere commission from Kenji Bunch and Respighi's Pines of Rome. A premiere means you may hear something no audience has heard before. Respighi then brings the orchestral landscape that gives the concert its name. Repertoire is subject to change, but the plan is rich and varied. If you've been waiting for a reason to trade the couch for a seat in downtown Indianapolis, this Saturday at 5:30 PM is it. Pick your seats now through secure your tickets for the ISO's Pines of Rome and Poulenc night.