“The opening night of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra’s new season happens to hold special meaning this year,” writes Bob Kostanczuk in Monday’s (9/19) Post-Tribune (Merrillville, Indiana). On September 30, “ ‘Celebrate 75!’ promises to radiate the lively feel of a gala … with … music [by] Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, John Williams and the dynamic Broadway tunesmiths Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Along the way, Gary and its most famous native son—Michael Jackson—will be remembered and saluted. The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra started as a Gary orchestra…. Said [Kirk] Muspratt, the orchestra’s music director, ‘I also wanted to go back and trace what the orchestra and the region have lived through in the last 75 years—how we’ve grown.’ … With music-appreciation efforts and educational programs that reach into the schools, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra is ingrained into the fiber of the area. ‘It’s really a big part of the culture of Northwest Indiana; it’s a great source of pride,’ said Dr. Michael Luongo … longtime member of the orchestra’s board of directors…. Community outreach has long been a priority for an orchestra that, according to Muspratt, ‘can play any kind of music.’”
Posted September 20, 2016
