Bloomington Symphony Opens 56th Season Celebrating Community Friendships

Courtesy photo

Written from press release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — August 27, 2025

The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra is dedicating its 56th season to the theme of friendship, celebrating connections with community members, local organizations and fellow artists.

The season, titled Between Friends, began Aug. 24 with a free jazz-infused concert at Switchyard Park. The performance, dubbed Toe Tappin’, featured collaborations with the Bloomington Jazz Orchestra and Indiana University’s Swing Dance Club. About 800 people attended and joined in a free swing dance lesson under the pavilion.

“Our 56th season is a tribute to the friendships we’ve built in Bloomington — with individuals, arts partners, and local businesses,” said Executive Director Donna Lafferty. “It’s good to have friends, isn’t it? They make tough times easier to bear, and they make good times even better.”

The upcoming season includes:

• October: Otherwhere, a collaboration with nonprofit My Sister’s Closet, featuring Amy Beach’s Gaelic Symphony, Gabriela Ortiz’s Antropolis, and Youth Concerto Competition winner Solar Manley performing Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto.
• November–December: Holiday concerts featuring local rock band Don’t Call Me Betty as part of Bloomington’s Canopy of Lights celebration on Nov. 28, plus a return performance at Spencer’s Tivoli Theater on Dec. 9.
• January: Former principal bassoonist Catherine Marchese will reunite with the orchestra in Strauss’s Duet-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon. The program also includes a piece by the late Bloomington composer David Baker, presented with the Archives of African American Music and Culture.
• March: Shakuhachi master Shawn Head joins for a program highlighting the music of Japan, presented in partnership with IU’s Asian Cultural Center, along with Strauss’s Rosenkavalier Suite.
• May: The season finale features Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 performed with a 100-member community chorus at IU’s Musical Arts Center — the orchestra’s first performance of the work at that venue.

“Friendship, to me, means mutual presence — showing up for one another in joyful moments, but also in uncertain and difficult ones,” said BSO Music Director Ryo Hasegawa. “I am thrilled to celebrate 56 years of friendship in Bloomington and share diverse artistic experiences with our collaborators.”

Season tickets are now available at bloomingtonsymphony.com

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