Saturday, July 4th, 2026 – 8 to 9:40 p.m.
Fireworks at 9:45 p.m.
Gazebo at Civic Square

Music Director/Conductor: David Commanday

Join us as the Carmel Symphony Orchestra celebrates the 250th Anniversary of our country. Enjoy classic patriotic tunes leading up to the best fireworks display in the state of Indiana.

Repertoire:

• Star Spangled Banner by John Stafford Smith (arr. Damrosch)
• American Salute by Gould
• The American Frontier by Calvin Custer
• Geroge Gershwin in Concert  by George Gershwin (arr. Sayre)
• Duke Ellington Medley by Duke Ellington (arr. Custer)
• A Chicago Medley by John Kander (arr. Ricketts)
• Star Wars Suite by John Williams
• Hymn to the Fallen by John Williams
• Salute by Bob Lowden
• You’re a Grand Old Flag by George M. Cohan
• God Bless America by Irving Berlin (arr. Healey)
• Star and Stripes by John Phillip Sousa

For more information about CarmelFest,
visit CarmelFest.net

The promise of a vast land

October 10, 2026 – 7 p.m.

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50th Anniversary Season Opener

Music Director/Conductor: David Commanday

Experience the spirit of discovery and the vast beauty of America. Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite set the stage for Dvořák’s deeply expressive Cello Concerto—written in America and inspired by its promise.

Repertoire:

• Aaron Copland – Fanfare for the Common Man
• Ferde Grofé – Grand Canyon Suite

Antonín Dvořák – Cello Concerto featuring Guest Cellist, Alexander Hersh

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Saturday, November, 28 2026
2 and 7 p.m.
Sunday, November, 29 2026
1 and 6 p.m.

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Music Director/Conductor: David Commanday

Join us for one of the most beloved holiday productions, The Nutcracker. This show is enhanced with all the emotion and vibrancy that can only be experiened by the addition of a live symphony orchestra.

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Traditions, nostalgia, and joy
Presented by IU Health

Sunday, December 13, 2026
2 p.m. Family Matinee and
7 p.m. Full Concert

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Guest Conductor: Benjamin Firer

With St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, Michael Conley, Director

Celebrate the season with music that sparkles, soars, and brings us together. From the brilliance of choral masterworks to the charm of sleigh rides and beloved holiday classics, this festive program blends tradition, nostalgia, and joy.

The 2 p.m. Family Matinee will have a one-hour run time with no intermission. A musical instrument scavenger hunt for curious music lovers of all ages will follow the performance in the lobbies of the Payne & Mencias Palladium.

Repertoire:

• Randol Alan Bass – Gloria 
• Tchaikovsky – Selections from Nutcracker Suite
• Clement Moore  – ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas including a visit from Santa Claus
• Leroy Anderson – A Christmas Festival
• Alan Silvestri – Polar Express Suite
• John Williams – Holiday Songs from Home Alone
• Leroy Anderson – Sleigh Ride

2 p.m Matinee

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7 p.m. Concert

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Romance, longing, and devotion

February 13, 2027 – 7 p.m.

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Music Director/Conductor: David Commanday

An evening of unforgettable melody and passion. Bernstein’s sparkling Candide Overture opens the program, followed by Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 and Hanson’s sweeping “Romantic” Symphony—music that captures love in its most powerful forms.

Repertoire:

• Leonard Bernstein – Candide Overture
• Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2  featuring Guest Pianist, Anila Aliu
• Howard Hanson – Symphony No. 2, “Romantic”

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Art, light, and the unseen

Artwork by Nancy Noël, provided by Noël Studio

March 27, 2027 – 7 p.m.

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Guest Conductor: Mélisse Brunet

Music and visual art come together in a program of reflection and radiance. Antheil and Gould showcase the expressive power of strings, leading into Copland’s Appalachian Spring, paired with a multimedia presentation inspired by the luminous artwork of Nancy Noël.

Repertoire:

• George Antheil – Serenade for Strings
• Morton Gould – Spirituals for Strings
• Aaron Copland – Appalachian Spring featuring Artwork by Nancy Noël, provided by N.A. Noël Studio

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Legends of American song and stage

April 24, 2027 – 7 p.m.

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Music Director/Conductor: David Commanday

Celebrate the music that shaped America’s cultural voice. Gershwin’s vibrant rhythms and beloved songs lead to Bartók’s dazzling Concerto for Orchestra, a thrilling showcase of orchestral virtuosity and heroic spirit.

Repertoire:

• George Gershwin – Cuban Overture
• George Gershwin – Selections from Porgy and Bess
• Gershwin Song Suite featuring Guest Soprano, Angela Brown
  •  Summertime, My Man’s Gone Now, Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm
• Béla Bartók – Concerto for Orchestra

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