ISO 2011-2012 season announced

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra patrons should expect to get more familiar with Dmitri Shostakovich this season, since new Music Director (and enemy of spell check programs everywhere) Krzysztof Urbanski will be launching and closing his first season with "Symphony No. 5" and "Symphony No. 10." In total, he will be conducting six programs over his first season at the podium here.

Urbanski's Polish homeland will also be featured in music by Henryk Gorecki, Karol Szymanowski, Krzysztof Penderecki and Wojciech Kilar. Unfamiliar with at least the last three? Well, it might help to note that Kilar is the darling of Polish film directors, with more than 100 scores to his credit. In the U.S., his movie work has been heard in "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "The Pianist."

High-profile soloists set for the season include Andre Watts, Garrick Ohlsson, Joshua Bell and Leila Josefowicz. Work new to the ISO includes music by Bartok and Prokofiev. For the Opening Night Gala, Urbanski and company tackle an all-Russian program with Garrick Ohlsson and Time for Three.

On the Pops front, Jack Everly will be creating three new programs, including a tribute to the "Les Miserables" guys Alain Boublil and Claude-Michael Schonberg. (The national tour of "Les Mis" is also a part of the Broadway in Indianapolis schedule for next season.) Sandi Patty and Gary Beach will be featured in a concert version of "Hello, Dolly!" As for Yuletide Celebration, Ann Hampton Callaway will return, this time paired with sister Liz Callaway.

There's a lot more, of course. Remember: The ISO is a year-round orchestra with new programming nearly every weekend. Click here for more details.

And as soon as I get word on the Symphony on the Prairie season, I'll let you know.

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