Symphony Attendance Tops 100,000 Again

September 9, 2011

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra announced today that attendance topped the 100,000 mark for the third consecutive season this summer for its Marsh Symphony on the Prairie outdoor concert series. Official attendance was 100,346 for 26 concerts over an 11-week period, marking only the fourth time in the Series’ 30-year history to reach the 100,000-person milestone. The all-time attendance record is 113,895 people, which was set in 2010.

Notable attendance marks and other highlights this summer included:

The top two all-time largest non-July 4 concert weekends featuring the ISO with 15,411 people attending three concerts featuring Classical Mystery Tour performing a tribute to The Beatles and Michael Cavanaugh performing the Music of Billy Joel and Elton John, with 14,555 people in attendance.
The July 4 weekend attracted 24,774 people, which is the seventh largest crowd for the series.

Artistic highlights included the debuts of Grammy Award winner Lee Ann Womack, 1980s pop/rock star Christopher Cross and legendary folk music icon Arlo Guthrie as well as superb classical performances by young pianists Grace Fong (2009 APA Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow) and 15-year-old Jiwon Park (2011 ISO Michael Ben and Illene Komisarow Maurer Young Musicians Contest winner).

Other popular and successful concert weekends included a Sinatra tribute featuring vocalist Steve Lippia, the return of the legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra and a Labor Day weekend of jazz and swing music with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy that concluded the summer with a spectacular fireworks finale each night.

A special 80th birthday celebration for Marsh Supermarkets that included the Classical Mystery Tour dedicating their performance of “Today Is Your Birthday” on stage to mark the occasion and Marsh distributing thousands of free cupcakes and Blue Bell ice cream samples to the audience.

“We are delighted that so many people have again chosen to make the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra part of their summer this year,” said Simon Crookall, President and CEO of the ISO. “Marsh Symphony on the Prairie offers an opportunity for everyone to enjoy a great range of concerts in a casual atmosphere with affordable ticket prices.”

Since its inception in 1982, the Marsh Symphony on the Prairie series has grown from humble beginnings with 25,000 people attending eight concerts to become one of Indiana’s favorite family summertime traditions with a full summer of concert weekends suitable for audiences of all ages. Over the past three decades the Marsh Symphony on the Prairie Series has provided music lovers with a casual, comfortable and accessible concert experience with opportunities to bring food and drink and picnic in the natural grass amphitheater while enjoying great music under the stars. Marsh Supermarkets has served as Title Sponsor of the Marsh Symphony on the Prairie series every year since it began in 1982 and St.Vincent Health was the Premiere Sponsor this summer.

Source: Symphony Orchestra