INDIANAPOLIS – Join the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for their final “Into the Music” concert on Thursday, June 12, featuring the music of Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz.
This concert will feature a lively discussion followed by a performance, with full orchestra, of Symphonie fantastique. Joining Maestro Märkl for the on-stage discussion will be Ryan Ahlwardt, who serves as co-host of Indy Now on FOX59. The bar will be open and after the concert for drink purchases and there will be a meet and greet with the conductor and musicians in the lobby at the end.
At this concert, learn more about the artist’s self-destructive passion for a beautiful woman and his descent into madness. The music depicts Berlioz’s drug-induced visions ranging from a ball and a scene in the countryside to a march to the scaffold and a witches’ sabbath.
Reserve free tickets here. “Into the Music” performances are offered free of charge; patrons are encouraged to pay what they wish to support the ISO.
Whether you’re a classical beginner or a longtime enthusiast, “Into the Music” offers an intimate look at a classical work in a relaxed, accessible setting. Joined by the orchestra, Maestro Märkl and Ryan Ahlwardt will discuss each musical work and its composer onstage, providing background information. The orchestra will perform excerpts that demonstrate the discussion topics, exploring the elements that make great music. Following the discussion, Maestro Märkl will conduct the orchestra performing the highlighted work. The length of each performance will vary from 60 to 75 minutes.
“‘Into the Music’ is a wonderful opportunity to connect with classical music and learn more about some of the greatest pieces written for orchestra,” said Maestro Märkl. “The ISO invites our community to join us for an informative discussion in a casual setting. Relax, enjoy, and come back for the full performance on Friday or Saturday!”
Ryan Ahlwardt has been a featured guest on many network TV shows and two national PBS specials, and has also served as a radio host in Indianapolis. An avid musician, Ahlwardt is an alumnus of the world-renowned vocal group Straight No Chaser, and his voice, arrangement,s and original songs are featured on the group’s albums.
“I’m incredibly excited to be part of ‘Into the Music’ and honored to be working with Maestro Märkl. The ISO is a significant part of Indianapolis culture. I’m eager to spread the word and help our community find ways to connect through classical music,” said Ahlwardt.
Know before you go:
“Into the Music” is offered free to the public. Patrons are encouraged to pay what they wish to support the ISO. Each concert will run between 60 and 75 minutes, with no intermission. Ticket holders for “Into the Music” will be offered a 50% discount to attend the full IU Health Classical Series concert featuring the highlighted music.
About Jun Märkl
Jun Märkl became the eighth Music Director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in September 2024, having previously served as the ISO’s Artistic Advisor from 2021 to 2024. This new appointment celebrates the culmination of Mr. Märkl’s nearly 25-year-long collaboration with the ISO. Märkl currently serves as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, as Principal Guest Conductor of the Oregon Symphony, and was recently named Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orkest in The Hague beginning with the 2025–26 season. Maestro Märkl is a highly respected interpreter of both symphonic and operatic Germanic repertoire, and for his idiomatic explorations of the French impressionists. His long-standing relationships with the great opera houses and orchestras of Europe have been highlighted by his leadership as General Music Director of the National Theater Mannheim (1994–2000), and as Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lyon (2005–11), the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig (2007–2012) and the Basque National Orchestra (2014–17). He has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony, the Munich Philharmonic, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Orchestre de Paris in Europe, the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Montreal Symphony in North America, the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, and the Sydney Symphony and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia among many others. Born in Munich, Märkl’s father was a distinguished concertmaster, and his mother a solo pianist. Jun Märkl studied at the Musikhochschule in Hannover, with Sergiu Celibidache in Munich and Gustav Meier in Michigan. In 1986, he won the conducting competition of the Deutsche Musikrat, and a year later, he received a scholarship from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to study at Tanglewood with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Entirely dedicated to working with young musician,s he has acted as Principal Conductor at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, he teaches as a Guest Professor at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo, and is a regular guest conductor at the Aspen Music Festival, Colorado.
