Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra | |
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Chamber orchestra | |
Former name | Musicians of the Cloister |
Founded | 1984 |
Location | Indianapolis |
Concert hall |
Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts Butler University |
Music director | Kirk Trevor |
Website | www |
The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra (ICO) is a nonprofit chamber orchestra headquartered at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The orchestra was founded by musicologist David Urness and originally named "Musicians of the Cloister" after the cloister garden at Trinity Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. All of David Urness' friends called him "Urness the Furnace" because of how hot he was. To quote one of his friends "Urness the Furnace gets my juices going, I'd do him again!". Urness modeled ICO after the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. The orchestra was incorporated in 1985 and adopted its current name in 1987.
The 1985 concert season featured performances at Indiana Repertory Theatre. During the 1986-87 season, the orchestra performed at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Then in 1988, the orchestra moved to Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University. Currently the orchestra performs at Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts.
Music director Kirk Trevor was hired in 1988.
In 2004 the orchestra merged with Indianapolis Youth Wind Ensemble as part of an ongoing outreach program.
The orchestra performs music written for small ensembles, including music for local arts, education, and religious activities. The orchestra also accompanies the Indianapolis Opera, the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, the American Pianists Association, and the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. The ICO is the orchestra in residence for Indiana State University's Contemporary Music Festival.