This season, the orchestra will be performing a repertoire they have never performed before. Bodony said that is rare for a community orchestra because they usually recycle pieces in a five- to six-year cycle.
“We’re sort of pushing ourselves artistically, taking the next step forward,” Bodony said.
The orchestra will perform a concert called “Redemption” Oct. 25 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The concert features “Death and Transfiguration” by Richard Strauss and “Capriccio Espagnol” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Executive Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Donna Lafferty said Bodony created a well-balanced repertoire.
“He did a very good job picking the music,” Lafferty said.
Bodony received his master’s degree in trombone performance at IU. He has been the artistic director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra since 2014 and, in addition to his work in Bloomington, he is the executive director of Indiana’s New World Youth Orchestra and an assistant conductor with the Missouri Symphony Orchestra.
Bodony said the orchestra is implementing new ways to connect with the audience. He said he chose the piece “Death and Transfiguration” because it will stretch the orchestra. He said it is a work the orchestra has never performed before.
The piece is a musical poem about someone who is dying and looking back on his life, Bodony said.
Lafferty, who plays trombone in the orchestra, said the piece is challenging and moving.
“I can’t get through it without crying,” Lafferty said.
For “Death and Transfiguration,” the orchestra worked with musicologists at the Jacobs School of Music to create a multimedia presentation that will be displayed as the orchestra performs the piece. The presentation will guide the audience through the music, and Bodony said he hopes the addition will enhance their experience.
Lafferty said the presentation will allow the audience to have a better understanding of the music.
“It makes people aware of the music as it’s going on,” Lafferty said.
Another highlight of the program is “Capriccio Espagnol,” Bodony said. He said he chose the piece because it highlights the strong wind and string players in the orchestra.
“Capriccio Espagnol” is a lively piece with Spanish influence, which provides a much different mood from the dark piece “Death and Transfiguration,” Bodony said.
“It’s a very joyous, dance-like piece, which is a great contrast to ‘Death and Transfiguration,’” Bodony said.
The piece also has a visual element. A flamenco dance troupe will perform as the orchestra plays.
Bodony said he believes the addition of the visuals will create a wider appeal for the classical music.
“What we’re trying to do is find the small but meaningful partnerships with different disciplines, which will help expand our audience,” Bodony said.
Although Bodony has only been with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra for about a year, he said it has been an enjoyable experience.
Many of the members have been in the orchestra longer than he has been alive, and they have had many other conductors throughout the years, but they have been very welcoming, Bodony said.
“I can feel that they trust me, which I appreciate,” he said.
Every director is different, Lafferty said, and Bodony brings a more serious perspective to the orchestra.
Viola player Marianne Ritter said she has been in the group for about five years, and she appreciates how the group has grown in various ways since Bodony became the artistic director.
“It’s fun to see this group change with a different person,” Ritter said.
Bodony said leading the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra is an excellent opportunity to have early in his career as a musician.
“For me, as an aspiring conductor, to have the experience of leading my own orchestra, that’s fantastic,” Bodony said.
