JAVS Fall 2003

MEET. THE SECTlON

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra viola section july 2003 pictured left to right Terry Langdon, Stephanie jong, Ruth Critchley Boerner, Marjorie Rupp, Beverly Scott, Michael Isaac Strauss, Eva Lieberman, Amy Kniffen (Nancy Agres not pictttred) Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Violas! and by 1937 two major changes were in place. Fabien Sevirzky, nephew of famed Boston

complement of that early group was 10-10-4-6-4, and that early viola section included Sam Kaplan, Mrs. William H. Fox, Maurice Fiscus and Noble G. Smith. For seven years under Schaefer's leadership, these industrious musicians performed between five and eight classical concertS per season, often sharing the income earned from ticket sales as payment for thei r artistry. A management structure was formed and a board of directors was elected to put the orchestra on a more stable foundation,

Symphony Orchestra maestro Serge Koussevitzky, was hired as the orchestra's second music director and a formal contract agreement was executed between management and musicians call ing for a 20-week season with set pay per week. During Schaefer's era, the size of the orchestra, including its viola sec tion had consisten tly increased in size and skill unti l it reached 80 musicians with a string com plement of 14- 11 -8-9-8.

byThomas N.Akins, Director ofArchives, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Like many of irs peers, the city of Indianapolis saw several attempts to form an on-going symphony orchestra before success was achieved. On November 2, 1930, Ferdinand Schaefer led 59 carefully chosen musicians through a per formance ofmusic by Mendelssohn, Wagner and Grieg, and the mold was set. The string

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