JAVS Fall 2003

including Zanis Dumpis (34, including 14 as associate princi pal), Ruth Boerner (33*), Rosemary Rader (32), Marjorie Rupp (29*), Terry Langdon (24*, including 22 as associate princi pal), Robert Bennett (22), Richard Grymonpre (22, including two as principal), Eva Lieberman (22*), Arthur Grunst (20), Grisha Markosov (20) and Beverly Scott (20*). The asterisk indicates a cur rent member of the section. However, the best story of staying power belongs to Ruth Thrasher, who played in the orchestra for 37 years. From her base of operations in the viola section, Ruth also served as second harp, second key board (usually celeste) and, on occasion, fourth trumpet (!). If not a woman for all seasons, "Maysie" was certainly one for many instru ments. For the 1981-82 season the viola section of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra was increased to ten, a size that has remained constant to this day. Currently, there are nine incum bents plus an opening for associate principal. Auditions will be held during the 2003-2004 season. Michael Isaac Strauss, Principal Viola, joined the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1994. He has performed with the Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras, and has held principal viola positions with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia and Orchestra 2001. He attended the Curtis Institute as

an undergraduate, and has won sev eral prizes including, First Prize at the Women's Association of the Minnesota Orchestra Competition, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Cinnamon Award, a South Carolina Artist Fellowship Award, the 1997 Lionel Terris International Viola Competition Ealing String Prize and a 2002 Indiana Arts Commission Individual Artist grant. As soloist, he made his debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in 1993, and he has recorded the Jennifer Higdon Viola Sonata and the Viola Concerto by David Pinko. As a chamber musi cian, his most recent recordings are the complete viola quintets of Mozart with the Fine Arts Quattet, released in July 2002 on the Lyrinx label. He has been heard in broad casts collaborating with Yefim Bronfinan, Lynn Harrell, Joseph Silverstein and Schlomo Mintz. He is a former member of the Fine Arts Quattet, and regularly appears at the Linton Chamber Music Series in Cincinnati, the Suzuki & Friends in Indianapolis, and is the newest addi tion to the faculty at Butler University holding the position of Artist-in-Residence. Michael is an avid sports fan (Go Pacers!) and loves to cook. His wife, cellist Cathleen Partlow Strauss, is Director of Public Relations for the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and they have two chil dren, Jacob and Dana, who also love sports and music. Michael plays a Matteo Albani viola from Balzano, Italy in 1704.

National radio broadcasts, RCA Victor recordings and cross-coun try tours became a regular part of the orchestra's activity and brought Sevitzky's ISO national acclaim. Later Music Directors have includ ed lzler Solomon (1956-75), John Nelson (1976-87), Raymond Leppard (1987-2001) and, since 2002, Mario Venzago. No fewer than 18 musicians have held the post of Principal Viola since the orchestra went fully pro fessional in 1937. They have included Jules Salkin (1937-42), Harriet Payne (1942-43, one of the first female principals in any American orchestra), William Thompson (1943), Harold Sorin (1943-50), Herbert Congdon (1950-1951), Ferdinanda Cortelini (1951-1962), Armand Baker (1962-63), David Jackson (1963 64), Ascher Temkin (1964-66), Hugh Partridge (1966-1970), Marc Hurwitz (1972-73), Jean Harris (1973-75), Eiji Ikeda (1975-79), Richard Grymonpre (1980-82), Darrel Barnes (1983-93) and cur rent Principal Michael Isaac Strauss since November 1994. Associate Principal John Pruett held the fort during the 1979-80 season, as did Terry Langdon during 1982-83 and again in 1993-94. While it might seem that the prin cipal chair has been something of a revolving door, seats in the section have often been occupied by long timers. A dozen musicians have served 20 or more seasons in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Jeanneret (1970-71), Gary Logsdon (1971-72), Ronald

Beverly Scott, Acting Associate Principal, was born in Greensboro,

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