“…music appeals to the heart.”
–Dr. Robert Hargreaves
Immerse yourself in the soul-enriching power of music
Local and regional orchestras have long been a staple in improving the quality of life for communities. Now, to expand this impact and to unite more people through the power of music, Muncie Symphony and Marion Philharmonic—each with rich histories in their respective hometowns—have joined forces as Orchestra Indiana.
Offering bold, innovative concert experiences, Orchestra Indiana is your gateway to fall in love with the symphony experience. Don’t just hear the music—feel it. Immerse yourself completely in the soul-enriching, breathtaking, intoxicating power of music.
ORCHESTRA INDIANA MISSION STATEMENT
To redefine the orchestra experience.
ORCHESTRA INDIANA VISION STATEMENT
To unite the community through the power of music.
ORCHESTRA INDIANA HISTORY
Orchestra Indiana began in March 2022 when the Muncie Symphony Orchestra and Marion Philharmonic Orchestra merged into one organization. Both the MSO and MPO have rich histories in our region, and Orchestra Indiana is fortunate to continue their legacies.
The Muncie Symphony Orchestra began when Dr. Robert Hargreaves was hired by the Ball State Teachers College to lead the college’s music program in the 1940s. He thought Muncie needed an autonomous orchestra. Hargreaves led the first professional orchestra with two concerts in the spring of 1948. By January 1950, more than 50 musicians met and approved a constitution for the Muncie Civic and College Symphony Association. For more than 70 years, the Muncie Symphony Orchestra flourished thanks to a strong relationship with Ball State University, with BSU music faculty and talented music students making up a large portion of the orchestra.
The Marion Philharmonic was formed in 1969 under the direction of Benjamin G. Del Vecchio. The orchestra was comprised of students and local area musicians until it became a semi-professional ensemble within a five year period. Mr. Del Vecchio was an Indiana University doctoral student when he joined the music faculty at Taylor University. Little did he know founding an orchestra would become a major priority. With the assistance of Dr. Edward Hermanson of Taylor University and a group of committed Marion businessmen, the orchestra quickly became a passion of Del Vecchio and together they developed the MPO.
The musicians of Orchestra Indiana include musicians from both the former MSO and MPO. They are professors, students, and professional musicians who hail from east central Indiana, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Cincinnati. Many of our musicians also have “day jobs” as farmers, teachers, EMTs, and executive directors. All are passionate about bringing live orchestral music to you!
Yaniv Segal
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR
Yaniv Segal is a rising star “redefining classical music” (Esquire Magazine) and has found success since childhood as a versatile performer and artist. Beginning in 2025, he will serve as Artistic Director of Orchestra Indiana and Principal Conductor of the Muncie and Marion Symphonies. He is currently in his third season as Music Director of the Salina Symphony in Kansas and is on faculty at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, where he conducts the Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra. Yaniv is a former Assistant Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Naples Philharmonic and has worked with the New York Philharmonic, Yitzhak Perlman, the Beach Boys, and others.
He is the Musical Artistic Director and co-creator of American Patriots, a theatrical song cycle exploring patriotism and the lived American experience through diverse cultural perspectives. His commercial recordings include Beethoven Reimagined with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (NAXOS), Earthrise by Patrick Harlin, and Joy and Sorrow, featuring klezmer-inspired works. Yaniv also composed The Harmony Games, an educational orchestral piece performed over 50 times, and has written multiple large-scale works including New American Songs, Skychange, and Rite of Spring (Redux).
As a child, he sang at the Metropolitan Opera, toured with The Secret Garden, performed on television and in Lincoln Center productions, and recorded music across genres. He studied conducting and composition at the University of Michigan, where he was mentored by Kenneth Kiesler and Bright Sheng, and was a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow for New Americans.
Yaniv is a first-generation American raised in New York City by a Polish mother—one of the first women in the New York Philharmonic—and an Israeli father, a luthier who crafted the instruments the family plays.
Learn more at www.yanivsegal.com
CONDUCTORS – ORCHESTRA INDIANA
- Matthew Kraemer – 2022-2023
- Yaniv Segal – 2025-present
CONDUCTORS – MSO
- Dr. Robert Hargreaves – 1950 to 1982
- Leonard Atherton – 1982 to 2003
- Bridget-Michaele Reischl – 2004 to 2005
- Bohuslav Rattay – 2006 to 2013
- Douglas Droste – 2013 to 2020
- Matthew Kraemer – 2021-2022
CONDUCTORS – MPO
- Benjamin Del Vecchio – 1969-1975
- Robert Antonian – 1975-1978
- Manfred Blum – 1978-1982
- Raymond Harvey – 1982-1986
- Neil Gittleman – 1986-1996
- Alexander Platt – 1996-2018
- Matthew Kraemer – 2018-2022