The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amassed one of the world's most extensive musical collections.
Carmel is a suburban city in Indiana immediately north of Indianapolis. With a population of 99,757, the city spans 49 square miles (130 km2) across Clay Township in Hamilton County, Indiana, and is bordered by the White River to the east; the Hamilton-Boone county line to the west; 96th Street to the south and 146th Street to the north. Though Carmel was home to one of the first electronic automated traffic signals in the state, the city has constructed 140 roundabouts since 1998, earning its moniker as the "Roundabout Capital of the U.S."
The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represents and maintains the heritage and legacy of a spectrum of the most beloved English language songs from the world's popular music songbook. It not only celebrates these established songwriters, but is also involved in the development of new English language songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. There are many programs designed to teach and discover new English language songwriters. Nile Rodgers serves as the organization's chairman.
Melissa Manchester is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been carried by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage.
David Nathaniel Baker Jr. was an American jazz composer, conductor, and musician from Indianapolis, as well as a professor of jazz studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Baker is best known as an educator and founder of the jazz studies program. From 1991 to 2012, he was conductor and musical and artistic director for the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. He has more than 65 recordings, 70 books, and 400 articles to his credit.
Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty is an American Christian music singer, known for her wide soprano vocal range and expressive flexibility.
The Great American Songbook is the loosely defined canon of significant early-20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes.
Sylvia McNair is an American opera singer and classical recitalist who has also achieved notable success in the Broadway and cabaret genres. McNair, a soprano, has made several critically acclaimed recordings and has won two Grammy Awards.
The American Swedish Institute (ASI) is a museum and cultural center in the Phillips West neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The organization is dedicated to the preservation and study of the historic role Sweden and Swedish Americans have played in US culture and history. The museum complex includes the Swan Turnblad Mansion, completed in 1908, and the adjoining Nelson Cultural Center, completed in 2012.
Michael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of and an anthropologist and archivist for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs. Feinstein is also a multi-platinum-selling, five-time Grammy-nominated recording artist. He currently serves as Artistic Director for The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana.
Hy Zaret was an American Tin Pan Alley lyricist and composer who wrote the lyrics of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody," one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.
Jeff Harnar is an American cabaret singer and recording artist.
Michael Cavanaugh is an American actor and musician most famous for playing the piano and providing lead vocals in the band for the Broadway musical Movin' Out. Cavanaugh was handpicked by Billy Joel for this musical and appeared in the show for three years and over 1300 performances.
New World Youth Orchestras is an organization in Indianapolis, Indiana that exists "to develop the musical talent and nurture the personal growth of young people in Indianapolis and central Indiana through the rehearsal and performance of orchestral masterworks, both traditional and contemporary." The New World Youth Orchestras was founded by Susan Kitterman in 1982 and currently consists of three separate orchestras:
Marilyn Maye McLaughlin is an American jazz singer, cabaret singer, and musical theater actress. She began her career as a young child, performing in Kansas in concerts and on the radio. After graduating from high school, she moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she drew the attention of Steve Allen, performing first on The Steve Allen Show and then The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She is the most frequently heard singer on the program, having appeared 76 times.
The Carmel Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Carmel, Indiana. In February 2011, the Carmel Symphony became the resident orchestra of the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.
The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts is 1,600-seat, 151,000-square-foot (14,000 m2) concert hall located in Carmel, Indiana.
The American Pianists Association is a performing arts organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, that holds two national, quadrennial piano competitions in alternating 2-year cycles: the Classical Fellowship Awards and the Jazz Fellowship Awards. Only American citizens ages 18–30 are eligible to compete. The organization hosts a recital series in non-competition years. The Fellowship Awards are among the most lucrative piano prizes in the world, valued at over $100,000.
Steven Libman is a nationally recognized performing arts executive known for leading major orchestra, dance and theatre companies and performing arts centers with an emphasis on classical music and jazz. His career spans more than three decades and he has previously served as the Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer for the Pittsburgh Ballet, La Jolla Playhouse and The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts. He has also served as the chief advancement officer for the Atlanta Ballet. He is also an author, public speaker and was the co-host and co-founder of "The Voice of the Performing Arts," a weekly public radio show devoted to the importance of arts education. Currently, Libman is the President & Chief Executive Officer for the Jacksonville Symphony and the president of The Libman Group, a consulting firm that works exclusively in the performing and visual arts arena.
