History
Susan Kitterman founded the Indianapolis Youth Orchestras in 1982. After helping start the orchestra program in the Carmel Clay school system, Ms. Kitterman left her job to start a family. However, she missed conducting her student ensembles, so she decided to get a group of her former students together to start a small, extracurricular musical ensemble. The group formed during the early fall of 1982 and began with eighteen students made up of string, recorder, and flute players. Rehearsals were held at the Carmel Friends Church, and their first concert was held at Second Presbyterian Church on Meridian Street. At this time, the purpose of the organization was simple: to be a place where kids who were serious about studying their instrument could get together with other kids like them that really wanted to play their instruments seriously in an ensemble. The goal was to rehearse and perform at the highest level possible.
The following year, the orchestra grew to about thirty students and kept building from there. By the 1984 season, the orchestra had a full wind section. Information about the organization spread mostly by word of mouth. Ms. Kitterman also publicized through private teachers. The group very quickly out grew the stage in the multipurpose room in the Carmel Friend's Church, which prompted a move to a new location. Ms. Kitterman decided to look for a location that was more centrally located, and rehearsals moved to North Methodist Church on 38th Street and Meridian.
As New World gained momentum, many string players, especially violinists, were expressing interest in joining the orchestra, but not all were ready to play in the ensemble. In order to provide a place for those who were not quite ready to play in New World, Ms. Kitterman decided to start a second orchestra. The Indianapolis Youth Orchestra was founded in 1992, a decade after the New World Chamber Orchestra began.
About the time the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra was founded, North Methodist Church was becoming more active and needed the space used for New World rehearsals more often. This prompted New World to find a new rehearsal location. For a couple of years, the organization struggled to find a home, rehearsing in venues such as the Athenaeum and the Indiana Landmarks Society downtown. In 1993, New World moved their office to Symphony Centre, and the Hilbert Circle Theatre became the primary rehearsal location as well as a performance venue for the organization. New World held its first performance at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in 1993, and still holds many of its concerts at this location.
By 1995, the organization had grown to over one hundred members, and the top orchestra changed its name to the New World Youth Symphony Orchestra, since it was no longer a chamber sized ensemble. In 2005, the organization expanded yet again to a third orchestra. The Debut Orchestra was founded for similar reasons as the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. There were many young string players who were playing very well, but if they were accepted into the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra, they would hold the ensemble back. In order to give these players an opportunity to perform in an ensemble New World began the Debut Orchestra. About this time, the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra was renamed the New World Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. About three years later, the Debut Orchestra was renamed the New World Youth Concert Orchestra. In 2020, the organization revealed a new name change: The Indianapolis Youth Orchestra.
