One could say that David Bowden has taken a stage name.
The music and artistic director whose leadership has been synonymous with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic since its inception in 1987, has been given a noteworthy honor by the city’s professional ensemble.
The nonprofit organization’s leaders announced at its virtual, annual meeting Monday at Helen Haddad Hall in downtown Columbus that they were naming the stage in Bowden’s honor. Philharmonic board president Barry Turner made a brief presentation that was a surprise to the orchestra’s only musical leader in its history as it launches its 34th season.
Turner saluted Bowden for his talent and leadership with everything from budgeting to booking artists.
Plus, especially in recent years, Bowden has filled in as an interim executive director, marketing director, fundraiser, you name it — all while still carrying out his other duties, and also leading the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra.
Moreover, especially in recent years, along with Philharmonic Education Director Vanessa Edwards, he has been perhaps the orchestra’s most pointed and vocal advocate for music education and its impact especially on young students. He has detailed studies and stats before a range of area groups and organizations, and has long said that the public needs to see that the Philharmonic is about far more than presenting concerts and cabarets.
“And you should also know that he was instrumental in making this space what it is today,” Turner said.
In fact, the 66-year-old Bowden was a key to everything from the just-opened $2.5 million structure’s overall planning to details such as building’s acoustics and the balance between sound for speaking and sound for music.
“This is a huge honor,” Bowden said after the gathering. “And it’s not something I had even thought of.
“It’s such a privilege to work with an organization who works to make music in this community. And that’s what will happen from this stage.”
Sunday, the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, a beloved ensemble of building namesake Haddad, will stage its first 30-person strings rehearsal in the hall with musicians distanced and safely spread across the audience floor space, according to Bowden.
“The thing that really turns my crank, and the thing which really motivated Helen about this building, is that it’s a wonderful space for children to make music,” Bowden said.
He mentioned that parents of youth orchestra members recently got their first up-close look inside the hall.
“They were literally astonished,” Bowden said. “They were saying, ‘Oh my goodness.’ Some of them were almost speechless.”
Bowden was nearly that way about his honor.
“I am deeply moved,” he said.
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Philharmonic artistic director David Bowden said after the orchestra’s virtual annual meeting on Monday that he expects his nearly 80-member orchestra won’t be able to safely and effectively rehearse as an ensemble amid COVID-19 until sometime after the first of the year at the earliest.
So the professional ensemble will continue changes to its season schedule at least until then, he said. The idea: to adjust while continuing live musical performances.
Besides the outdoor Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra for the Sept. 19 opener at the Bartholomew County Public Library plaza, the schedule now includes:
- 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 — Music from "Downton Abbey," featuring an approximately 20-member chamber orchestra of Philharmonic musicians at a location to be announced soon.
- 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 — "Comfort and Joy," at First Christian Church, featuring its heralded organ and a brass ensemble with oboe and strings for a full group of 23 musicians.
- 3 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 — "Candlelit Christmas," with location and more details coming.
Information and tickets: 812-376-2638 or thecip.org
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For more coverage of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s annual meeting, see Page A3.
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