Bridging the gulf between rock n’ roll and classical music, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra performs The Music of Pink Floyd in downtown Indianapolis at TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park on Friday, September 8, 2023. Amplified by a full rock band and accompanied by vocalist Randy Jackson (lead singer of the rock band Zebra), creator Brent Havens guest conducts the ensemble as they capture Pink Floyd’s ethereal flow of music and effects while churning out new musical colors. The show features The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety plus Pink Floyd’s greatest hits, including music from The Wall, selections from A Momentary Lapse of Reason and Wish You Were Here, plus a sing-along with the audience.
TICKETS: Fans can gain early access to tickets through the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra pre-sale beginning Wednesday, June 21 at 10 a.m. through Thursday, June 22 at 10 p.m. Visit the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 23 at 10 a.m. at livenation.com.
“My concept for The Music of Pink Floyd was to take the music as close to the originals as we could and then add some colors to enhance what the original group had done,” says Havens. “The wonderful thing with an orchestra is that you have an entire palette to call upon. The band is reproducing what Pink Floyd did on the albums, as closely as possible, and then having an orchestra behind the band gives the music a richness, a whole different feel, a whole different sense of depth.
The symphonic rock hybrid has met with approval on both sides of the podium.
“When we first came on stage, the audience gave us polite, almost classical applause,” says Havens. “Then we hit the first note and they realized it was a rock show.”
Classical musicians also enjoy the change of pace. “This is music that these musicians grew up with just as we did,” says Havens. “I see them singing along with a number of the songs as we’re playing them.”