Classical Music Indy continues creative outreach in Indy this month with the year’s first of a series of Classical Pairings. The organization forges alliances with the community to dispel the stereotypes of what and where classical performance can be. The Pairings series uses fun and atypical locales to foster a relaxed listening experience in a comfortable atmosphere. On Sunday, the 29th of January, the first event of the series will be at SoChatti in the sprawling Circle City Industrial Complex in the Brookside area of the Near East Side.
This concert will feature the gifted soprano soloist Chloe Boelter accompanied by Meghan Barsch on piano. The performer Boetler hand-selected offerings from the wine and chocolate menus at SoChatti to be paired with opera arias and art songs for the event. Nick Johnson of Classical Music Indy, the series emcee, will interview the musicians and the chocolate shop manager to discuss art, the creative process, and the edible pairings showcased.
Johnson stresses that he invites audience participation and feedback about the tastes and sounds and if they are indeed a good match. The performers are also mingling, of course, as attendees sip. Johnson hopes for a relaxed feel with these events and their discussions, scheduling them to be under an hour rather than an entire opera or concert hall programming timeline. It is also slated for an earlier time of day.
The pianist for the event keeps busy; an adjunct professor and staff pianist at Butler University, Barsch is also the musical director at Franklin Central Christian Church. She also is a co-founder of a piano duo committed to performing American composers’ works and an instructor at the Make a Joyful Noise Studio.
Chloe Boetler is herself a Butler graduate and received acknowledgments twice from The Metropolitan Opera by way of their Encouragement Award recognizing young singers of talent. Her other accomplishments include performing internationally as a soloist and also in Indiana with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Yuletide Celebration with the ISO, Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, and Christ Church Cathedral. Their concert program will be presented at the event.
SoChatti is a dairy, nut, soy, and gluten-free chocolate factory that has been named by Yelp! to be the best chocolatier in Indiana. They pride themselves on responsible sourcing of ingredients and single-source growers for a more clarified flavor profile and what they describe as “a smooth, glossy liquid chocolate.”
The company has a fascinating backstory as a group of friends led by founder Matt Rubin in a back room kitchen at the JCC have developed into innovators of 40-plus patents for food and beverage production over five years. Their tasting room at the CCIC will surely be a pleasant venue for this event with its natural lighting and modern design.
This first of 2023’s quarterly event, Classical Pairings Live, promises an afternoon of inspiring moments of many senses, so look if it sounds as tempting to you as it does me.
