The Athenaeum Pops Orchestra
The original Athenaeum Orchestra was organized as a zither ensemble in the 1870’s. About 1875 Emil Wulschner organized the groupas an orchestra first known as The Musicverein. All the members were the finest German musicians in the city and spoke only German. From 1897 to 1918 this group was considered the finest orchestra in Indianapolis. Due to anti-German sentiment, the Musicverein was disbanded in 1918. In 1930 when the Indianapolis Symphony was organized, several members of the old Musicverein became its charter members. Constantine G. Borshoff organized the Athenaeum Turners Orchestra in 1940. Former conductors of the Turners Orchestra include David W. Hughes, Jackson Whiley, Edward Staubach and Dr. Charles Conrad. The orchestra was reorganized in 1995 as the Athenaeum Pops Orchestra under the direction of Benjamin Winkler. It was later conducted by Richard Marcus, Peter Heins, Richard Moon and José Valencia. The Orchestra is currently under the direction of Dr. Lee H. Jones.
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