Abels: One of the Finest

Abels Global Warm Indianapolis Sym logo 1

On February 9, the Indianapolis Symphony performs Michael Abels’ orchestral work Global Warming. Chelsea Tipton II conducts the ensemble as part of the symphony’s Black History Month celebration. Written around the time of the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War era, Global Warming was commissioned and premiered by the Phoenix Youth Symphony in 1991.

Abels Global Wam Chelsea Tipton 2
Chelsea Tipton; courtesy: chelseatipton.com

“Michael Abels is one of the finest composers on the scene,” Tipton shares, “and I really love performing his music. The rhythmic layers, use of a blending of themes and melting together of cultures — such as the case for Global Warming — make his music exciting to play. The reason that I like to program Global Warming on concerts is that it has a message that culture should be worldwide and to be open to other lands and people. I love the Abels Global Warm scoremulticultural musical flavors that he combines in this work. We certainly need this message during these days in our country.”

More Global Warming news: next month, Eckart Preu conducts two performances with the Spokane Symphony on March 19 and 20.