Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Stravinsky x Kendrick Lamar

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Stravinsky x Kendrick Lamar at Hilbert Circle Theatre

Stravinsky and Kendrick Lamar sound like separate musical worlds until a concert sets them in conversation. On February 10, 2027, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra brings Stravinsky x Kendrick Lamar to Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis, and the idea is bold: a single evening where orchestral ballet music and hip-hop songwriting share one story. It's part of the ISO's Uncharted series, and the name fits.

The design is what sets this night apart. Steve Hackman, the announced conductor and creator, built this SYMPHONYFUSE production by joining Stravinsky's Petrushka with Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN.in their original sequential order. Nothing is shuffled into a greatest-hits blur. You get two complete works, linked scene to song. Petrushka follows puppets who feel human emotions. DAMN.wrestles with who we are and what it means to be alive. Put them side by side and the parallels start to surface.

That's the real thrill here: curiosity turned into experience. The production draws on identity, human experience and a show-within-a-show structure, so you may catch yourself hearing familiar songs in a new light, or an early-twentieth-century score with fresh ears. Kendrick Lamar is not announced as a live performer, so come for the concept and the music itself. Wednesday at 7:30 PM, in the heart of Indianapolis, this is the kind of concert people mention for years. Reserve your seats for Stravinsky x Kendrick Lamar at Hilbert Circle Theatre and be in the room when two worlds meet.