Andrew Downs has been selected to conduct the Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) for The Nutcracker performance being presented by the Indiana Ballet Conservatory for four performances at the Payne & Mencias Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts. Both show dates – Saturday, November 29th and Sunday, November 30 – will  each include matinee and evening performances. This production is a traditional favorite for many families to launch into the holiday season.

“I am so incredibly excited for our production of Nutcracker! I’m honored to share the production with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and Indiana Ballet Conservatory on Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece. I’ve performed at the Moscow Conservatory’s concert hall where many of Tchaikovsky’s works were premiered including his fourth symphony. Being in the space that Tchaikovsky himself would’ve heard his own music will always send a shiver down my spine. The Nutcracker is an incredible show that houses a captivating story told by sublime music. It’s my greatest privilege to be able to share this remarkable work with all of you!” said Conductor Downs.

About Andrew Downs:
A native of New Orleans, LA, conductor Andrew Downs has been praised for his rigorous commitment to bringing opera and symphonic music to life. Downs has performed on many of the world stages including the Mariinsky Theater in St Petersburg and Royal Albert Hall in London. He has served as an associate conductor for the Cabrillo Festival, assistant conductor and pianist for the Sarasota Opera, conducting fellow with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and assistant conductor and coach for the Indiana University Opera and Ballet Theater.

His unbridled commitment to bring music into the lives of young people began with his work as music director of Reimagining Opera for Kids, an organization whose aim was to bring meaningful lessons and exposure to music through newly commissioned operas. In his work with the New Music Ensemble at Indiana University, Downs premiered numerous newly commissioned works from living composers.

Musically, Downs is Indiana homegrown. He completed all his training at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He studied conducting with Arthur Fagen, Thomas Wilkins, David Neely, Jeffrey Meyer, and David Dzubay; double bass with Bruce Bransby and Jeffrey Turner; piano with Gregory Sioles, Jean Louis Haguenauer, and David Cartledge; and harpsichord with Hsuan Chang-Kitano. Downs is indebted to his mentors and expresses immense love and gratitude for them.