The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra is launching its 84th season with a milestone celebration: Maestro Kirk Muspratt’s 25th year leading the Symphony.
Maestro Muspratt’s first official concert with the Symphony, following his debut two years earlier during a conductor search, took place in a sheep barn as part of an outdoor summer concert series. Reflecting on that early performance, he recalled, “It was a blast. The audience was really warm and the orchestra played really terrifically.” Since then, Muspratt has conducted both full regular seasons and free summer concerts every year of his tenure.
His musical journey began in Crowsnest Pass, a small mining town in Alberta, Canada, with a population of just 2,000. Like most children in the town, he was introduced to music early. After high school he was accepted at Julliard School. He later studied piano in St. Louis and New York with Harold Zabrack before studying in the bachelor’s and master’s programs at Temple University under Adele Marcus and Alexander Fiorillo. Muspratt first became interested in conducting as a new form of artistic expression. “Then you find you have a real knack for it, and you really like it,” he said. He went on to study conducting at the Vienna Conservatory of Music. He held conducting roles in Germany, St. Louis, Utah, and Pittsburgh under the renowned Lorin Maazel, and had a summer apprenticeship with Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood.
“Northwest Indiana has been my artistic home for the past 25 seasons,” said Maestro Muspratt. “From my humble start performing in a sheep barn in Newton County, I thank you for welcoming this Canadian musician into your lives, and I hope that I have contributed something of quality, beauty, and joy to yours.”
Over the past 24 seasons, Muspratt has introduced several beloved initiatives. These include a children's solo competition, which regularly features young performers in Symphony concerts, and the founding of the South Shore Summer Music Festival bringing free symphonic music to communities across the region. To further engage audiences, he introduced the Just Ask Kirk™ question cards, Cookies with Kirk post-concert receptions, and the whimsical Kirkature™ cartoon series all built around his belief that symphonic music should be for everyone.
“For 25 wonderful years, Maestro Kirk Muspratt has worked tirelessly to bring his vast array of musical talent to the thousands of faithful symphony fans throughout the Region," said Dave Ryan, President of the Symphony Board of Directors. "We are blessed to have this former hockey player directing our professional symphony orchestra, and we eagerly await the next 25 years!”
Muspratt’s contributions have been widely recognized. He received the 2020 Programming of the Year and 2018 Conductor of the Year awards from the Illinois Council of Orchestras, and was named “Chicagoan of the Year” in classical music by the Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein and staff.
In addition to his role in Northwest Indiana, Muspratt serves as Music Director of the New Philharmonic in DuPage, Illinois, and as Artistic Director of the New Philharmonic Opera Theatre. He is also an active guest conductor, educator, and competition judge across Chicagoland. He became a citizen of the United States in November 2010.
This spring, the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters during its Spring Convocation. “Kirk Muspratt is remarkable for his unwavering commitment to make classical music accessible and enjoyable for all people,” said ULethbridge Chancellor Terry Whitehead (BA ‘94). “His unique approach breaks barriers and invites people, especially younger audiences, into the classical world, entertaining and educating all at once. He is richly deserving of an honorary degree.”
To mark the 25th anniversary season, the Northwest Indiana Symphony will open with an Italian-themed concert featuring some of Muspratt’s favorite works. Later in the year, he will host a special Sunday afternoon Spotlight Series event, sharing humorous and heartfelt stories about his life—from his roots in small-town Canada to his global musical adventures. Tickets for the upcoming season can be purchased at www.nisorchestra.org.
The celebration began earlier this year with a special party on May 1, featuring performances by longtime Symphony musicians and guest vocalists. The evening also included the unveiling of a new South Shore Line travel poster by artist John Rush, sponsored by Mechanical Concepts, Inc. Part of the Along the South Shore Line series, the poster celebrates Maestro Muspratt and the Symphony and will be featured in the new season's marketing. These iconic poster designs, inspired by vintage posters originally displayed in train stations, continue to promote Northwest Indiana’s cultural destinations with a nostalgic charm. The poster can be purchased through South Shore Arts Gift Shop at www.southshoreartsonline.org/posters.