The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is delighted to announce the appointment of Hannah Schendel as its new Assistant Conductor, beginning with the 2025–26 season. Recognized as one of the leading conductors of her generation, Schendel brings artistic excellence, versatility, and a deep commitment to engaging audiences through dynamic programming and performance.
“It’s an honor to join the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra,” said Schendel. “I look forward to collaborating with this exceptional ensemble and to making connections with the community through the transformative power of live performance.”
In her role with the ISO, Schendel will lead an exciting range of programs, from Arrival from Sweden: The Music of ABBA and the beloved Side-by-Side concert with student musicians to the ISO’s 50 Years at PASIC performance with the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, along with other special and community events. She will also engage audiences as host of the orchestra’s popular Words on Music pre-concert discussions, conduct the annual Discovery Concerts for thousands of Indiana students, and provide artistic support to guest conductors and Music Director Jun Märkl during rehearsals and subscription concerts.
“We are thrilled to welcome Hannah to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra,” said James Johnson, CEO. “Her talent, energy, and passion for storytelling through music will enrich our concerts and inspire audiences across central Indiana. We look forward to the many ways she will help expand the reach and impact of the ISO.”
Schendel has served as cover conductor for top orchestras, where she has collaborated with distinguished conductors including Thomas Søndergård, Osmo Vänskä, Ruth Reinhardt, Tito Muñoz, and Bill Eddins. She has also held positions as Music Director of the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Carleton College Orchestra.
In 2025, she was named the David Effron Conducting Fellow at the Chautauqua Institution, where she led performances of Barber, Tchaikovsky, and Stravinsky. A finalist for the prestigious Mills Williams Junior Fellowship Competition at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and a semifinalist in the 2023 Sergei Koussevitzky International Conducting Competition, she has also earned recognition from The American Prize and served as a Conducting Fellow with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra.
Schendel is a passionate advocate for contemporary and underrepresented composers, regularly programming works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Nkeiru Okoye, Lili Boulanger, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Jennifer Higdon, Chen Yi, and many others. She has performed alongside distinguished soloists including Anthony Ross, Cassie Pilgrim, and Gao Hong, and assisted in acclaimed productions of Gregory Spears’s Fellow Travelers and Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Her artistry has taken her to leading festivals including the Järvi Academy/Pärnu Music Festival, the LEAD Foundation/Fiskars Summer Music Festival, and the Cabrillo Festival for Contemporary Music, where she has worked with world-renowned conductors Paavo Järvi, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Neeme Järvi, Cristian Măcelaru, and Marin Alsop.
Schendel studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with Mark Gibson and Joe Miller.