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Staff
Susan Kitterman
Founder and Artistic Director
Conductor, Symphony Orchestra
Susan graduated cum laude from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in 1975. She credits Dr. Flora Contino and Leonard Bernstein as her principal inspirations for her educational philosophy.
She has exercised this philosophy in all of her musical endeavors. One of the first educational opportunities she encountered was conducting three high schools’ orchestras in the greater Chicago area. In her time there, she was also a driving force behind the development of string music programs in the high schools’ 12 elementary feeder schools. Now, the schools are among the strongest in Illinois.
After her work in Illinois, Susan moved to Indiana, where she co-founded the Carmel-Clay school corporation’s orchestra program. She directed the orchestra and vocal ensembles at Carmel High School until 1982, when she retired from public school teaching to jumpstart her own youth orchestra.
It has always been her dream to establish her own school for the performing arts, which would provide a high-caliber experience for young musicians. Her work creating, expanding and shaping the New World Youth Orchestras in central Indiana has brought her close to accomplishing her dream.
As New World’s artistic director, she does anything from building relationships with other arts organizations to conducting performances live on the stage at Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis.
Susan has won the Sagamore of the Wabash by governor Joseph Kernan in 2004 and Distinguished Hoosier by governor Mitch Daniels in 2007 for her lifelong work with New World Youth Orchestras.
Ardis Faber, Conductor
Philharmonic Orchestra
Concert Orchestra
Dr. Ardis R. Faber, Conductor, most recently served as Associate Professor of Music at Grace College School of Music, Winona Lake, IN. She received her B.S. in Music Education from Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan; M.M. in Trumpet Performance from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; and a Doctorate of Arts in Music Education and Orchestral Conducting from Ball State University.
Ardis was on Grace College School of Music Faculty from 1988 through 2009. She was Head of Music Education, taught conducting, music education classes, and supervised student teachers in the field. In addition to teaching, Ms. Faber conducted performance groups that included the Grace Community Orchestra (renamed Symphony of the Lakes), Festival Chorus (renamed Symphonic Chorus), Grace Chamber Singers & Chamber Ensemble, Pit Orchestra for musicals and special guests, and Director of the Lancer Basketball Band. She arranged numerous pieces for each of the listed ensembles, while continuing to edit and arrange pieces for Tim Zimmerman and The King’s Brass, and for Valley Springs Fellowship Worship Team. She has toured with these performance groups throughout the United States and the countries of Germany, Ecuador, Mexico, and S. Korea. As an Assistant Director for Strings at Winona Lake, she conducts the Chamber String Orchestra while developing students through comprehensive musicianship activities and classes.
In July 2010, she received a Doctorate of Arts degree in Music Education and Orchestral Conducting from Ball State University, Muncie, IN. She served as an Assistant Conductor of the Ball State Symphony Orchestra during the 2005-07 school years. She had the pleasure of assisting Dr. Fiora Contino as an assistant conductor with the 2007 BSU opera presentation, Madame Butterfly. In addition, she conducted the world premiere performance of 53rd Street, The Opera by Jody Nagel with Dr. Tammie Huntington as Director. While at Ball State, she studied conducting with Maestros Kirk Trevor, Dr. Leonard Atherton, and Bohuslav Rattay. She resides in Winona Lake, IN where she enjoys reading, riding bicycle, and the lake.
Adam Bodony
Executive Director, Assistant Conductor
Adam has earned degrees from DePauw University (BA, BM) and Indiana University (MM), where his teachers were Jim Beckel and Carl Lenthe. Graduating from Hamilton Southeastern High School in 2003 and playing principal trombone with our very own New World Youth Symphony Orchestra for three years, he frequently plays with many ensembles in the area, such as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Anderson Symphony Orchestra, and more. Adam was also trombonist with the nation-wide touring chamber ensemble dedicated to reaching young audiences, Tales and Scales (2009), and a member of the 2004 American Wind Symphony Orchestra tour.
As a conductor, Adam was selected to participate in the 2009 International Academy of Advanced Conducting held in St. Petersburg, Russia and spent the summer of 2012 conducing the Martinu Philharmonic in the Czech Republic. Adam was also awarded the 2013 Robert Beckmann Emerging Artist Fellowship by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. His primary conducting teachers include Fawzi Haimor, David Effron, and Leonid Korchmar.Jennifer Page, General Manager (PT)
Jennifer Page graduated from the University of Indianapolis summa cum laude "with distinction" with a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance. While at the University, Jennifer performed in several ensembles including the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, University Chamber Orchestra, Flute Choir, and Handbell Ensemble. She was featured twice as a soloist with the University Chamber Orchestra and was invited to perform a duet with her teacher, Jodi Sowers, on a University of Indianapolis Faculty Artist Series Concert.
Jennifer has performed in masterclasses for Thomas Robertello, Paul Edmund Davies, and William Bennett and has presented at the 2008 National Collegiate Honors Conference in San Antonio and the 2011 Alpha Chi National Convention in San Diego. She participated in the orchestral program at the 2010 and 2012 MasterWorks Festival for the Christian Performing Artist. Jennifer is the director of the Arts Institute at Southland Community Church and teaches flute at several venues in the greater Indianapolis area. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Music Performance at Butler University.