Violinist Hilary Hahn will play the premiere of Jennifer Higdon's Violin Concerto Feb. 6-7 with the ISO. (Submitted photo)

Pianist Ingrid Fliter will play Beethoven with the ISO Jan. 8-10. (Submitted photo)

Soprano Twyla Robinson will return to Central Indiana to perform Haydn's Mass in B-flat with the ISO March 13-14. (Submitted photo)

Living composers, women with high-profile careers and performers with Hoosier ties all figure prominently in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's 2008-09 season.

The next ISO season will be the biggest showcase of living composers since the orchestra's "American" season of 2002-03. It will feature the premieres of a violin concerto by Jennifer Higdon and "Pilgrims" by Gabriela Lena Frank, plus Chen Yi's "Momentum" and selections from Thomas Adès' chamber opera "Powder Her Face."

The season will spotlight several high-profile women performers: percussionist Evelyn Glennie, trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianist Ingrid Fliter and violinists Hilary Hahn and Karen Gomyo.

Hoosier talent includes violinist Joshua Bell, who will perform at the opening weekend and season gala; Bloomington-born pianist Jonathan Biss; soprano and former Indiana University Jacobs School of Music student Twyla Robinson; and Indianapolis-born conductor Kazem Abdullah.

The 2008-09 lineup:

Classical Series

Concerts will be at Hilbert Circle Theatre, and ISO Music Director Mario Venzago will conduct, unless otherwise noted.

Sept. 11, 12: Joshua Bell, Saint-Saens' Violin Concerto No. 3.

Sept. 25-27: Richard Strauss' "Don Quixote."

Oct. 17, 18: Trumpeter Alison Balsom plays Albinoni and Haydn; Xian Zhang conducts.

Oct. 24, 25: Pianist Jean-Philippe Collard, conductor Gilbert Varga, French program featuring Francis Poulenc, Gabriel Fauré.

Oct. 30-Nov. 1 Violinist Karen Gomyo, conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto, Lalo's "Symphonie Espagnole."

Nov. 14, 15: Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto, pianist Jean Louis Steuermann.

Nov. 20-22: Violinist Nicola Benedetti, Szymanowski Concerto No. 1.

Jan. 8-10, 2009: Edward Gardner conducts pianist Ingrid Fliter, Beethoven Concerto No. 2.

Jan. 23, 24: percussionist Evelyn Glennie, Christopher Rouse's "Der Gerettete Alberich," based on Wagner's "The Ring of the Niebelung."

Jan. 29-31: Soprano Nicole Cabell, music of Britten and Ravel.

Feb. 6, 7: Hilary Hahn premieres Jennifer Higdon's Violin Concerto.

Feb. 20, 21: Pianist Jonathan Biss in Mozart's Concerto No. 21. Jakub Hrusa leads Dvorak's Symphony No. 5.

Feb. 26-28: Conductor Kazem Abdullah leads pianist Gabriela Montero in Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank's "Peregrinos" ("Pilgrims").

March 6, 7: André Watts, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2. Andrew Litton conducts.

March 13, 14: Poulenc "Gloria" and Haydn Mass in B-flat with soprano Twyla Robinson.

March 19-21: ISO concertmaster Zach De Pue, Korngold Violin Concerto, Beethoven "Eroica" Symphony.

May 8, 9: Beethoven's Fifth and Brahms' First symphonies.

May 15-17: Concert version of Wagner's "Das Rheingold," Clowes Hall. (With Indianapolis Opera.)

May 28-30: Conductor Carlo Rizzi, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky."

June 5, 6: Juanjo Mena leads Mussorgsky "Pictures at an Exhibition," Prokofiev First Symphony.

Pop Series

Sept. 19-21, Time for Three; Oct. 10-12, "Guys and Dolls" in concert; Nov. 7-9, Jeff Tyzik, Byron Stripling; Jan. 16-18, 2009, Patti Austin's Ella Fitzgerald tribute; Feb. 13-15, Michael Feinstein; March 27-29, "Cirque de la Symphonie;" May 1-3, Doc Severinsen; June 12-14, music of Irving Berlin.

Special

Sept. 5, 6, "Scheherazade" with Dance Kaleidoscope, Clowes; Sept. 13, ISO Gala with Bell; Dec. 5-21, Duke Energy "Yuletide Celebration"; Dec. 13, Classical Christmas, Scottish Rite Cathedral; Feb. 10, "Black History Celebration"; April 18, Art Garfunkel.