The Louisville Orchestra has been a staple in the arts community since Robert Whitney founded the company in 1937, when Charles Farnsley served as mayor of Louisville. Farnsley led the orchestra as its music director for 30 years, until 1967, and then turned the reins over to Jorge Mester from 1967 to 1979. Farnsley returned in 2006 until 2014, after several other talented music directors came and went.
In 2014, the company introduced the current music director, Teddy Abrams who brought new and exciting energy to LO and the city of Louisville. He is an inspiration to many, a thought leader for the arts community as a whole, and the city is lucky to have him. We are excited to celebrate his work as he embarks on his fifth season with the Louisville Orchestra, and one that is likely to be the most anticipated ever.
Audience Magazine publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with Abrams to learn more about his background, his interest in music and the community, and what he is excited about for the upcoming season.
The Louisville Orchestra recently announced its return to live and in-person performances with a stellar season of fan favorites, as well as some creative collaborations that will have audiences applauding with roars of ovation.
Pops Series conductor, Bob Bernhardt, is entering his 40th season with the Louisville Orchestra and is ready to feel the energy of a live audience. We are fortunate to have such great leadership and talent with his wealth of knowledge garnered over decades of musical collaborations with various symphonies around the country. He is not only a staple with the Louisville Orchestra, but also works with the Grand Rapids Symphony in Michigan, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and is an Artist-in-Residence at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Audience publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with the busy conductor to talk about LO’s return to Whitney Hall, his musical influences of John Williams and a snapshot of the season ahead.
Since famed Louisville Orchestra conductor Teddy Abrams first graced the stages of Whitney Hall, Louisville patrons of fine music knew they were in for a treat. In what was a monumental transition into celebrating the roots of classical music as well as other important genres, the season line-ups soon began to reveal what Teddy and crew had in mind and where the future of the Louisville Orchestra was heading, and all signs pointed to exciting times ahead.
With past collages featuring various musicians, rock bands and even local artists, paired with the harmonic orchestra ensembles, Teddy and the LO have attracted new patrons to the performances as well as invigorated the long-time patrons of the group.
Louisville is known for its culinary scene, nightlife, entertainment, and of course, the performing arts. We also have an abundance of talented musicians, ranging from orchestra performers to vocalists and everything in between.
One of the most notable bands to originate here is My Morning Jacket, featuring Louisville native Jim James, who has led the band since its inception in 1988. The latest Louisvillian to make worldwide waves is hip-hop all-star Jack Harlow, who has had success with his catchy lyrics and smooth rhythm and rhymes. His current hit, “What’s Poppin,” features several Louisville references, including Vincenzo’s restaurant and the University of Louisville basketball team.
One musician familiar with the spotlight and entertaining crowds large and small is local jazz, R&B and rock powerhouse singer/songwriter Carly Johnson. Having performed with artists such as Norah Jones, Bonnie Prince Billy, Houndmouth, and My Morning Jacket, as well as playing in a jazz guitar duo with critically acclaimed local musician, Craig Wagner, she has become a well-known and respected name in the Louisville music scene.
Her latest masterpiece is a song she wrote for a dear friend who courageously fought lung cancer with the power of positivity, and was an inspiration to everyone around her.
The song is titled Burn Your Fears and is accompanied by a video that was filmed at Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with the Louisville Ballet and Kentucky Performing Arts.
When it comes to creativity, Louisville certainly is at the top of its game. Once again, the creative minds of musicians around the city have collaborated to create an uplifting video that features lyrics and landmarks from around Louisville.
The song and musicians were organized by Louisville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams. It features two dozen artists from different backgrounds from bluegrass to rock. Included in the long list of contributors are Jim James and Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket, singer/songwriter Will Oldham, cellist/composer Ben Sollee, Scott Carney of Wax Fang, percussionist Dani Markham, hip hop star Jecorey Arthur, gospel singer Jason Clayborn, singer Carly Johnson and others from Louisville’s music scene.
The Louisville Orchestra has been instrumental in the growth of the arts in Louisville since 1937 when conductor Robert Whitney, Louisville Mayor Charles Farnsley and other business leaders of the community launched Louisville’s now-beloved fully professional symphony orchestra.
The Louisville Orchestra has hosted thousands of performances and enlightened the souls of many under the direction of some of the most talented conductors in the world. Audience publisher, Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with President John Malloy to find out more about the importance of the arts, the orchestra and the upcoming performance at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall. This interview was also featured in the April edition of Audience Magazine.
The Louisville Orchestra has been a staple in the arts community since Robert Whitney founded the company in 1937, when Charles Farnsley served as mayor of Louisville. Farnsley led the orchestra as its music director for 30 years, until 1967, and then turned the reins over to Jorge Mester from 1967 to 1979. Farnsley returned in 2006 until 2014, after several other talented music directors came and went.
