Bold Classical Masterworks, Innovative Premieres, and Iconic Crossover Concerts
Under the visionary leadership of Music Director Teddy Abrams, the Louisville Orchestra has unveiled an electrifying new season, blending beloved classical works, groundbreaking world premieres, and bold cross-genre collaborations. Featuring renowned soloists, dynamic new compositions, and immersive concert experiences, this season is a celebration of music’s power to inspire, challenge, and connect audiences.
From Mahler’s deeply personal Ninth Symphony to the pastoral beauty of Beethoven’s Pastoral and the raw energy of Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, the season highlights orchestral music at its most profound. The orchestra welcomes world-class soloists including Yuja Wang, Anne Akiko Myers, Jonathan Biss, and Tessa Lark, alongside Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre and conductor Robert Spano, who leads a powerhouse performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto.
The Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps continues to push the boundaries of symphonic music with world premieres from this season’s resident composers, Anthony Green and Chelsea Komschlies. Their new works, written over the course of their yearlong residency in Louisville, offer fresh perspectives and bold artistic statements, reinforcing the orchestra’s commitment to innovation and contemporary voices.
Further expanding the season’s spirit of creativity, the orchestra presents a world premiere violin concerto by Lisa Bielawa, written for Tessa Lark, and Mason Bates’ Concerto for String Trio, composed for the Grammy-winning ensemble Time For Three. Audiences will also experience new works like Christopher Theofanidis’ On the Bridge of the Eternal and John Luther Adams’ An Atlas of Deep Time, pieces that explore vast musical landscapes and cutting-edge orchestral textures.
A season highlight, Copland’s Appalachian Spring will be performed with the Louisville Ballet, bringing a stunning fusion of symphonic music and dance to the Whitney Hall stage. The orchestra also marks 100 years of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with a thrilling orchestral celebration of this jazz-infused masterpiece.
The Pops Series redefines symphonic crossover with an exciting new lineup. Ben Folds returns for an unforgettable orchestral collaboration, Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony offers a multimedia symphonic journey through her legendary career, and Clouds in My Coffee reimagines the timeless music of Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon with lush orchestrations. Stewart Copeland rounds out the series with his high-energy Police Deranged concert, reinventing the music of The Police with a full orchestra.
New this season, Teddy Abrams has personally selected Teddy’s Picks, a four-concert package featuring the performances that excite him most. “This season is about storytelling in music,” says Abrams. “Whether it’s the emotional weight of Mahler’s Ninth, the history of American music in Sounds of a New Nation, or the legendary artistry of Morgan Freeman in Symphonic Blues, these concerts aren’t just performances — they’re experiences. I’ve chosen these concerts because they capture music’s ability to tell deep, human stories and connect us in powerful ways.”
Subscribers also have exclusive first access to must-see add-on concerts, available only as part of a subscription package. Disney’s Hocus Pocus in Concert brings the Halloween classic to the big screen with a live orchestral performance of John Debney’s score, while Beethoven X Coldplay, created by composer-conductor Steve Hackman, seamlessly blends Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony with Coldplay’s biggest hits.
Subscriptions are now on sale at LouisvilleOrchestra.org/subscribe
