Louisville Orchestra 2025-26 Season Preview: Blending Innovation with Classic Storytelling

The Louisville Orchestra’s 2025-26 season offers an exhilarating blend of classical masterworks, bold new commissions, and star-powered collaborations. From Beethoven and Mahler to Ben Folds and Morgan Freeman, the season celebrates storytelling through music — bridging genres, generations, and cultural touchstones with imagination, innovation, and artistry.

Enjoy our season preview of YOUR Louisville Orchestra!

 

Ben Folds
Friday, September 5 

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Singer-songwriter Ben Folds brings his sharp lyrics, dynamic piano style, and genre-blending sound to Louisville for a one-night-only performance with the Louisville Orchestra. Featuring hits from Ben Folds Five, solo favorites, and orchestral arrangements, this concert showcases his signature mix of musicianship and storytelling.

 

Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3 
Saturday, October 4

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Robert Spano conducts a powerhouse program featuring Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, one of the most demanding and electrifying works in the repertoire. Rising star Tony Siqi Yun takes on the challenge, alongside wide-ranging, searching works by Claude Baker and Christopher Theofanidis.

Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues
Saturday, October 11

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Morgan Freeman Presents: Symphonic Blues is a live concert experience that bridges the soul-stirring roots of the Mississippi Delta Blues with the richness of the Louisville Orchestra. This unique performance, narrated by cultural icon Morgan Freeman, takes audiences on a transformative journey through the music, culture and legacy of the Mississippi Delta — the birthplace of the blues. Through cinematic storytelling, performances by authentic blues musicians, and symphonic arrangements, audiences will explore the deep cultural roots of the Delta and its lasting impact on global music. This performance also highlights the Delta’s vibrant heritage and the vital role of Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi, a cornerstone of blues preservation. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of music, culture, and storytelling.

 

Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony
October 24 & 25

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Music Director Teddy Abrams leads a program that explores innovations both old and new featuring Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony, a timeless tribute to nature innovative in its own day. Tessa Lark brings her signature artistry to the world premiere of Lisa Bielawa’s Violin Concerto No. 2, alongside bold new Creators Corps works by Anthony Green and Chelsea Komschlies.

Disney’s Hocus Pocus In Concert
October 29 & 30

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center
Get into the Halloween spirit with Disney’s Hocus Pocus in Concert! Watch the beloved 1993 film on the big screen while the Louisville Orchestra performs John Debney’s enchanting score live.

Yuja Wang & Teddy Abrams Return
November 21 & 22

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

When Yuja Wang and Teddy Abrams last shared the stage in Louisville, it led to a Grammy win. Now, the longtime collaborators reunite for a night of electrifying virtuosity, diving into the bold sounds of Hungary. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 kicks things off with a whirlwind of fire and flair, followed by Ligeti’s Piano Concerto, a dazzling, shape-shifting masterwork that Wang navigates with “sly, jazzy exuberance” (Gramophone). Closing the program is Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, a tour-de-force that spotlights every section of the orchestra in a vibrant, folk-infused celebration. 

 

Handel’s Messiah
December 4 | Cathedral of the Assumption
December 5 | Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast
December 6 | St. Michael’s Church
December 7 | Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast
Handel’s Messiah is a beloved holiday tradition, known for its glorious choruses and stunning arias. Experience the profound and uplifting music that has resonated with audiences for centuries. Under the skilled direction of Dr. Kent Hatteberg, the Louisville Orchestra will bring the rich tapestry of Handel’s composition to life. From the jubilant “Hallelujah” chorus to the moving solos, every note will resonate with emotion and meaning.

Teddy Conducts Mahler’s Ninth
January 16 & 17, 2026

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 is an emotional and introspective work that balances longing, turbulence, and transcendent beauty. Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra bring this monumental symphony to life in a performance that captures its depth and intensity.

Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony
January 31, 2026

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center
Dolly Parton’s iconic songs like never before in this multimedia symphonic event. With Dolly on screen, sharing stories behind her music, the Louisville Orchestra, led by Bob Bernhardt, brings new orchestrations of her greatest hits — including Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, and I Will Always Love You — to life alongside guest vocalists and musicians. (Note: Dolly Parton does not perform live in this concert.)

 

Sounds of a New Nation
February 20 & 21, 2026 

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, this program explores the evolving American sound. Highlighting works by Schuman, Billings, and Ives, the Louisville Orchestra captures the nation’s history through music. Pianist Jonathan Biss brings elegance and brilliance to Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9, a work composed the same year the U.S. declared independence.

 

Clouds in my Coffee: Music of Joni Mitchell, Carole King & Carly Simon
February 28, 2026 

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

The music of Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon takes center stage in this symphonic tribute to three of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time. Ted Sperling conducts the Louisville Orchestra in fresh orchestrations of iconic hits like Both Sides Now, You’ve Got a Friend, and You’re So Vain, bringing new depth to these timeless classics. (Note: Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon do not perform live in this concert.)

 

Eric Whitacre in Concert
Saturday, March 7, 2026 

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre joins the Louisville Orchestra once again for an evening that features his most moving and cinematic works. Featuring violinist Anne Akiko Myers and the Louisville Chamber Choir, the program includes Whitacre’s signature soundscapes, from the lyrical Seal Lullaby to the cosmic expanse of Deep Field.

Copland’s Appalachian Spring
Saturday, April 11, 2026 

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

From sweeping folk melodies to contemporary innovation, this concert bridges past and present. Copland’s Appalachian Spring, performed with the Louisville Ballet, shares the program with the world premiere of a new work by Chelsea Komschlies and Mason Bates’ Concerto for String Trio, featuring Time for Three.

Stewart Copeland: Police Deranged
April 17, 2026 

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Rock legend Stewart Copeland joins the Louisville Orchestra for a high-energy symphonic celebration of The Police’s biggest hits. With Copeland on drums, guest vocalists, and a full orchestra, this electrifying concert breathes new life into classics like Roxanne, Don’t Stand So Close to Me, and Message in a Bottle — all reimagined (“deranged”) by Copeland himself.

 

Rhapsody in Blue
April 24 & 25, 2026 

Whitney Hall, The Kentucky Center

Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue meets bold new sounds in this dynamic concert with Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra. The evening features the world premiere of Anthony Green’s latest work, marking the culmination of his Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps residency, alongside John Luther Adams’ An Atlas of Deep Time — a sweeping exploration of Earth’s geological history.

 

For tickets and more information, visit LouisvilleOrchestra.org or call (502) 587-8681