Louisville Orchestra

The Louisville Orchestra is a major American ensemble known for its adventurous repertoire of contemporary and commissioned music. Also a prolific recording ensemble, the LO released over 140 albums on its own record label between 1955 and the 1990s. The Louisville Philharmonic Society was formed in 1937 by Dann and Mary Byck, and Robert Whitney was appointed as its first conductor. Whitney gradually expanded the size of the orchestra, and by working with some of the top soloists of the time, it became very well-known. However, after ten years of hiring costly, high-profile soloists, it had accumulated a large financial deficit. Upon realizing that a new business plan was needed, in 1948 Whitney worked with Charles Farnsley, the mayor of Louisville, to form a strategy to save the ensemble. Their solution was to make commissioned and new music a top priority, which distinguished it from other American ensembles, and it was renamed the Louisville Orchestra. The re-formed ensemble quickly became known after the 1950 premiere of William Schuman’s dance concerto Judith, featuring Martha Graham. The recording was released by Mercury, and it was so successful that the LO established its own record label, First Edition Records. With the help of a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the LO commissioned and recorded more than 450 new works over the next 35 years. The master tapes from this period were digitized in 1999, and then re-released under the First Edition Music label in the 2000s. Since the '80s, the LO has operated as a full-time orchestra and has received several Grammy nominations, and 19 awards from ASCAP for its adventurous programming of contemporary music. It also received the Leonard Bernstein Award for Excellence in Educational Programming in 2021. Conductor Teddy Abrams became its Music Director in 2014 and has proceeded with a balanced program of both contemporary and older music. Under Abrams’ leadership, the LO performed several world premieres, and has collaborated on recordings with artists such as vocalist Storm Large, guitarist Jim James, and pianist Yuja Wang. Regular concert venues include Whitney Hall and Brown Theater in Louisville, and the LO is the resident orchestra for both the Louisville Ballet and the Kentucky Opera. ~ RJ Lambert, Rovi