(April 2023) — The Louisville Orchestra (LO) has announced the first round of dates for its new statewide touring initiative: “In Harmony – The Commonwealth Tour of the Louisville Orchestra.” Performing in central, eastern, northern and southern Kentucky in May and July, the tour will visit Prestonsburg, Pikeville, Harlan, Ashland, Newport, Glasgow, Somerset and Bardstown, with additional stops for this coming fall and 2024 to be announced soon. Each of the tour’s performances will be free to concert-goers, thanks to a generous budget appropriation from the Kentucky State Legislature.
 
Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers applauded the Louisville Orchestra for taking the initiative to tour the state and promote the arts throughout Kentucky. He explains:

Louisville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams is also confident that the tour will help create a shared experience that only music can provide:

About the Louisville Orchestra

The Louisville Orchestra was created in 1937 and sprang up in a time of need, just after the Ohio River Great Flood and in the wake of the Great Depression. Robert Whitney was invited to conduct the newly established orchestra, then known as the Louisville Philharmonic, and arrived from Chicago that same year. With its formation, the goal was to create a new model for the American symphony orchestra, as it was conceived through an ambitious effort that emphasized innovation through the commissioning, performance, and recording of new works by contemporary composers. The Louisville Orchestra garnered international critical acclaim, became the first orchestra to establish a record label, and cemented a place in history for its contribution to contemporary classical music. In its first two decades, the Louisville Orchestra commissioned/recorded up to 52 new works annually and ultimately created 150 vinyl recordings (LPs) of more than 450 works. The Louisville Orchestra continues to be recognized as a cornerstone of the Louisville performing arts community. Music Director Teddy Abrams has helmed the Louisville Orchestra since 2014, and the Louisville Orchestra has returned to its origins of commissioning new music and recording, having released two albums under the prestigious Decca Gold label. A wide variety of immersive and innovative concert performances and educational programming continue to receive national attention. Recent press coverage includes articles and mentions in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and CBS Sunday Morning. Accolades include three invitations to perform at Carnegie Hall; the Leonard Bernstein Award for Excellence in Educational Programming; the League of American Orchestras 2019 Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service; and 19 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) awards for adventurous programming in use of contemporary music.