The Louisville Orchestra has announced its 2026-27 season, featuring a mix of classical masterpieces, new commissions, and popular performers. Under music director Teddy Abrams, the lineup includes world premieres, collaborations, and free community events. Subscriptions are available for five series, emphasizing accessibility and artistic innovation.
The Louisville Orchestra revealed its 2026-27 season on Tuesday, building on recent growth with diverse programming rooted in the city's cultural scene. The season offers five subscription series—Classics, Pops, Coffee, NightLites, and Teddy’s Picks—allowing audiences to purchase tickets online or by phone for priority seating and lower prices.
Key highlights in the Classics and Coffee Series include Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem on October 16-17, 2026, conducted by Teddy Abrams; Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 on January 29-30, 2027, led by Earl Lee; Brahms’s Symphony No. 4 on February 26-27, 2027, with violinist Ray Chen; Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan” on March 5-6, 2027, featuring Kerson Leong; a Beethoven Piano Concerto Marathon on April 2-3, 2027, with pianist Stewart Goodyear; and Richard Strauss’s Salome on May 7-8, 2027, in collaboration with Kentucky Opera.
The orchestra emphasizes new music, presenting Julia Wolfe’s Anthracite Fields, Timo Andres’s New Symphony, and world premieres by composers such as Susanna Hancock, Seare Ahmad Farhat, KiMani Bridges, and Chelsea Komschlies. Other events include Rhapsody Reimagined with Cuban pianist Ahmed Alom reinterpreting Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue through Latin Jazz on April 23-24, 2027.
The Pops Series features A John Williams Halloween on October 30, 2026; Leslie Odom Jr. on January 23, 2027; Michael Feinstein celebrating Johnny Mathis and Henry Mancini on March 27, 2027; and Ledisi honoring Nina Simone and Dinah Washington on April 14, 2027, all conducted by Bob Bernhardt at Whitney Hall.
NightLites Series concerts occur at Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast, including Prokofiev & Brahms on September 25, 2026, and others through March 2027.
Free community events like In Harmony – The Commonwealth Tour and Music Without Borders will engage broader audiences, with the orchestra serving more people through such programming than paid performances annually.
“The Louisville Orchestra’s 2026-27 season reflects the extraordinary energy of our musicians, the passion of our audiences, and the strength of our community,” said Teddy Abrams. “This is our most daring, exciting, dramatic season that we’ve programmed since I’ve arrived!”
Interim executive director Nathaniel Koch added, “People are seeking real, shared experiences. This season reflects who we are as an organization: confident, growing, and deeply connected to our city.”