The Louisville Orchestra has announced an expanded slate of free spring community concerts designed to broaden access to live orchestral music across Louisville, with family-focused and neighborhood-based performances scheduled for late March.
The spring lineup includes OrKIDStra: The Science of Sound on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Whitney Hall, and Music Without Borders: Voices, Rhythm, and Culture, with performances on March 26 and 27, 2026, at community venues.
“Community engagement is central to who we are,” said Sarah Lempke O’Hare, Director of Strategic Partnerships. “Programs like OrKIDStra and Music Without Borders allow us to meet people where they are, whether that is a family’s first orchestra concert or a neighborhood gathering space, and create moments of connection through music that feel open, accessible, and meaningful.”
OrKIDStra: The Science of Sound
OrKIDStra: The Science of Sound takes place March 21 at 3 p.m. at Whitney Hall and is designed specifically for children and families. The free, 60-minute concert will feature a relaxed environment with no intermission, offering an interactive introduction to orchestral music that explores how sound is created through strings, percussion, brass and woodwinds.
The concert is presented as part of the Louisville Orchestra’s MakingMUSIC program, founded in 1940 and recognized as one of the nation’s longest running music education initiatives.
“MakingMUSIC has shaped generations of young listeners in Louisville,” said Gabriel Lefkowitz, who will conduct this year’s concert joined by Association of Louisville Orchestra Concerto Winner, cellist Sonya Moomaw. “Inviting families into this experience allows us to share that legacy more widely and help kids connect what they hear to how sound is created across the orchestra.”
Through a partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools, all fourth- and fifth-grade students participate in MakingMUSIC at no cost, either by attending a core concert or through in-school musician visits. This year, the orchestra is opening the MakingMUSIC concert to the broader public as an OrKIDStra performance.
Music Without Borders: Voices, Rhythm, and Culture
Later in the week, Music Without Borders: Voices, Rhythm, and Culture will bring the orchestra into neighborhood spaces with performances on Thursday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. at The West End School and Friday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. at Neighborhood House, led by Conductor Kimcherie Lloyd.
All spring community concerts are free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged, and seating for all performances is general admission on a first-come, first-served basis. More information and free ticket registration is available at louisvilleorchestra.org.
See photos from a previous event here:
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2026.