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The Louisville Orchestra recently announced their 2026–27 season, continuing the exceptional momentum of one of the nation’s most dynamic arts organizations. The new season offers major collaborations, world premieres, and an ambitious artistic vision rooted firmly in Louisville.
Under the direction of Music Director Teddy Abrams, the season brings together major symphonic works, internationally recognized guest artists, world premieres, Louisville Orchestra commissions, and ambitious collaborations. Highlights include Verdi’s Requiem, Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2, Brahms’s Symphony No. 4, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan,” and a Beethoven Piano Concerto Marathon featuring Stewart Goodyear performing all five Concertos across two performances. Guest artists throughout the season include violinists Ray Chen, and Kerson Leong, with guest conductors Earl Lee, Peter Oundjian, and Mélisse Brunet.
A season highlight, Richard Strauss’s Salome will be presented in collaboration with Kentucky Opera, bringing a semi-staged operatic production to Whitney Hall. Rhapsody Reimagined features Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue transformed through Latin Jazz by Cuban pianist, Ahmed Alom.
New music remains central to the Louisville Orchestra’s identity. The 2026–27 season features a full-orchestra presentation of Julia Wolfe’s Anthracite Fields, newly commissioned for the Louisville Orchestra, New Symphony by Timo Andres, Teddy Abrams’s Seasons in America for violin and orchestra, and world premieres by Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps Composers Susanna Hancock and Seare Ahmad Farhat. Additional premieres by KiMani Bridges and Chelsea Komschlies, Creators Corps Alumna (25-26), continue the Orchestra’s long-standing commitment to living composers and new work.
“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, Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra. “Our Orchestra has reached a level of national prominence for our creative programming and artistry, and our new season will show off our capabilities in every way – from virtuosity to sublime beauty, with massive collaborations and intimate, life-changing moments. This is our most daring, exciting, dramatic season that we’ve programmed since I’ve arrived!”
The Pops Series, led by Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt, continues to drive audience growth with performances built around instantly recognizable music and star power. Highlights include A John Williams Halloween, featuring iconic film scores, a symphonic performance by Grammy and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr., Michael Feinstein celebrating the music of Johnny Mathis and Henry Mancini, and Ledisi honoring the legacy of Nina Simone and Dinah Washington.
The NightLites Series returns to the Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast and expands from four to five Friday evening concerts, focusing on defining orchestral works by Prokofiev, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Bizet, Mendelssohn, Debussy, Ravel, Vivaldi, and Beethoven. The series features performances by Associate Concertmaster Julia Noone, Concertmaster and Resident Conductor Gabriel Lefkowitz, and guest conductors Ziwei Ma, Na’Zir McFadden, and Molly Turner.
The series Teddy’s Picks returns for the 2026–27 season as a proven guide for new audiences and a focused subscription option highlighting the performances that define the year. Personally selected by Music Director Teddy Abrams, the four-concert package includes Ledisi, Brahms’s Fourth paired with Seasons in America, Salome with Kentucky Opera, and Bizet and Mendelssohn.
In addition to subscription concerts, the Louisville Orchestra will present free community events announced throughout the year, reaching audiences across the region through initiatives including In Harmony – The Commonwealth Tour, Music Without Borders, and family-focused programming. The Orchestra also welcomes a growing number of students from Jefferson County Public Schools and Southern Indiana to concerts throughout the season. Through these collective efforts, the Louisville Orchestra serves more people through free programming than paid performances each year reinforcing the Orchestra’s role as a civic and cultural resource.
“People are seeking real, shared experiences,” said Nathaniel Koch, Interim Executive Director. “This season reflects who we are as an organization: confident, growing, and deeply connected to our city. We are investing in artistic excellence, expanding access points, and continuing to serve more of our community through free events and educational programming than ever before. Louisville is showing up for this Orchestra, and we’re meeting that enthusiasm head-on.”
Subscriptions are on sale now offering audiences access to a wide range of performances across five different series: Classics, Pops, Coffee, NightLites, and Teddy’s Picks – all available at LouisvilleOrchestra.org or by phone at 502-587-8681.
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA 2026-27 SEASON
Classics and Coffee Series
- Verdi’s “Requiem”
Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17, 2026
Whitney Hall - Teddy Abrams, conductor; Ben Robinson, director
Giuseppe Verdi: Requiem
Teddy Conducts Music of the Mines
Saturday, January 16, 2027
Whitney Hall - Teddy Abrams, conductor; Louisville Chamber Choir and Cardinal Singers
Music by Copland, Ruggles, Schubert, Jean Ritchie, Julia Wolfe, and a world premiere by LO Creators Corps Alumna Chelsea Komschlies
Sibelius Symphony No. 2
Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30, 2027
Whitney Hall - Earl Lee, conductor; Chris Choi, timpani
Music by Franck, Daugherty, and Sibelius
Brahms Symphony No. 4
Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27, 2027
Whitney Hall - Teddy Abrams, conductor; Ray Chen, violin
World premiere by KiMani Bridges; World premiere of Seasons in America by Teddy Abrams; Brahms Symphony No. 4
Mahler Symphony No. 1 “Titan”
Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6, 2027
Whitney Hall - Peter Oundjian, conductor; Kerson Leong, violin
World premiere by LO Creators Corps Composer, Seare Ahmad Farhat; Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires; Mahler Symphony No. 1
Beethoven Piano Concerto Marathon
Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3, 2027
Whitney Hall - Mélisse Brunet, conductor; Stewart Goodyear, piano
Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 over two performances
Rhapsody Reimagined
Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24, 2027
Whitney Hall - Teddy Abrams, conductor; Ahmed Alom, piano
World premiere by LO Creators Corps Composer, Susanna Hancock; Latin Jazz reimagining of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Ahmed Alom; Timo Andres New Symphony
Salome
Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8, 2027
Whitney Hall - Teddy Abrams, conductor; Ben Robinson, director; Kentucky Opera
Richard Strauss: Salome
Pops Series
- A John Williams Halloween
Friday, October 30, 2026
Whitney Hall
Bob Bernhardt, conductor - Leslie Odom, Jr.
Saturday, January 23, 2027
Whitney Hall
Bob Bernhardt, conductor; Leslie Odom, Jr., vocals - Michael Feinstein: “My Celebration” The Music of Johnny Mathis and Henry Mancini
Saturday, March 27, 2027
Whitney Hall
Bob Bernhardt, conductor; Michael Feinstein, vocals - Ledisi
Music of Nina Simone and Dinah Washington
Wednesday, April 14, 2027
Whitney Hall
Bob Bernhardt, conductor; Ledisi, vocals
NightLites Series
- Prokofiev & Brahms
Friday, September 25, 2026
Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast
Ziwei Ma, conductor; Julia Noone, violin - Haydn & Mozart
Friday, October 9, 2026
Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast
Teddy Abrams, conductor - Bizet & Mendelssohn
Friday, November 20, 2026
Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast
Na’Zir McFadden, conductor - Vivaldi & Beethoven
Friday, February 19, 2027
Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast
Gabriel Lefkowitz, violin and conductor - Debussy & Ravel
Friday, March 12, 2027
Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast
Molly Turner, conductor
For tickets and more information, visit LouisvilleOrchestra.org
This article appears in Feb 14-28, 2026.