Louisville Orchestra: making beautiful music together since 1937
Whether it's classical music, driving blues, cool pops, music aimed at the little ones or much more, Louisville Orchestra has it all.
Since its founding in 1937, the Louisville Orchestra has evolved into the premier orchestra of the South. The orchestra serves as the resident performing group for the Louisville Ballet and Kentucky Opera. When it launched its record label in 1947, it became the first orchestra to do so.
The Louisville Orchestra has performed at the White House and, in 1953 and 1989, performed at Carnegie Hall. The Louisville Orchestra has won 19 ASCAP awards for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music and, recently, a large grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Guest conductors over the years have included Igor Stravinsky, Albert-George Schram, Daniel Hege and Scott Yoo.
Most of the orchestra's performances are in Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center for the Arts; however, the orchestra also performs at the Brown Theatre, the Louisville Palace and elsewhere.
Teaching the joys of music to children has been a priority for the Louisville Orchestra since the days of Robert Whitney, the orchestra's first conductor. Every season, the orchestra devises three fun, educational programs to introduce school-age children to classical music. These days the program is called the orKIDStra Series, and each year 20,000 children are introduced to the classics this way. Free pre-concert activities are offered in the lobby at 10 a.m. before each concert.
Louisville Orchestra also provides free curricula and other materials for teachers. Field trips can run as low as $4 per student. To schedule a field trip, e-mail Kathleen Bartels or telephone her at (502) 585–9430.
You can check out a Calendar of upcoming events or click here for more information on the 2010-11 season. You can subscribe to the Classics, Coffee, Pops, NightLites (eclectic evening concerts around town), L.O. Wow!, orKIDStra and/or Summer Classics [weekly picnic concerts at Jeffersonville (Ind.) RiverStage on the Ohio River and at Ballard High School] here. Subscriptions begin at just $41 for the orKIDStra and $230 for the full Classics subscription.
You can buy tickets online or by calling (502) 584–7777 or toll-free at (800) 775–7777. You can also visit the Kentucky Center Box Office from Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m.
- by Ivonne Rovira, Louisville Reporter for HelloMetro
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Ivonne RoviraA graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.
