The Louisville Orchestra: Making Beautiful Music Since 1937
Whether it's classical music, driving blues, cool pops or music aimed at the little ones, the 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 the Louisville Ballet and the 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 Theater 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.
You can buy tickets online or by calling (502) 584–7777. 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.
Posted on Jan 25, 2011 by Ivonne Rovira
