Louisville Orchestra unveils 2026-27 season featuring world premieres, major collaborations

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Louisville Orchestra unveiled what its music director called the biggest season in the orchestra's history, packed with large-scale collaborations, world premieres and audience favorites.

Music Director Teddy Abrams said Tuesday on WDRB Mornings the upcoming lineup features "incredibly dramatic, really large-scale projects," alongside brand-new works and beloved classics.

Among the highlights, the season will open and close with major collaborations with the Kentucky Opera.

The orchestra will kick things off with a staged performance of Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi, one of the most powerful and dramatic works in the choral repertoire. The season will close with Salome by Richard Strauss — a once-controversial opera known for pushing artistic boundaries.

In between, Abrams said audiences can expect "tons of world premieres," including a new piece he's currently composing. Titled "American Four Seasons," the work draws inspiration from Antonio Vivaldi's famous "Four Seasons" but reimagines it through the lens of landscapes and seasons across the United States. Violinist Ray Chen will perform as soloist for the premiere.

Other major works on the schedule include the First Symphony by Timo Andres, a new version of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe's "Anthracite Fields," as well as symphonies by Gustav Mahler, Jean Sibelius and Johannes Brahms.

The season will also feature pop performances, including an appearance by Leslie Odom Jr. as well as a special evening dedicated to the music of John Williams.

In addition to its mainstage concerts, the orchestra's "NightLites" series at the Ogle Center at Indiana University Southeast will expand to five performances next season after several programs sold out this year.

Abrams said planning for many of the world premieres began years ago, noting that commissions often take significant time to develop before reaching the stage.

Tickets for the new season are on sale now, including subscriptions for the Classic, Pops and NightLites series.

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