TheLouisville Orchestra will be in Bowling Green as part of the last leg of their “In Harmony: The Commonwealth Tour.”
Created in 1937, the Louisville Orchestra continues to be recognized as a cornerstone of the Louisville performing arts community, most recently earning a Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
Community Engagement
The “In Harmony Tour” reflects this success, serving not only as a performance tour but also as a new initiative that engages with local musicians, artists, schools, and community organizations.
Tanner Porter is a composer with the new Louisville Orchestra’s Creators Corps (LOCC) who is premiering some new music during the tour.
She told WKU Public Radio that the Creator Corps serves as a music residency program for composers chosen by the orchestra to engage with the community through music.
“There is a lot beyond just the main concert series,” she said. “The Creator Corps program is a really, really, special initiative. The fact that we are getting to write pieces that the orchestra is going to bring on tour for so many cities and towns throughout Kentucky is such a privilege.”
Porter added that while she is excited about the Bowling Green show, she is also looking forward to another stop on the tour in Danville, Kentucky, on March 8, which will feature a unique opening act.
“There is a program out there called the ‘Heritage Area String Program,’ that I’m working with. I’m writing a piece for some of the elementary schoolers in that program, and they’re going to get to play it before the concert, so that’s a special thing.”
New Music
Along with engaging the community in multiple capacities, members of the Creator Corps, like Porter, are also hard at work creating new music for the orchestra to perform.
Her own piece titled “Back at It” is one of the compositions embedded in the “In Harmony Tour” and features a funky blend of alternative open-string tunings.
“Me and my fellow cohort member, Alex Berko, have written two new pieces that will premiere during the show,” she said. “The piece that you will hear of mine has a lot of mixed-meter melodies with drones under them.”
The Louisville Orchestra said in a press release that the tour features something for everybody, reflecting the rich musical heritage of the Commonwealth, along with homegrown performers and compositions.
“It’s amazing,” Porter said. “The whole show is like a really, high-energy, wonderful, joyous experience. I’m so lucky that I get to hear it again and again. I think it’s going to knock everyone’s socks off.”
The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center (SKYPAC).
Ticket and event information is available online at the Louisville Orchestra website.