Abrams included in Louisville's Hometown Heroes 2.0 Class of 2025

The Greater Louisville Pride Foundation (GLPF) announced its new Hometown Heroes 2.0 Class of 2025 and Teddy Abrams is included among the seven nationally, and internationally, renowned Louisvillians who will be honored with a larger-than-life banner displayed on a city building.

"As with all of our hometown heroes, Class of 2025 honorees possess the grit, resilience, talent, determination, and 'can do spirit' our city is known for," Mike Sheehy, president of GLPF, said.  

Watch the clip below and read here for more.

Teddy Abrams Cincinnati May Festival performance of Michael Gordon’s “Natural History" Included in NYT’s list of “Best Classical Performances of 2024”

Michael Gordon’s “Natural History,” conducted by Teddy Abrams at the Cincinnati May Festival this past spring, was selected by New York Times critic Zachary Woolfe as one of the best classical music performances of 2024.  A collaboration with the Native American ensemble Steiger Butte Drum, the work is described by Woolfe as “Unsettled and unsettling, both celebratory and threatening, imposing and ultimately harmonious, it is the sound of a cultural conversation that is still, after centuries, in its nascent stages.” Teddy conducted the world premiere of Natural History at Crater Lake in southern Oregon as part of the 2016 Britt Music and Festival, which commissioned it to celebrate the centennial of the National Park System. That performance was captured live on a recording on the Cantaloupe label available on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services. Read the full New York Times list here.

Abrams Interviewed for "I Care If You Listen"

Teddy Abrams was recently interviewed by A. Kori Hill for I Care If You Listen in advance of his performance with Ray Chen at the Curtis Institute of Music, for a program dominated by Curtis alumni.

Speaking about his past collaborations with Curtis alums, Abrams says: “We don’t necessarily make music the same way or see music the same way, but these folks and I have such a deep relationship to musical values that we have remained regular collaborators and very close friends since [our time at Curtis]… I work with these folks every year, multiple times a year, and that continues because we forged a deep bond for what we care about – not just because we like playing music together, but why we play music together.”

In addition to the Barber violin concerto, Abrams will lead the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in performances of TJ Cole’s Death of the Poet and George Walker’s Pulitzer-Prize winning Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra, closing out with the Third Symphony by Aaron Copland – a mentor to another Curtis alum, Leonard Bernstein.

Read the full article here.

Out Now: Abrams featured on "The Muse in Music" podcast

On September 30, Teddy Abrams is the featured guest on Dan Perttu’s podcast The Muse in Music. Perttu speaks with Abrams about resident composers and how they can strengthen orchestras and the Louisville Orchestra’s long and rich relationship with programming contemporary music. They discuss the Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps and how the program enhances the orchestra's relationship to the community.

Listen to the full episode here and on Apple podcasts.

Review: Teddy Abrams at the Hollywood Bowl

On August 22, Teddy Abrams conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in an all-Stravinsky program that included the composer’s arrangement of The Star Spangled Banner, Circus Polka, Violin Concerto in D Major, and The Rite of Spring. This was a return engagement for Abrams, who led the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl the previous season.  

Bachtrack praised the evening, saying of Abrams: “...his vital interpretations brought to the fore facets of the composer often overlooked.”  

SF Classical Voice noted the performance included “a cinematic moment beyond anything you’d ever hear in the best IMAX theater.”

In May 2025, Abrams will lead the LA Phil joined by soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet in a program that includes Gershwin, Strauss, and Caroline Shaw’s The Observatory at Walt Disney Concert Hall. 

Read the full reviews from Bachtrack and SF Classical Voice.

Summer Highlights

On June 27, Teddy Abrams begins the summer season with Chris Thile at the Aspen Music Festival conducting a program that includes the composer’s “ATTENTION! A narrative song cycle for extroverted mandolinist and orchestra.” In July, Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra resume their statewide “In Harmony” tour, which was recently renewed for another two seasons of funding by the Kentucky legislature. 


Abrams begins the month of August at Carnegie Hall, leading NYO2 in a program featuring works by Bernstein, Tchaikovsky, Stavinsky, and a world premiere by Jasmine Barnes to kick off the start of World Orchestra Week (WOW!). Following that concert, the entire program tours to Dallas for a reprise performance (August 6). Later in the month, Abrams returns to the Hollywood Bowl to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, on a program with Agnegram by Abrams’s mentor, Michael Tilson Thomas (August 22).

Renewed Funding for Abrams & Louisville Orchestra “In Harmony” Tour

Teddy Abrams and The Louisville Orchestra have received a $4.3 million funding allocation from the Kentucky State Legislature to support the continuation of “In Harmony – The Commonwealth Tour” through 2024 to 2026. The landmark initiative, which began in 2022, has already made a profound impact, reaching over 27,000 Kentuckians across 38 counties through more than 125 events, and is now set to extend its reach further into the heart of Kentucky communities. This funding will enable the orchestra to deepen community engagement and enrich the cultural fabric across urban and rural divides throughout the state. 

Reflecting on past tours, music director Teddy Abrams shared his excitement for the future, stating, “The past two years of touring the Commonwealth of Kentucky have been transformative and affirming for the Louisville Orchestra and for me as an artist. We believe that this work is the core function of a modern cultural institution, and it has become our dream to continue this program far into the future.”

Learn more about the renewed funding and how it ensures the tour’s continued success here.

Conductor’s Rail in the Press

The April issue of Town & Country features the new conductor’s rail and podium designed by artist Joseph Walsh for Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra. The article spotlights “26 Rooms Shaping Culture,” and includes the new podium and rail, which will make its debut on April 18 at a special gala performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 led by Abrams. Read the full article here.

A feature on the conductor’s rail also appears in the May issue of Dezeen.

Artist-Designed Conductor’s Rail & Podium To Be Unveiled at Gala Concert

Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra are the recipients of a one-of-a-kind, sculptural conductor’s rail and podium from Ireland’s Joseph Walsh Studio. Completed in September 2023 after a year in the making, the ash stage-piece was created expressly for Abrams and the orchestra and given to them as an expression of gratitude to the Louisville-based benefactors and arts supporters who first introduced Walsh to the conductor. The new rail and podium will be unveiled to the public at a special gala concert on April 18, with Walsh in attendance. Celebrating Abrams’s tenth anniversary with the orchestra, the concert will feature their performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. More information about the event is available here.

Says Abrams: 

“Joseph Walsh is one of the great artists and artisans of our time; he is also a truly generous, thoughtful, and deeply curious creative individual. It is from his generosity of spirit and talent that this extraordinary podium and rail came to be. The piece is exquisite and unique – it lives and breathes with the same fluidity as a conductor and with the same energy as live music. Joseph’s insight into the physicality of music-making is manifest in his brilliant and beautiful work. It is an exceptional honor to bring Joseph’s piece to Louisville, and I can hardly believe that I will have the privilege of performing in concert with his art.”

Government Praise for Abrams and the LO

Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra (LO) have received a wave of recent praise from local and national government organizations for the success of their “In Harmony” statewide tour and GRAMMY win for work on Yuja Wang’s album The American Project. A letter from Senator Mitch McConnell (R) congratulated them on their GRAMMY win, writing “This distinction serves as a fitting recognition of your talent, perseverance, and dedication to artistic collaboration and further establishes Louisville as a vibrant creative community. I'm confident that the Commonwealth will continue to benefit from your artistic excellence, and I wish you the best in your future projects.” Also in recognition of their GRAMMY, the Kentucky Senate passed a resolution “in honor, celebration, and with the utmost pride in Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra,.” 

In addition to being awarded a key to the city from Mayor Craig Greenberg (D), Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) made a proclamation in honor of Abrams and the LO at the orchestra’s Frankfort show on February 28th . Earlier in the month, Abrams received a certificate of special congressional recognition from Representative Morgan McGarvey (D).

Louisville Orchestra Announces 2024-25 Season

The Louisville Orchestra (LO) and Music Director Teddy Abrams are thrilled to announce the lineup for their 2024–25 season. Season highlights include Abrams leading Barber’s Violin Concerto with soloist Ray Chen, along with the world premiere of Valerie Coleman’s Concerto for Orchestra and works from the Creators Corps (Nov 15 & 16); Sibelius’s Violin Concerto with soloist Midori along with Strauss’s monumental An Alpine Symphony (Jan 17 & 18); Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Louisville Chamber Choir (Oct 19); and a staged production of Viktor Ullmann’s one-act chamber opera Der Kaiser Von Atlantis (Jan 25). 

In the spring, the second annual Creators Fest returns with Abrams leading world premieres from each of the three participants in the newest incarnation of the Louisville Orchestra’s groundbreaking Creators Corps initiative – Baldwin Giang, Brittany J. Green and Oswald Huỳnh (May 9 & 10). The season is rounded out by a series of classic films with orchestral accompaniment including Nosferatu, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2 and The Nightmare Before Christmas; Coffee Series concerts on Fridays at 11am; performances at Indiana University Southeast’s Ogle Center in New Albany, Indiana; a Pops Series led by Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt; and much more.  

Abrams, who is ready to embark on his eleventh season with the orchestra, elaborates:

 “Our 2024-2025 season is a demonstration of the Louisville Orchestra’s values and unique capabilities. Our programming will showcase the extraordinary musicianship and virtuosity of our musicians in the widest range of repertoire. This breadth of music-making is a core part of our mission: we want to bring the world’s greatest music to Louisville while demonstrating that Louisville has the world’s greatest musical talent at home, too. From Alpine Symphony to Michael Tilson Thomas’ Meditations on Rilke, from Midori and Ray Chen to world premieres by our very own Creators Corps, we are offering a season of music that will both reflect and strengthen our community. While each program in our season explores powerful and profound narratives and subtexts, every concert will be a celebration of our orchestra, of Louisville, and of the universality of music itself." 

Visit louisvilleorchestra.org for more information.

Abrams and Louisville Orchestra Awarded Key to the City

The city of Louisville awarded Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra a key to the city on February 23, recognizing their recent GRAMMY win for work on Yuja Wang’s album The American Project. Abrams accepted the key from Mayor Craig Greenberg, who praised Abrams and the orchestra for “their incredible work and impact in our community and beyond. From creative programming to more accessible performances, youth experiences and more, the Louisville Orchestra shows their commitment to our city and our people every day, and I can think of no one more deserving than this team to receive the first key to the city of Louisville."

Abrams Named Emerson Collective Fellow

Teddy Abrams has been named a fellow of the Emerson Collective. One of twelve individuals selected for the Community Champions Cohort, Abrams is recognized for his contributions to building local community through music. Each member of the cohort “is undertaking a hyperlocal project focused on bridging divides and knitting their community together,” says Emerson Collective. “Driven by a deep understanding of the hopes and aspirations of their neighbors, and building on decades spent developing relationships and expertise that are firmly rooted in place, their work strengthens the civic fabric that bonds us together.”  

The Emerson Collective Fellowship aims to encourage people of exceptional talent to advance bold new projects in Emerson Collective’s priority areas: education, immigration, social justice, the environment, media, and health. The fellowship gives individuals autonomy to advance their current work, pursue exciting new chapters with unknown destinations, and make lasting breakthroughs.

GRAMMY Win for “The American Project”

Teddy Abrams was awarded his first GRAMMY at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on February 4. The Deutsche Grammophon album The American Project, featuring Pianist Yuja Wang and the Louisville Orchestra conducted by Abrams, took home a GRAMMY for "Best Classical Instrumental Solo.” 


The Piano Concerto at the center of the album was written by Abrams for Wang, his close friend and collaborator since the two were classmates at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music. Initially intended as a companion piece to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, the work evolved in scope during the composition process to become a 35-minute standalone showpiece for the pianist, about whom Abrams declares: “I think Yuja’s one of the greatest pianists alive, and of all time. I always intended for her to be the one to take this piece and make it her own.” 


The first-ever GRAMMY for Yuja Wang and the orchestra as well, this landmark achievement marks a significant milestone in the orchestra's illustrious history, paving the way for future artistic endeavors and collaborations. 


Listen to the album here.

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