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.”