LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA

Founded in 1937 by conductor Robert Whitney and civic leaders, the Louisville Orchestra has long been recognized as the cornerstone of the Louisville arts community. The ensemble offers a wide variety of concert series to the community, including classical programs featuring world-renowned guest artists, lighter classical and pops performances, and education and family offerings, the Orchestra is also the resident performing group for the Louisville Ballet and the Kentucky Opera. The Louisville Orchestra also performs concerts and provides educational programming throughout both Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Maestro Whitney and Charles Farnsley, Mayor of Louisville (1948-1953), conceived of an adventurous plan to make the commissioning and recording of new works for orchestra a centerpiece of the Orchestra's global mission. The Louisville Orchestra, as a result, is the first orchestra to create its own record label – First Edition Records – and with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, Louisville commissioned up to 52 new compositions each year from established and student composers worldwide and ultimately released nearly 150 vinyl recordings (LPs) of more than 450 works worldwide by subscriprion in more than 48 countries.