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Roarchestra Returns!
July 6, 2024 @ 8:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Thank you to everyone who joined us. Hopefully, we will see you next year!
Zoo opens at 7:00 p.m. (Enjoy Zoo grounds until 8 p.m.)
Concert begins at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets
Adults: $30
Children (3-11): $15
Children 2 and Under: Free!
Parking is included in the ticket price.
Already purchased tickets? See the digital program!
ROARchestra is back! The Louisville Orchestra and your Louisville Zoo have partnered together again to present a wildly entertaining musical evening. Bring your blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy live music under the stars at the Zoo’s renovated Oasis stage.
The Louisville Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Teddy Abrams, will present a vibrant mix of classical and contemporary pieces. Experience the rhythm and soul of America through performances by vocalists Jason Clayborn, Daria Raymore, Teaira Dunn, CeCe Dunn, and Latiana Clayborn. Enjoy Bernstein’s energetic On the Town, the sweeping beauty of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, and timeless hits by legends like James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Lionel Richie.
CLICK FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!
Sponsorships and VIP table options are available!
For information about sponsorship and other VIP options, please contact Morgan McLaughlin, morgan.mclaughlin@louisvilleky.gov or (502) 238-5386. Click to see the ROARchestra Sponsorship Levels.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Outside food and drinks are permitted. No outside alcohol will be permitted.
Terms of Use and Refunds
No refunds, rainchecks, or exchanges.
All activities are seasonal and subject to the cooperation of the weather, animals, & Zoo maintenance. This ticket is one time use only.
Conductor
Teddy Abrams, Musical America’s 2022 Conductor of the Year, starts his 11th season as Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra (LO) this fall. Since 2014, Abrams has been the driving force behind the orchestra’s artistic renewal and innovative community engagement.
Abrams launched the LO’s Creators Corps initiative, offering a fully funded residency for composers. His compositions include “Mammoth,” performed in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave, and a Grammy Award Winning piano concerto, “The All American Project” with Yuja Wang, featured on Deutsche Grammophon. He is working on “ALI,” a new Broadway musical about Muhammad Ali, premiering in 2024.
Abrams has collaborated with artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Jim James, and Storm Large. His adventurous projects with the LO include “The Order of Nature” and the rap opera “The Greatest: Muhammad Ali.”
Performers
Jason Clayborn is the oldest of six born to Jocelyn Clayborn in Louisville, Kentucky. Clayborn’s gospel music roots run deep, He is the grandson to Wilma Clayborn who was the first female gospel music disc jockey for the local gospel radio station. She also owned one of the only gospel music record stores in the state. At an early age, Clayborn began singing and playing drums in the local church and in the National Convention of Gospels Choirs and Choruses (NCGCC). Clayborn has toured the world with other national artists including several European and African tours with Dr. Ron Kenoly. In 2002, Clayborn was signed to Tyscot Records as a member of the world-renowned hip-hop gospel group, The Righteous Riders. During this time, Clayborn was nominated for three Gospel Music Association (GMA) awards, and a Stellar Award. Clayborn has also made appearances on BET, TBN and was a Kellogg’s Choir Competition spokesperson.
Daria Raymore is a singer from Louisville, Ky. She has been singing and performing her whole life. Raymore is well known for her undeniable vocal talent and art. She has sung for lots of different events all across the world. She has toured in different countries, she has recorded many albums. But one she is most proud of is her very own (untitled) album that she is currently working on. She released her first music video on Sep. 18 2022! She has performed with the Louisville Orchestra with her brother, Jason Clayborn. Raymore is a seasoned artist, who was raised by a musically inclined family. Raymore’s passion for music is the epitome of her craft.
ROARCHESTRA PROGRAMLEONARD BERNSTEIN DVOŘÁK ELLIS/BROWN ARETHA FRANKLIN STEVIE WONDER LIONEL RICHIE LEONARD BERNSTEIN TYLER TAYLOR TEDDY ABRAMS GOFFIN/KING/WEXLER BROWN/NEWSOME OTIS REDDING ASHFORD/SIMPSON Encore: TCHAIKOVSKY |
About the Louisville Orchestra
The Louisville Orchestra was created in 1937 and sprung up in a time of need, just after the great flood and in the wake of the depression. Robert Whitney was invited to conduct the newly established orchestra, known then as the Louisville Philharmonic, and arrived from Chicago that same year. In its formation, the goal was to create a new model for the American symphony orchestra, as it was conceived through an ambitious effort that emphasized innovation through the commissioning, performance, and recording of new works by contemporary composers. The Louisville Orchestra garnered international critical acclaim, became the first orchestra to establish a record label, and cemented a place in history for its contribution to contemporary classical music. In its first two decades, the Louisville Orchestra commissioned/recorded up to 52 new works annually and ultimately created 150 vinyl recordings (LPs) of more than 450 works.
The Louisville Orchestra continues to be recognized as a cornerstone of the Louisville performing arts community. Music Director Teddy Abrams has helmed the Louisville Orchestra since 2014, and the Louisville Orchestra has returned to its origins of commissioning new music and recording, having released two albums under the prestigious Decca Gold label. A wide variety of immersive and innovative concert performances and educational programming continue to receive national attention. Recent press coverage includes articles and mentions in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and CBS Sunday Morning. Accolades include three invitations to perform at Carnegie Hall; the Leonard Bernstein Award for Excellence in Educational Programming; the League of American Orchestras 2019 Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service; and 19 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) awards for adventurous programming in use of contemporary music.