LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For music director Teddy Abrams, the Louisville Orchestra has always belonged to the people. The highs, the lows, the orchestra can reflect the community because it is part of the community.
This year the orchestra hit a major high, scoring their very first Grammy nomination for “The American Project.” The composition is an original piano concerto, written by Abrams and featuring Yuja Wang playing the piano.
Abrams says the recognition of simply being nominated is hugely gratifying for himself and the orchestra.
“I mean I forget even the statistic but it’s like tens of thousands of albums that are put out to the public every single day. It’s an insane amount of music,” Abrams said. “And when you think about music, of tracks, of album that are all competing for this chance to be just one of four or five…that is a very small funnel of music that makes the cut.”
There’s one other group that Abrams says should feel the same amount of pride and gratification, the city of Louisville. Every single person.
“When there is a recognition like this that happens, it needs to then be a shared kind of celebration for everybody,” Abrams said.
The music director continued to say that his vision of the orchestra is a welcoming one and one that reflects the community it lives in.
“No matter what kind of music you like, no matter what you like to do when you go to concerts, how you like to go to concerts, the orchestra is a home for everyone. So if we have a success for our orchestra, it’s a success for our city,” Abrams said.
“I just hope everyone can feel that pride, that enthusiasm, that excitement, and that sense of what makes Louisville great. Because we’re trying to go out there on the national and international stage and represent our city because we know what a special place this is,” he continued.
Abrams described the piece as “uplifting.” He said that the piece was inspired by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, bringing together elements of pop, jazz, funk, and, “all of the things we have right now that generate the music people love across the country.”
Abrams says that he will be in attendance on Feb. 4 when the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards take place in Los Angeles. The dream would be to take home the award and put Louisville firmly in the classical music world spotlight, but to Abrams, the accomplishment is already there.
“To say you’re Grammy nominated is a forever thing. Now we’re always going to be Grammy nominated which is really special for all of us.”
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