Conductors

Bold. Dynamic. Unforgettable.

The visionary conductors of the Louisville Orchestra bring bold leadership and artistic brilliance to every performance. Their dynamic energy captivates audiences, creating unforgettable musical experiences that resonate locally and beyond. Meet the creative forces driving the Louisville Orchestra to new heights.

Teddy Abrams

Music Director

Teddy Abrams, Grammy Award winner and Musical America’s 2022 Conductor of the Year, has been the galvanizing force behind the Louisville Orchestra (LO)’s artistic renewal since his appointment as Music Director in September 2014.

Following summer performances across Kentucky of the “In Harmony” tour – a multi-season initiative funded by the Commonwealth that takes the orchestra to every corner of the state – Abrams and the LO begin their 2024–25 season with Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Louisville Chamber Choir, followed by Ray Chen performing Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, debut works from members of the 2024–25 Creators Corps, Valerie Coleman’s Concerto for Orchestra, and a staged production of Viktor Ullmann’s one-act chamber opera Der Kaiser Von Atlantis. Abrams also continues to be in high demand as a guest conductor, making his conducting debut this season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and returning to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he will be joined by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, as well as the National Symphony Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic, and Curtis Symphony Orchestra.

In April 2023, Abrams premiered his own composition Mammoth with the LO and Yo-Yo Ma in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave, and in 2024 his piano concerto for Yuja Wang won a Grammy Award. Abrams is now at work on ALI, a musical about Muhammad Ali premiering in Chicago in spring 2025 before opening on Broadway in fall 2025; and—as part of the Emerson Collective Fellowship—an orchestral work that tells the story of the state of Kentucky, to premiere in the 2025–26 season.

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Bob Bernhardt

Principal Pops Conductor

Bob Bernhardt continues to bring his easygoing style, infectious enthusiasm, and outstanding musicianship to the Louisville Orchestra, where he has been a vital presence for over 45 years. Now in his 29th season as Principal Pops Conductor, Bob’s leadership has been integral to the orchestra’s success, following previous roles as Assistant and Associate Conductor.

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Gabriel Lefkowitz

Concertmaster & Resident Conductor

American violinist and conductor Gabriel Lefkowitz has captivated audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad in a dynamic and multi-faceted career as a performer, creator, and educator. Gabriel is the Concertmaster & Resident Conductor of The Louisville Orchestra, Artistic Director & Conductor of both the Louisville Civic Orchestra and The Chamber Orchestra of Louisville.

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