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Creators Fest 2024

Friday, May 10, 2024 11:00am

Event Description

The musical finale of the second year of one of the most important and innovative orchestral residential programs culminates this weekend in May. Under the baton of Teddy Abrams, the LO will present commissioned pieces from our 23-24 Creators Corps, three artists who spend many months integrating into the Louisville community and connecting with the musicians of the Louisville Orchestra.

Concert Program:

Alex Berko World Premiere

My project for Creators Fest focuses on the theme of community, aiming to highlight the diverse experiences of growing up in Kentucky. This ranges from the rural countryside to bustling urban areas, and from quaint neighborhoods to expansive communities. I am collaborating with the Louisville Orchestra and eight vocalists from Artefact Ensemble, a renowned local choir, to bring this vision to life. The narrative of the piece is crafted as a collage, incorporating contributions from writers, students, and everyday citizens connected to Kentucky, weaving together their varied stories into a single, cohesive work.

Tanner Porter World Premiere

My piece, “True Lover’s Knot,” is a reimagining of the beloved Child Ballad “Barbara Allen,” and is specifically based on the version sung by the late, great Kentuckian Jean Ritchie. “Barbara Allen” tells the tragic story of two lovers— young William Greene, who on his death bed asks for the affection of his scorned love, Barbara Allen. She refuses him, but when she hears the knelling of his death bell, she too perishes of a broken heart. The truth of their love is honored in the afterlife, when out of his grave grows a red rose, and out of hers a green briar, which grow and entwine in a true lover’s knot. In reimagining this story as a new song-cycle, I wanted to use the imagery of the original ballad to offer a version where the two remain alive in the end. In my version, the pride of the jilted lover is eased, the death bells of the original ballad are turned to wedding bells, and the true lover’s knot that was found only in the grave is found instead in life.

Nkeiru Okoye World Premiere – Okoye, the Warrior Princess

Introducing “Okoye, the Warrior Princess,” a unique musical piece combining piano, orchestra, and a spoken narrative. This 20-minute performance is inspired by Afro-futurism and connects with the history of Louisville. Aimed at African American adults, young adults, and fans of Marvel/Disney’s The Black Panther series, the work draws parallels with the character Okoye, known from Danai Gurira’s portrayal. This project seeks to attract new audiences through its innovative blend of music and storytelling.

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Lead Funding for LOCC provided by: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Additional significant support provided by:
Owsley Brown II Family Foundation
Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Foundation
William M Wood Foundation
William and Susan Yarmuth
Edie Nixon
Ted and Mary Nixon
Anonymous

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Event Venue

Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Performing Arts Center
501 W Main St
Louisville, 40202 United States

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