With Arms Wide Open

A Conversation with Teddy Abrams, Louisville Orchestra Music Director & Grammy Award Winner

March 15, 2024 Episode 23
With Arms Wide Open
A Conversation with Teddy Abrams, Louisville Orchestra Music Director & Grammy Award Winner
Show Notes

What's it like to win a Grammy? Teddy Abrams tells us in his own words ... and his answer might surprise you.

This podcast episode is powerful, especially for anyone who has a passion or dream! For the last decade, Teddy has been a conductor, pianist, clarinetist, and composer and presently serves as the Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra and the Britt Festival Orchestra. Under his leadership, the Louisville Orchestra has experienced unprecedented success and its attendance has increased 30%. As Musical America’s 2022 Conductor of the Year, Teddy has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, the New Yorker, and NPR, among other media outlets. You can download to listen, or watch now!

Watch: https://youtu.be/2EJ519TZ7UM 

Our CEO Dave Calzi sits down with Teddy to talk all things music: 

  • Teddy shares how his upbringing influenced him at an early age. He began improvising on piano at age 3 and has fallen in love with music ever since! 
  • Teddy took over the Louisville Orchestra at a time when it was not in a great spot and had filed for bankruptcy in 2013. He shares how a tight budget actually inspired a culture of artistic creativity. 
  • Teddy is known for riding his bike everywhere. He just got his driver's license. He tells us why! 
  • This February, Teddy received his first ever Grammy Award after winning the Best Classical Instrumental Solo for the orchestra's performance in “The American Project” with world-renowned pianist Yuja Wang. 
  • The Louisville Orchestra is playing their third “Music Without Borders” performance at the Family Success Center on Friday, April 12. Teddy shares why it's important to make music available to everyone in our community. You can get your free tickets today!

    To learn more, visit https://louisvilleorchestra.org/. 

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