NEW ORLEANS
Earlier this year, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) Board of Trustees announced the selection of renowned conductor Matthew Kraemer as its new Music Director. A trio of works will kick off the 2023-2024 season and Kraemer’s official introduction to the podium at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 14, at the Orpheum Theater.
“I’m beyond honored to stand among the incredible musicians of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra,” said Matthew Kraemer, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director. “The LPO is woven into the very soul of New Orleans and Louisiana, and together, we will continue to magnify its influence and embrace new horizons as we kick off the 33rd season this September.
“We can hardly contain our excitement as we prepare for Matthew’s opening performance and the 2023-2024 season,” said Anwar Nasir, Executive Director of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. “His musicality and collaborative spirit have captured our hearts. Matthew’s dedication to making New Orleans his artistic haven is a testament to his commitment and leadership.
The 2023-2024 season will feature an array of programming, including LPO’s brand new Music at The Marigny curated by Kraemer, the Orpheum Session Orchestral Series, Holiday Concerts, Family Concert Series, and additional musicians to this year’s roster. This season, the orchestra will present a variety of musical styles with music by Beethoven, Ellington, Mozart, Still, Brahms, Gershwin, Wynton Marsalis, Holst, Dvoák, Gabriella Ortiz, and Price.
Kraemer’s Upcoming Season Highlights
Thursday, September 14, 2023 | 7:30 PM
Opening Night
Matthew Kraemer, Conductor
Stacy Garrop: Song of Orpheus
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
Kraemer will open the season with a trio of works to set the stage for what’s ahead. A world premiere commission by internationally renowned composer Stacy Garrop will usher in the new era. The remainder of the program will showcase exceptional pieces of the German repertoire, including Hindemith’s “Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes” by Carl Maria von Weber and one of Beethoven’s most popular orchestral works, Symphony No. 5.
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 | 6 PM
Stravinsky at the New Marigny
Matthew Kraemer, Conductor
Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano
Handel: Selections from Water Music
Malcolm Parson: ALFRED for Chamber Orchestra
Honegger: Pastorale d’ete
Stravinsky: Suite from Pulcinella
The first concert of the chamber orchestra series at the New Marigny Theatre features works by Respighi, Handel, Honegger, and Stravinsky.
Northshore Classics: Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite | 7:30 PM
Fuhrmann Auditorium (Covington)
Matthew Kraemer, Conductor
Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano
Handel: Selections from Water Music
Malcolm Parson: ALFRED for Chamber Orchestra
Honegger: Pastorale d’ete
Stravinsky: Suite from Pulcinella
The Northshore Classics season opens with Igor Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, originally a ballet with arias for soprano, tenor, and bass vocal soloists. Stravinsky later extracted a suite of eight movements from his ballet and used instrumental passages to replace the singing roles. Experience a work that retains the charm of Baroque dances mixed with the harmonic and rhythmic inventiveness of twentieth-century Stravinsky. The program also features an LPO Premiere by local composer Malcolm Parson.
Thursday, October 12, 2023 and Friday, October 13, 2023
GET OUT™ in Concert
Matthew Kraemer, Conductor
When Chris, a young African American man, visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in the more sinister, real reason for the invitation. At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | 6 PM
Milhaud at the New Marigny
Matthew Kraemer, Conductor
Gershwin: Overture from Primrose
Ibert: Divertissement
Christopher Trapani: Sing Into My Mouth
Antheil: A Jazz Symphony
Weill: Little Threepenny Music (suite from Threepenny Opera)
Milhaud: La création du monde, op. 81
This concert will feature a variety of musical styles, from jazz to classical and from experimental to traditional. The music will take the audience on a sonic journey.
October 28, 2023 | 6:30 PM
Sunset Symphony: Mandeville Lakefront
Matthew Kraemer, Conductor
The LPO returns to Mandeville Lakefront Park for this free concert to perform works by Copland, Gershwin, John Williams, Duke Ellington, and more as the sun sets over beautiful Lake Pontchartrain.
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Holiday Spectacular
Matthew Kraemer, Conductor
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will kick off the holiday season with “Holiday Spectacular,” a live concert with a special sing-a-long featuring the Isidore Newman School Chorus at the Orpheum Theater for the entire family.
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Birth of A Culture
Matthew Kraemer, Conductor
Big Chief Juan Pardo, Artist
Matthew Kraemer returns to lead an evening of premieres in concert for New Orleans. Big Chief Juan Pardo joins the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for a world-premiere composition by Maxim Samarov. The piece tells the story of the Mardi Gras Indians and celebrates the unique and remarkable culture found exclusively in New Orleans. The orchestra will also be featured in a new work by Arlene Sierra and a preview of Wynton Marsaslis’ “Concerto For Orchestra.”
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra maintains live orchestral music as an integral part of the cultural and educational traditions of the New Orleans area, the entire state of Louisiana, and the Gulf South region. The mission of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is to transform people and communities through music. From intimate chamber music performances to exhilarating classics and dynamic pop presentations, the musical organization produces a comprehensive spectrum of concert programming that balances an exploratory repertoire with established masterworks.
Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at lpomusic.com
