VISION
LexPhil believes in the transformative power of live orchestral music and envisions a culture of curiosity for the creation and performance of great music and the essential role it plays in a vibrant community and education system.
VALUES
LexPhil is guided by an unwavering commitment to its core values of
ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE | INNOVATION | COLLABORATION | ACCESSIBILITY
MISSION
To foster excellence and innovation in the performance and presentation of great music; to enrich the lives of our diverse citizenry; to educate current and future audiences and to bring distinction to our community through the orchestra’s presence and standing.
OUR HISTORY
Originally named the Central Kentucky Philharmonic Society, the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra (LexPhil) was created in 1961 to provide background music for a film produced by the Department of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky. The orchestra was made up of about 65 volunteer musicians, many of whom were faculty and students at surrounding colleges and universities, including the University of Kentucky, Morehead State University, Eastern Kentucky University and graduates of the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra. The Philharmonic’s first season consisted of three concerts, all performed at Henry Clay High School; the cost of a full season subscription was just $5 per adult, $2.50 per student and $12.50 per family!
In July 1961, Robert King was named first Music Director and Conductor of the Central Kentucky Philharmonic Society, which then became the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra in 1965. During his tenure, King helped develop the group of 65 musicians into a cohesive orchestra, which soon became the largest arts organization in central Kentucky.
Leo Scheer joined LexPhil in 1965 as Music Director and Conductor. Scheer, a native of Jersey City, NJ, was the first conductor of LexPhil to implement a policy of paying all musicians, who had previously been members of the orchestra on a volunteer basis. Scheer was Music Director for six seasons before he resigned in 1971.
In 1972, Dr. George Zack joined LexPhil as Music Director and Conductor after a year-long search during the 71-72 season. Dr. Zack was chosen by a committee made up of sponsors, LexPhil Board Members, members of the LexPhil Guild, and the principal musician of each section of the orchestra. Dr. Zack served as LexPhil’s Music Director for 37 years before his retirement in 2009. A native of Arkansas, Dr. Zack has been an incredible presence in not only the history of the LexPhil orchestra, but in the Lexington community.
In April 2009, Scott Terrell was named Music Director and Conductor of LexPhil after a two-year search that drew from 278 applications. A native of Michigan, Terrell worked with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra for five years prior to joining LexPhil and was the Assistant Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1998-2003. Maestro Terrell led the orchestra for ten years, his tenure concluding in May of 2019.
In summer of 2022, LexPhil announced the appointment of Mélisse Brunet as Music Director following a national three-year search interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Brunet officially assumed the role of Music Director during the 2022 - 2023 Season, with an initial term of five years. Since LexPhil’s founding in 1961, Brunet is the orchestra’s fifth Music Director and the first woman to hold the position.
Today, LexPhil provides over 200 concerts, education and community programs every year, engaging communities across the region and reaching thousands of students in schools. With educational programming such as Sound Explorers! kids concerts, Instrument Petting Zoos, Teaching Artists, and In-School Programs, LexPhil is reaching beyond the traditional realms of orchestral music presentation to provide innovative and exciting opportunities in music across the Bluegrass.