The Lexington Philharmonic Proudly Announces the 2021/2022 Season: STORIES
June 16, 2021
For immediate release.
The Lexington Philharmonic is thrilled to announce the 2021/2022 Season: STORIES, a season which marks our much-awaited return to live, in-person, indoor performances for our central Kentucky community.
“While each of us have shared the experience of a global pandemic, each of our stories is unique,” says Interim Artistic Advisor, Kelly Corcoran. “Our stories connect us to one another and help us to build meaning about our experiences, those shared and those unique to each of us. As we celebrate being able to join together again for live performances, we are excited to present a season which lifts diverse voices and brings music to new spaces which honor the experiences we’ve shared during this moment.”
This season, LexPhil is thrilled to present live orchestral music experiences that bring back together more of our musicians, for more of our community, in programs featuring diverse repertoire, new concert formats, and explorations of music in new venues.
“Presenting and planning for a new season during the course of a global pandemic was a challenge that pushed all of us to reimagine how we deliver meaning through music,” says Allison Kaiser, Executive Director of the Lexington Philharmonic.
“As we explored new spaces, both indoor and outdoor, and formats, both online and in-person, over the course of the last year and a half, we have made many new relationships with venues and artists throughout central Kentucky. We are emerging from this pandemic ready to share theirs and our stories with you.”
LexPhil will present partnerships with new artistic collaborators, including Josephine Sculpture Park, The Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center, and Seedleaf. The first concert of the 2021/2022 Season: STORIES is a family-friendly concert called Harvest & Hear in collaboration with Seedleaf. Harvest & Hear will take place across three of Seedleaf’s community gardens on Saturday, July 17, 2021 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. This concert is a “musical scavenger hunt” through three of Seedleaf’s community gardens (London Ferrill, North Pole, and Community Urban Farm) including performances by LexPhil musicians, and the opportunity to harvest ingredients from each community garden to create a signature recipe. Registration for this free concert is requested. Attendees can register in advance, or at the event. Registration link and more information about the concert at Seedleaf can be found here.
“In planning for the season, we knew we wanted to also offer programs which would build on the new connections generated from our LexPhil in Your Neighborhood series,” says Allison Kaiser, Lexington Philharmonic. “Our collaborative concerts with both Seedleaf and Josephine Sculpture Park explore how music intersects with the world we live in.”
LexPhil’s Season Series concerts will resume in October 2021, beginning with a chamber orchestra concert at the Lexington Opera House, a chamber orchestra concert in November featuring the works by Lexington-born composer Julia Perry at the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center, and LexPhil’s annual A Cathedral Christmas concert at the Cathedral of Christ the King in collaboration with The Lexington Singers and guest-conductor John Nardollilo of University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.
The 2021/2022 Season: STORIES will close with the conclusion of LexPhil’s Music Director & Conductor Search. LexPhil will present three full-orchestra concerts in the spring of 2022 at the Singletary Center for the Arts. Program details about spring 2022 concerts will be announced in the fall of this year.
Tickets & Subscriptions
Tickets to programs through December 2021 will only be sold as single tickets. LexPhil members (Advocates and Champions) will receive first access to purchase tickets.
All subscription seat assignments at the Singletary Center for the Arts from previous seasons are saved, and will be honored as much as possible when we resume performances at the Singletary Center.
Tickets for programs through December 2021 will go on sale to members on Thursday, July 15, 2021.
Single tickets for the public on Monday, August 2, 2021.
2021/2022 Season: STORIES HIGHLIGHTS:
Saturday, July 17, 2021: Harvest & Hear a family-friendly musical and culinary scavenger hunt through three of Seedleaf’s community gardens in north Lexington.
Saturday, August 14, 2021: The return of Lexington’s summer tradition, Picnic with the Pops - Revolution! The Music of the Beatles at the Meadow at Keeneland. More information about tickets for Picnic with the Pops is available at www.lexpops.com, or by calling the Central Bank Center Box office at 859-233-3535.
Saturday, September 18, 2021: A Symphonic Stroll: LexPhil at Josephine Sculpture Park, an immersive evening of music, art, and nature, which pairs LexPhil musicians with sculptures at Frankfort, KY’s Josephine Sculpture Park.
Saturday, October 16, 2021: Queens Rule at the Lexington Opera House will feature a commissioned arrangement from Duke Ellington’s unfinished opera, Queenie Pie, combined with a performance of Haydn’s Symphony No. 85 “The Queen.” Supporting events connected to this program will dive into the music of the Queen’s Gambit, based in Lexington, and also the history of Ellington’s Queenie Pie.
Saturday, November 20, 2021: Sorrow, Strength, and Love at the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center features works by Lexington-born composer Julia Perry, including her “Stabat Mater,” the work that launched her career when it was composed for her mother in 1951.
Saturday, December 18, 2021: LexPhil returns to the Cathedral of Christ the King in December for A Cathedral Christmas, a collaborative holiday performance with the Lexington Singers, conducted by University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra's (UKSO) Music Director & Conductor, John Nardolillo.
In the spring of 2022, we welcome to Lexington our final two Music Director & Conductor candidates, Julia Tai & Keitaro Harada, for programs that include Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 “Scottish” and Prokofiev’s “Symphony No. 5” at the Singletary Center for the Arts.
Connect: STORIES: From exploring the Queen’s Gambit, to the life and work of Julia Perry, to music written during the time of war, Connect: Stories will explore the repertoire and themes of the 2021/2022 programs. These repertoire deep-dives and composer chats will be a combination of virtual and in-person experiences.
2021/2022 Season: STORIES
CHAPTER ONE: Summer
Harvest & Hear
Saturday, July 17, 2021
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Seedleaf’s Gardens
Rain date: Saturday, July 24, 2021
Join LexPhil on a musical and culinary scavenger hunt through three of Seedleaf’s community gardens. This fun, interactive family friendly adventure will feature performances by LexPhil musicians, activities, and harvesting in each garden culminating in a signature recipe that can be made with the garden ingredients.
Picnic with the Pops
Revolution: The Music of the Beatles
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Gates open at 4:00 PM
Show at dusk (approx. 8:30 PM)
The Meadow at Keeneland
4201 Versailles Rd, Lexington, KY 40510
Picnic with the Pops returns this August 14 to the Meadow at Keeneland for Revolution, a symphonic tribute to the music of the Beatles! Tickets and more information are available at www.lexpops.com.
A Symphonic Stroll
LexPhil at Josephine Sculpture Park
Saturday, September 18, 2021
5:00 - 8:00 PM
Rain date: Saturday, September 25, 2021
An Immersive Evening of Music, Art & Nature featuring:
LexPhil ensembles playing pieces at sculptures throughout the Park
Josephine Sculpture Park’s artist-in-residence Andrea Stanislav creating an interactive art piece
West Sixth Brewing & Food Trucks
Lexington Philharmonic, Josephine Sculpture Park & their artist-in-residence Andrea Stanislav, join together to present A Symphonic Stroll, an immersive evening of music, art, and nature! The sounds of LexPhil musicians will float through Josephine Sculpture Park as you stroll the grounds to discover musicians performing pieces connected to the sculptures where they reside. Internationally acclaimed performance artist, Stanislav, will be creating an interactive, immersive art piece titled “Reflect” throughout the event. Additionally, a string chamber ensemble will headline the night performing works by Mozart, Chen Yi and Jessie Montgomery. Timed entry and repeated short performances result in live music happening throughout the Park at every moment.
CHAPTER TWO: Fall & Winter
Queens Rule
Saturday, October 16, 2021
7:30 PM
Lexington Opera House
401 W Short St, Lexington, KY 40507
Inspired by the most powerful piece in the game of chess, this Queen-themed program explores how Queens, power and games have inspired composers. From the mysterious Queen of the Night of Mozart’s Magic Flute, to the dynamic Queenie Pie from Duke Ellington’s unfinished opera, Queens Rule explores a range of repertoire. This program will also feature a partnership with University of Kentucky Opera Theatre. Stay tuned for additional events connected to this program diving deeper into the music of the Queen’s Gambit which is based in Lexington, chess, and the history of Ellington’s Queenie Pie.
Repertoire to include: (Subject to change)
Carlos Rafael Rivera (arr. Boag) - Queen’s Gambit Main Title
Wolfgang A. Mozart - The Queen of the Night Aria from The Magic Flute
Samuel Barber - A Hand of Bridge
Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 85, B-Flat Major “The Queen”
Duke Ellington - Excerpts from Queenie Pie *
*Lexington Philharmonic’s commissioned arrangement
Sorrow, Strength, and Love
Saturday, November 20, 2021
7:30 PM
The Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center
300 E Third St, Lexington, KY 40508
Kelly Corcoran, Guest Conductor
Lexington native, Julia Perry, composed her Stabat Mater in 1951 and dedicated it to her mother. This work, evoking a desire for communal grieving while demonstrating strength and love, launched Perry’s career and was widely performed during her life. Exploring the power and voices of women of color, this concert features a range of repertoire by Julia Perry alongside spoken word performances by female artists. Some of Perry’s wind chamber music will be performed in addition to the concert. Joyous works by “Get Out” composer Michael Abels and more complete this evening of performance at the historic Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center.
Repertoire to include: (Subject to change)
George Walker - Lyric for Strings
Michael Abels - Delights and Dances for Strings
Julia Perry - Pastoral
Julia Perry - Stabat Mater
A Cathedral Christmas
Saturday, December 18, 2021
8:00 PM
Cathedral of Christ the King
299 Colony Blvd, Lexington, KY 40502
John Nardolillo, Guest Conductor
The Lexington Singers
Jefferson Johnson, Director
Saturday, December 18, LexPhil is joined by the Lexington Singers at the Cathedral of Christ the King for this Lexington holiday tradition. UKSO Conductor John Nardolillo guest conducts a program of sacred orchestral and choral works.
CHAPTER THREE: Music Director & Conductor Search Finale
Program details about spring 2022 programs will be announced in fall of this year.
Stay tuned to www.lexphil.org for more information and announcements.
All LexPhil program dates, repertoire, artists, and locations are subject to change.
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 and 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.
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All Lexington Philharmonic programs are made possible through the generous support of LexArts. In 2020-2021, the Lexington Philharmonic received $90,000 in unrestricted support. The Lexington Philharmonic is supported by the Lexington Philharmonic Foundation.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to the Lexington Philharmonic with state tax dollars and along with federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Singletary Center for the Arts hosts the core of LexPhil’s Season Series programs, and is a valued institutional partner of the Lexington Philharmonic.
Dupree Initiative for Innovation supports LexPhil’s commitment to innovation and artistic excellence.
The Hamilton Saykaly Garbulinska Foundation funds LexPhil’s commitment to continued artistic growth and community engagement.
Special thanks to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government for its continued partnership in ensuring a flourishing future for the arts in Lexington and central Kentucky.