The Lexington Philharmonic Proudly Announces the 2023-2024 Season: EPIC VOICES
The Lexington Philharmonic proudly announces the 2023-2024 Season, a dynamic celebration of EPIC VOICES through vibrant performances that tell powerful stories.
This season marks the return of LexPhil’s celebrated Saykaly Garbulinska Composer-in-Residence program, the bi-annual commissioning program founded in 2012 through the generosity of the late Dr. Ronald Sayakaly.
LexPhil is thrilled to announce Lexington-born, GRAMMY®-nominated composer, Shawn E. Okpebholo, as the sixth composer to be named LexPhil’s Composer-in-Residence.
The 2023-2024 Season is Mélisse Brunet’s second season in her role as Music Director of the Lexington Philharmonic, and is her first season programming the repertoire, collaborations and artists comprising the season.
“I am beyond thrilled to present for our community a season that fully lives up to the “epic” title. From some of the most loved stories of all time told through the music of John Williams, to the powerful works of our Composer-in-Residence Shawn E. Okpebholo, we can’t wait to take our audiences on this adventure through the power, potential, and joy that music holds.”
- Mélisse Brunet
Music Director
2023-2024 SEASON: EPIC VOICES
Epic highlights of the 2023-2024 Season include:
The return of summer favorites, the PATRIOTIC CONCERT on Monday, July 3, 2023 presented by the City of Lexington, and a night of “disco meets classical” for PICNIC WITH THE POPS: AN EVENING OF SYMPHONIC DISCO! featuring Boogie Wonder Band on Saturday, August 12, 2023
The awe-inspiring pairing of music and nature at the third SYMPHONIC STROLL with Frankfort’s Josephine Sculpture Park on Saturday, September 9, 2023
VISIONS & VOICES, the first full-orchestra program of the season at the Singletary Center for the Arts on Friday, October 20, 2023 featuring two powerful works by Composer-in-Residence Shawn E. Okpebholo, and the combined choral forces of The Lexington Singers & Children’s Choir, the University of Kentucky Chorale & Men’s Chorus with featured soloists from the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre for Carl Orff’s magnum opus Carmina Burana
The cinematic writing of John Williams’ beloved scores from movies including Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jurassic Park performed by LexPhil at SPACE, DINOSAURS, & MAGIC: The Music of John Williams on Saturday, November 18, 2023
A Lexington holiday favorite, A CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS, with The Lexington Singers on Saturday, December 16, 2023 in the beautiful setting of the Cathedral of Christ the King
FEEL THE LOVE! The Voices of Soul, a special Valentine’s Day orchestral tribute on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 to the iconic Aretha Franklin at the Lexington Opera House
MAVERICKS on Saturday, March 9, 2024 featuring Tchaikovsky’s triumphant Symphony No. 4 and the Kentucky premieres of two Lexington Philharmonic co-commissions, Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain Suite and Clarice Assad’s Bohemian Queen, a concerto for trumpet written for guest artist, Mary Elizabeth Bowden
TWO BLACK CHURCHES: OKPEBHOLO WORLD PREMIERE, the season finale concert on Saturday, May 18, 2024 featuring world premiere of the world premiere of an orchestration of Saykaly Garbulinska Composer-in-Residence Shawn E. Okpebholo’s Two Black Churches, originally commissioned by baritone Will Liverman, who will join LexPhil for the world premiere performance
SAYKALY GARBULINSKA COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE: Shawn E. Okpebholo
LexPhil is proud to reignite and reimagine the Saykaly Garbulinska Composer-in-Residence program through the appointment of Lexington-born composer Shawn E. Okpebholo as our 2023-2024 Composer-in-Residence. Okpebholo is a GRAMMY®-nominated, critically-acclaimed and award-winning composer whose works have been performed and premiered in nearly every state in the US and throughout the world. Okpebholo is the sixth composer to be named LexPhil’s Composer-in-Residence. His orchestration of Two Black Churches, originally commissioned by baritone Will Liverman, will be the sixth piece that LexPhil will premiere since the program’s inception.
Born and raised in Lexington, KY, the Lexington Philharmonic is the first orchestra that Okpebholo experienced as a young person. Okpebholo is a graduate of Tates Creek High School, and graduated from Asbury University with his bachelor’s degree in music composition and music history. He received his master and doctoral degrees in composition from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, where he also studied music theory.
Founded in 2012 through the generous support by the late Dr. Ronald Saykaly, LexPhil is proud to be an orchestra that supports the creation of new orchestral music by living composers. During the 2023-2024 Season, LexPhil will expand the Composer-in-Residence program to span multiple concerts and events throughout the season, and present additional opportunities for audiences to connect with Okpebholo.
LEARNING & PARTNERSHIPS
Each season, LexPhil brings community music-making events designed for people of all ages and types of musical abilities throughout central Kentucky. The 2023-2024 season will expand and build on several new programs launched in 2022-2023.
Highlights of the 2023-2024 season include additional chamber performances (to be announced), continued opportunities for students to engage with LexPhil guest artists, musicians, and composers through LexPhil’s Learning Programs, open rehearsals, in-classroom music-making activities with LexPhil Teaching Artists at school residencies, creative aging programs for seniors, and LexPhil’s traveling MusicLab (formerly the “Instrument Petting Zoo) which is brought to libraries, community fairs, and events throughout the year.
TICKETS & SUBSCRIPTIONS: ON SALE DATES
Subscription renewal information will be sent to previous subscribers at the end of May 2023, and the renewal period for current subscribers will officially begin on Thursday, June 1, 2023. Previous subscribers can renew their subscriptions through Tuesday, August 1, 2023. Subscriptions can be made from any combination of three or more LexPhil concerts at Josephine Sculpture Park, the Lexington Opera House, Cathedral of Christ the King, and the Singletary Center for the Arts. Subscribers receive several perks, including the same seat at each venue for each performance, zero handling fees on subscription packages and future ticket exchanges, and invitations to special events throughout the season.
New subscriptions and tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday, July 3, 2023.
Tickets for LexPhil events range from $25 - $85, and LexPhil is proud to offer a student and youth (17 & under) rate of $11 for most LexPhil performances.
For more information about subscriptions and tickets, please contact the Lexington Philharmonic at 859.233.4226, or visit lexphil.org.
Artist headshots available upon request.
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.
The Lexington Philharmonic is supported by the Lexington Philharmonic Foundation.
All Lexington Philharmonic programs are made possible through the generous support of LexArts.
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.
Shawn E. Okpebholo’s appointment as LexPhil’s 2023-2024 Composer–in-Residence is made possible by the Saykayly Garbulinska Composer-in-Residence Fund. Founded in 2012 through the generous support of the late Dr. Ronald Saykaly, this bi-annual program has commissioned world premieres of works by five living composers since its inception.
The Hamilton Saykaly Garbulinska Fund supports LexPhil’s commitment to continued artistic growth and collaboration.
LexPhil’s Learning & Partnership programs are generously supported by Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK).
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.
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.
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Press contact: Mollie Harris, Director of Marketing & Development: mollie@lexphil.org