LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Orchestra is spreading the love this fall.

In response to the pandemic, the Louisville Orchestra and Music Director Teddy Abrams announced the new Louisville Orchestra Virtual Edition (LOVE). The orchestra will present four online concerts to be streamed live and then available for on-demand viewing. Each concert will be available for individual streaming from Old Forester's Paristown Hall; however, LOVE subscribers will receive access to additional online content like music, conversations, and curiosities particular to Louisville.

The idea for LOVE was inspired by the "farm box" system where consumers have fresh produce delivered to their doorsteps. The orchestra is applying that idea to LOVE by including "locally grown" interviews, small ensemble performances, educational content, and more. The name is a reference to First Edition, the contemporary music recording series that put a young Louisville Orchestra on the international map.

The series opens with "Beethoven's Third" on Oct. 3, a program pairing the composer's "Eroica" with Jessie Montgomery's "Starburst" and works for voice and orchestra. Davóne Tines will join the orchestra for Samuel Barber's "Dover Beach," two songs from Caroline Shaw's "By and By," and the orchestral premiere of Tines's own composition "VIGIL." VIGIL, which pays tribute to Breonna Taylor, was created in collaboration with Dutch-French producer Igee Dieudonné, and arranged, on commission from the Louisville Orchestra, by Matthew Aucoin.

Other offerings will be available this fall, including "Abrams Conducts Stravinsky," "America Sings: Copland's Appalachian Spring" showcasing Kentucky native Sam Bush, and "American Soul" featuring the works of Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Ray Charles. "American Soul" will be offered free of charge for the Thanksgiving season. 

The performances will be available on-demand until Dec. 31. 

The orchestra said it will soon announce other activities in the areas of education, wellness, and community outreach.

“I am very proud of my Louisville Orchestra family for uniting around a shared vision for what a musical institution can and should be at a time like this. Our season will be one of public service, focused exclusively on supporting our city as we confront the many challenges of this era," said Abrams. "We have committed to three core values this year: improving the health of our community through music, providing exceptional music education to those that cannot afford it, and offering equal access to our music-making for everyone in Louisville. Our upcoming performances reflect these values, and they provide us with a chance to use our voice to heal and inspire our city when it needs us most.”

The Louisville Orchestra's Director of Marketing Michelle Winters said the new online channel is a leap forward.

“Launching the Louisville Orchestra’s online channel is an exciting leap forward when it comes to sharing the abundance of music available from the LO musicians. We now have a way to gather and perform for our community safely through this virtual medium until we can enjoy live music together again," Winter said.