Review: “American” Creator’s Corp Classical Music on Display in Louisville

• Aaron Copland
  • Louisville Ballet
  • Andrea Schermoly, choreographer

Date of Attendance: Friday, April 10, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.

The sold-out April 11 concert precipitated today's morning matinee, and it was well attended. The concert is a celebration of sorts of all things 'American' with the first two pieces from current living American composers and the "Godfather' of American orchestration, Aaron Copland. I had no familiarity with this new music and the Appalachian Spring I've known for years, but have never witnessed in a theater. I love hearing music for the first time, and the "World Premiere" of Enter[ic] Portal by the resident composer Chelsea Komschlies and the 5 Movement piece, Silicon Hymnal by Mason Bates, were all completely new to me.

It is a stretch for most folks to hear 'new music'. Why? Composers today are running like crazy away from old traditions to create new sounds and styles. So, whenever you mention 'modern' music to classical music fans, you often get a collective groan because it is associated with music that is impossible to grasp in one hearing, and most of the time, impossible to enjoy. It's as if composers want to slap you around with music that has as its highest merit to be "not beautiful". So programming 'modern' music is risky for orchestras and opera companies. The Louisville Symphony was wise to market the Appalachian Spring as the main attraction, but sliding in the first two pieces was very well done and well chosen. Above and beyond that, I think the audience actually "liked" it.

Teddy Abrams, the Louisville Orchestra's articulate and energetic Music Director, does a great job of presenting the program to the audience. Chelsea Komschlies is the Resident Composer for the Louisville Orchestra and is a full-time employee of the orchestra. The Louisville Orchestra has been known for recording new pieces in the past, and I feel it is vital to sponsor a composer and have them create music for the sake of creating music, for the orchestra, and into the world. As Musiterania is all about funding musicians, I am thrilled that the Louisville Orchestra supports it, which means people of the city of Louisville support it. I'll admit, being a Louisville native gives me a bit of pride in it myself.

The "Creator's Corp" was used to create a multimedia piece of original music by Chelsea Komschlies, combined with electronic musical elements and computer-generated video to hypnotize the audience. ENTER[ic] PORTAL reminded me somewhat of the psychedelic effects during the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey'' by Stanley Kubrick. Instead of a voyage into the depths of space, this voyage was all about traveling to the center of us, the "Gut". It is an exploration of the feelings we have during life's travels and experiences. The orchestration of this piece is absolutely mesmerizing. It is a piece that is quite easy to listen to while being very complex and intricate. There were some effects that I had never heard before from the orchestra, and the weaving of the electronic effects was so well done that it was difficult to recognize the separation. I have to say it is quite the 'glorious' celebration of what orchestras can do. Maestro Abrams doesn't just get them through the piece; he creates exciting moments and tender touches for music that nobody has ever played or heard before. It is quite the accomplishment. I'd love to have this as a recording as well as hear it again in concert. One time is not enough. 

Silicon Hymnal by Mason Bates is a 5 movement piece that is melded together into what I perceived to be three separations. The piece features a 'concerto' type of presentation with the group "Time for Three" that stands in front of the podium and enthusiastically jams with the orchestra. Check out the program notes here! Aaron Grad's notes provide the details about the piece you will want to read. It says a lot about the Time for Three and the Louisville Orchestra that Mason Bates would entrust the first recording to be done this weekend. 

Nick Kendall, violin and vocals; Charles Yang, violin, mandolin, and vocals; and Ranaan Meyer, double bass and vocals, make up the harmonious triad this piece was designed to incorporate. Their instruments were amplified, and they sang with mikes to balance the sound of the large orchestra behind them. Some of the orchestral effects came with an electronic component that fused the various elements. I will be looking forward to the recording of this piece that is being made from the Louisville performances. There is so much in the piece that capturing it in writing is impossible. The program notes provide a lot of education on it, much better than any description I could provide here after one listening. It is a pretty long piece and the length was broken up by the variety of sounds the trio produced, with the strumming of violins, the playing of the Mandolin by Charles Yang, and the singing they provided in the "Abide with me" hymn section of the piece that was miraculously interwoven into the structure of the movement. The Finale was indeed that. It raced to the end like one of the great Kentucky Derby races that Louisville is known for. The musicianship and the tight conducting of the orchestra made for an almost rock concert type of energy that brought the audience to its feet with ecstatic applause.

Time for Three performed a lengthy encore with some beautiful singing, especially by Charles Yang, and harmonized well with Nick Kendall and Ranaan Meyer. There is a strong sense of fusion between a Bluegrass "Americana" style of music, mixed with Jazz and Classical elements, that makes them captivating to listen to. Nick Kendall is the 'frontman' of the group and engages well with the audience. Ranaan Meyer's Bass solo led in the encore with passion and skill. I look forward to listening to more of their music.

The concert featuring Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring Ballet with the Louisville Ballet has been something I've wanted to hear and see my entire life. For me, the primary attraction is the music and the sound of an orchestra playing purely acoustic music. So, I sat in the balcony to hear the music, and from there you have a full view of the stage to see the ballet. My experience with the Zürich Ballet, back when I was in the Zürich Opera Studio, taught me that ballet is best appreciated up close. I would love to see the Louisville Ballet up close because they look like a fine company of dancers.

The presentation of what I call "Real" music, music that is played by human beings, on instruments built by human hands, and is made to be listened to in a concert hall, is what I am trying to emphasize in my reviews. I understand that electronic music is a part of our musical landscape and that it can be used to create new types of musical experiences, but I am still in amazement at just how profound orchestral music played live is. I've listened to "App Spring" many times on stereos. Sure, it is good. But when you hear music live in concert, it is a completely different experience. The subtle sound of the strings as they create a sunrise and the melody of the clarinet as it introduces the day, only to be given to the flute at the end of it, are magical sounds. They are so ethereal and absolutely spellbinding. When you have real dancers performing with this music, it becomes a 'multimedia' kind of art on its own.

Story lines in Ballet have always been a curiosity to me. Appalachian Spring had two pairs of dancers and then the corps of the ballet. There was the obvious courtship of the girl and the boy who danced exquisitely throughout the piece. The man and the woman, apparently a Rivalist preacher and a frontier lady, were the aggressive counterpoles to the couple in love. It is worth noting that Appalachian Spring was not the original name of the piece, but was taken from the cycle of poems The Bridge by Hart Crane before the premiere by choreographer Martha Graham. The corps of the ballet danced beautifully together and provided support for the main characters. Andrea Schermoly organized a wonderful choreography on the front lip of the stage, which moved well within the confined area. The costumes were tastefully done and graceful.

Overall the concert was a huge success. The passive lighting affects throughout as well as during the ballet enhanced the performances and made for a colorful experience for all. A truly profound concert for today's audience.

In the end, what this program in Louisville affirms is something at the very heart of Musiterania: music is not a museum—it is alive. The great thing about music is that it is a re-creative art form that gives every piece a rebirth when it is performed. New music breathes new life through new creations, bold experimentation, and the timeless beauty of works that continue to speak across generations. From the daring sound worlds of today’s composers to the enduring spirit of Copland, this concert reminded us that supporting musicians means supporting the full spectrum of artistic expression. When orchestras invest in creators, and audiences show up with open ears, something powerful happens—we don’t just preserve music, we move it forward. And that is a journey worth taking, again and again.