Orchestra Players Schedule Free Concerts Independent Of Management

As part of their Chapter 11 filing, the Louisville Orchestra will not be able to pay musicians after Wednesday. That means the Louisville Ballet will dance The Nutcracker to recorded music for the final few performances. But the orchestra's musicians will keep playing holiday concerts.To make up for the change in Nutcracker performances, the Louisville Orchestra Musicians Association has scheduled three free holiday concerts for this week.Small groups of musicians will play on Thursday and Friday, and the full ensemble will perform at Ballard High School on Saturday. The concerts were organized without the orchestra's administration, which is seeking to cut about one million dollars from the annual operating budget.No official concerts scheduled for next year have been cancelled, but the administration and musicians would have to reach an agreement about pay and the orchestra's budget in order for the shows to go on.The administration and musicians’ next court date is the 28th. The judge has ordered both sides not to speak to the press about the bankruptcy proceedings.The free concerts are:Thursday 12/16 at 7:30 pm at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in the Highlands. This is a chamber concert.Friday 12/17 at 7:30 pm at Beargrass Christian Church in St. Matthews. This is a chamber concert.Saturday 12/18 at 7:30 pm at Ballard High School. The full ensemble will play.