Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
A musician-governed professional orchestra based in New Orleans and serving Louisiana and the wider Gulf South.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is a professional American symphony orchestra based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in September 1991 after the collapse of the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, it was established by musicians from that ensemble and developed a distinctive musician-governed, collaboratively operated structure. The organization is recognized as the longest-standing professional symphony orchestra in the United States to operate under this model and is described as the only full-time professional orchestra in the Gulf South. The LPO presents a broad annual program rather than limiting itself to a conventional classical subscription series. Its approximately 36-week season includes traditional Classics programs, less formal Casual Classics performances, Family concerts, education events, community outreach, special events, and productions connected with local performing-arts organizations. The orchestra is also associated with the New Orleans Opera Association and Delta Festival Ballet, extending its role beyond symphonic concerts into opera, ballet, film presentations, and large-scale productions. New Orleans is central to the orchestra's identity. The LPO's musicians live in the city and work throughout the Gulf South, while its principal home is the Orpheum Theater. Hurricane Katrina forced the musicians to evacuate in 2005 and severely damaged the Orpheum, requiring performances at alternative sites, including Palmer Park, during the recovery period. When the theater reopened in 2015, the LPO performed at its inaugural gala and subsequently became its anchor tenant. For films and larger productions, the orchestra also performs at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. The organization combines symphonic repertoire with programming rooted in Louisiana's distinctive musical culture. It has increasingly collaborated with local and regional artists, including Tank and The Bangas, the Lost Bayou Ramblers, and Big Freedia. These projects have connected orchestral performance with New Orleans funk, Louisiana roots music, and bounce. The LPO's collaboration with the Lost Bayou Ramblers produced the live album Live: Orpheum Theater NOLA, which won the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. Its performance with Big Freedia was presented as the first collaboration between a bounce artist and an orchestra and later became Big Freedia's first live album. The LPO also maintains a substantial education and outreach mission. Its programs serve more than 12,000 New Orleans-area students annually, while the annual Musical Louisiana broadcast and related teaching materials reach an estimated 50,000 middle-school students across Louisiana. Early Explorer Concerts introduce pre-kindergarten through first-grade children to orchestral music through hands-on activities and age-appropriate performances. Young People's Concerts combine curriculum materials, interaction with musicians, and full-orchestra programs; through a partnership with Carnegie Hall's Link Up program, participating students can learn recorder or violin and perform with the orchestra. The orchestra has maintained a regional base while also undertaking nationally visible performances. In 2005 it joined the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center for a benefit concert supporting LPO musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. In 2018 it made its Carnegie Hall debut in a program celebrating composer Philip Glass, conducted by then music director Carlos Miguel Prieto. Since July 2023, the orchestra has been led by music director Matthew Kraemer, following the tenures of founding music director Klauspeter Seibel and Prieto.
History
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in September 1991 following the demise of the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra. Its initial musicians came largely from that earlier organization, but its first music director was Klauspeter Seibel rather than the former orchestra's music director, Maxim Shostakovich. Seibel led the new ensemble from 1991 until his retirement in 2005 and helped establish the LPO's long-term identity as a musician-governed and collaboratively operated professional orchestra. The orchestra's home city has remained a defining part of its work. Based in New Orleans, the LPO performs throughout the Gulf South and maintains relationships with other local cultural institutions. It serves as the orchestra for the New Orleans Opera Association and for Delta Festival Ballet, whose association with the city's earlier Philharmonic-Symphony tradition dates back to a 1976 co-presentation of Sleeping Beauty. The LPO's work therefore spans symphonic concerts, opera, ballet, film programs, and other large productions. A major interruption came with Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. LPO musicians evacuated, and flooding damaged the Orpheum Theater, the orchestra's principal venue. During the following years, the musicians performed at temporary and alternative locations, including Palmer Park. Carlos Miguel Prieto succeeded Seibel as music director in 2005 and led the orchestra through much of its post-Katrina rebuilding and artistic development. In October of that year, the LPO appeared with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall in a benefit concert for musicians affected by the disaster. The Orpheum Theater reopened in August 2015. Its inaugural gala, held on September 17, featured the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and the LPO subsequently became the theater's anchor tenant. The organization also uses the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts when presenting films and larger-scale productions. The return to the Orpheum restored an important institutional base while preserving the orchestra's broader pattern of community and regional performance. Under Prieto and subsequent leadership, the LPO maintained a varied season of roughly 36 weeks. Its programming includes standard classical repertoire alongside Casual Classics, Family concerts, special events, and education and outreach activities. The orchestra's community role is particularly visible in its school programs, which reach more than 12,000 students in the New Orleans area annually. Early Explorer Concerts introduce younger children to orchestral instruments and performance, while Young People's Concerts combine classroom resources, musician interaction, and full-orchestra concerts. Through its Link Up partnership with Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, students can learn recorder or violin and perform with the orchestra. The LPO also developed programs that present Louisiana's musical and cultural history. Musical Louisiana, created in partnership with The Historic New Orleans Collection, is an annual live concert broadcast online from St. Louis Cathedral. Its associated educational materials are estimated to reach more than 50,000 middle-school students across the state. This activity reflects the orchestra's effort to frame classical performance as part of the wider cultural life of Louisiana rather than as an isolated art form. The orchestra achieved a notable national profile with its Carnegie Hall debut on February 27, 2018. The program celebrated Philip Glass, who selected the LPO for the event, and included Glass's Days and Nights in Rocinha and Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra, Silvestre Revueltas's La Noche de los Mayas, and Gabriela Ortiz's Antrópolis as an encore. Prieto conducted the performance. In the early 2020s, the LPO increased its collaborations with contemporary New Orleans and Louisiana artists. A January 2022 concert with Tank and The Bangas was followed by a January 2023 appearance with the Lost Bayou Ramblers. The latter collaboration became the live album Live: Orpheum Theater NOLA, released in 2023 and awarded the Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. In April 2023, the LPO performed with bounce artist Big Freedia, a pairing described as the first performance by a bounce artist with an orchestra. The recording was later released on April 19, 2024, as Big Freedia with the Louisiana Philharmonic: Live at The Orpheum Theater. Matthew Kraemer was announced as the orchestra's next music director on February 17, 2023, and began his tenure on July 1, 2023. He followed Seibel and Prieto as the LPO's third music director. The orchestra remains an active New Orleans institution combining professional symphonic performance, collaborative governance, local artistic partnerships, and education across Louisiana and the Gulf South.
- 2024
Big Freedia live album released
[1]The Big Freedia collaboration is issued as a live album on April 19.
- 2023
Matthew Kraemer begins music-director tenure
[1]Kraemer becomes the orchestra's third music director on July 1.
- 2023
Lost Bayou Ramblers album receives Grammy
[1]The collaborative live recording Live: Orpheum Theater NOLA wins Best Regional Roots Music Album at the 65th Grammy Awards.
- 2023
Big Freedia orchestral collaboration
[1]The LPO performs with bounce artist Big Freedia in a cross-genre concert at the Orpheum Theater.
- 2022
Tank and The Bangas collaboration
[1]The LPO performs a full concert with the New Orleans group Tank and The Bangas at the Orpheum Theater.
- 2018
Carnegie Hall debut
[1]The orchestra appears at Carnegie Hall in a Philip Glass celebration conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto.
- 2015
Return to the reopened Orpheum Theater
[1]The LPO performs at the Orpheum Theater's reopening gala and later becomes the venue's anchor tenant.
- 2005
Katrina displacement and leadership transition
[1]Hurricane Katrina forces the musicians to evacuate and damages the Orpheum Theater. Carlos Miguel Prieto succeeds Klauspeter Seibel as music director.
- 2005
New York Philharmonic benefit performance
[1]The LPO performs jointly with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall in a benefit for musicians affected by Katrina.
- 1991
Orchestra founded
[1]Musicians from the former New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra establish the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in September.
Products and positioning
A full-time, community-rooted professional orchestra that combines symphonic repertoire with New Orleans and Gulf South musical traditions, collaborative governance, artist partnerships, and extensive education programming.
Symphonic concert series
Classics concerts
The LPO's traditional orchestral programs, presenting established and contemporary symphonic repertoire in a formal concert setting. These performances form a central part of the orchestra's approximately 36-week annual season.
Accessible concert series
Casual Classics
A less formal concert format designed to make orchestral music more approachable while retaining the scale and artistic standards of a professional symphony performance.
Family and education concerts
Family concerts
Programs created for families and younger listeners, combining live orchestral performance with presentation styles intended to support first-time or developing audiences.
Cultural education and broadcast program
Musical Louisiana
An annual live concert broadcast produced with The Historic New Orleans Collection. Presented at St. Louis Cathedral, it explores Louisiana and Gulf South cultural heritage and is accompanied by educational materials for schools.
Early-childhood music education
Early Explorer Concerts
Interactive concerts for pre-kindergarten through first-grade students. The program combines hands-on contact with orchestra musicians, curriculum-linked activities, and an age-appropriate full-orchestra performance.
School music education
Young People's Concerts
Education concerts for middle-school students that connect classroom curriculum, direct interaction with musicians, and full-orchestra performances. Through the Link Up partnership, students may learn recorder or violin and perform alongside the orchestra.
Collaborative live album · 2023
Live: Orpheum Theater NOLA
A live recording made with the Lost Bayou Ramblers after the groups' 2023 collaboration. The album received the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album at the 65th annual Grammy Awards.
Collaborative live album · 2024
Big Freedia with the Louisiana Philharmonic: Live at The Orpheum Theater
A live album documenting the LPO's collaboration with New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia. Released on April 19, 2024, it was described as Big Freedia's first live album.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Lost Bayou Ramblers collaboration
New Orleans · Louisiana · United States
The LPO performed with the Lost Bayou Ramblers in a project linking symphonic forces with Louisiana roots music.
Outcome. The collaboration produced Live: Orpheum Theater NOLA, which won a Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album.
- 2023Big Freedia with the LPO
New Orleans · Louisiana · United States
The orchestra collaborated with New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia in a concert at the Orpheum Theater.
Outcome. The project was described as the first performance pairing a bounce artist with an orchestra and later generated a live album.
- 2022Tank and The Bangas collaboration
New Orleans · Gulf South
The orchestra presented a full concert with New Orleans group Tank and The Bangas at the Orpheum Theater, bringing a locally rooted contemporary act into a symphonic setting.
Outcome. The performance marked an expansion of the LPO's collaborations with local artists.
- 2005New York Philharmonic Katrina benefit
New York City · New Orleans · United States
The LPO joined the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall in a benefit concert supporting Louisiana Philharmonic musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Outcome. The event provided benefit support and raised the orchestra's national visibility during the post-Katrina recovery period.
Brand decisions
2023
Appoint Matthew Kraemer as music directorOtherBackground
Carlos Miguel Prieto's tenure as music director ended in 2023 after leading the orchestra since 2005.
Action taken
The LPO announced Matthew Kraemer on February 17 and began his tenure on July 1.
Aftermath
Kraemer became the orchestra's third music director after Klauspeter Seibel and Prieto.
2015
Establish the reopened Orpheum Theater as the orchestra's homeStrategyBackground
The Orpheum Theater reopened after extensive post-Katrina disruption.
Action taken
The LPO performed at the theater's inaugural gala and established itself as the venue's anchor tenant.
Aftermath
The Orpheum became the orchestra's principal performance base, while the LPO continued using the Mahalia Jackson Theater for films and larger productions.
2005
Continue performances through post-Katrina displacementOtherBackground
Hurricane Katrina forced the orchestra's musicians to evacuate and made the Orpheum Theater unavailable after flooding.
Action taken
The LPO shifted performances to alternative locations, including Palmer Park, while its principal venue was unavailable.
Aftermath
The orchestra eventually returned to the Orpheum Theater after its 2015 reopening.
Recent events
- 2024
Big Freedia with the Louisiana Philharmonic: Live at The Orpheum Theater released[1]
Product launch
The recorded Big Freedia collaboration was released as a live album on April 19, 2024, described as Big Freedia's first live album.
- 2023
LPO collaborates with Lost Bayou Ramblers[1]
Campaign · Product launch
The orchestra performed with the Lost Bayou Ramblers in January, continuing its integration of orchestral music with Louisiana roots traditions.
- 2023
Matthew Kraemer named the next LPO music director[1]
Leadership change
The orchestra announced Matthew Kraemer as its next music director on February 17, 2023. He began his tenure on July 1.
- 2023
Live: Orpheum Theater NOLA wins a Grammy Award[1]
Other
The LPO's collaborative live album with the Lost Bayou Ramblers won the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album at the 65th annual Grammy Awards.
- 2023
LPO performs with Big Freedia[1]
Campaign · Product launch
The orchestra presented a concert with New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia, described as the first performance pairing a bounce artist with an orchestra.
- 2022
LPO collaborates with Tank and The Bangas[1]
Campaign · Product launch
The orchestra presented a full concert with New Orleans group Tank and The Bangas at the Orpheum Theater, reflecting its expanding collaboration with local artists.
- 2018
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra makes Carnegie Hall debut[1]
Other
Conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto, the LPO performed at Carnegie Hall in a program selected by Philip Glass and featuring works by Glass, Silvestre Revueltas, and Gabriela Ortiz.
- 2015
Orpheum Theater reopens with Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra gala[1]
Other
After a decade-long post-Katrina closure, the Orpheum Theater reopened and hosted an LPO inaugural gala, after which the orchestra became the venue's anchor tenant.
- 2005
Hurricane Katrina disrupts the orchestra and damages the Orpheum Theater[1]
Other
The orchestra's musicians evacuated after Hurricane Katrina, while flooding affected its principal venue. Performances resumed at alternative locations during recovery.
- 2005
LPO appears with the New York Philharmonic in a Katrina benefit concert[1]
Campaign · Other
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra joined the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall in New York in a benefit for LPO musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina.
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