The ‘70s rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer put their unique spin on classical music. Orchestra Kentucky presents the original classical versions of the pieces recorded by the group, including the finale to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Pianist Jeffrey Biegel returns to the SKyPAC stage for the Kentucky premiere of Keith Emerson’s piano concerto. The orchestra will also present the world premiere of Emerson’s Glorietta, with the composer conducting.

Opera giants Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi changed music history. Orchestra Kentucky celebrates the 200th anniversary of their births with a concert of their greatest hits. Tenor Dan Snyder and soprano Kirsten Chambers do the honors.

Orchestra Kentucky and the Orchestra Kentucky Chorale present Gospel Hall of Famer Larnelle Harris in a holiday concert, featuring music from his Grammy-winning Christmas CD.

Run for the border! Orchestra Kentucky celebrates the infectious rhythms of Latin America with Copland’s El Salon Mexico and Moncayo’s Huapango. Guitarist Stephen Mattingly performs Spanish composer Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. The second half of the concert features the three-time Grammy-nominated group Tiempo Libre, one of the hottest young bands today, who recently appeared on the TV show, Dancing with the Stars. Equally at home in concert halls, jazz clubs and dance venues, Tiempo Libre’s Miami-based members are true modern heirs to the rich tradition of the music of their native Cuba.

Pianist Michael Chertock plays some of the cinema’s greatest hits, including The Way We Were, Somewhere in Time, The Summer of ’42, On Golden Pond and the Theme from Exodus. Also on the program are film scores written by classical composers, including Prokofiev’s Lt. Kije Suite, the eighteenth variation from Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Addinsell’s Warsaw Concerto.

One of the most beloved films of all time, The Wizard of Oz, was a technical marvel for the MGM studio in the late 1930s. MGM’s stunningly re-mastered and restored images will be accompanied by Orchestra Kentucky, playing entirely new transcriptions of Harold Arlen’s brilliant scores. Hearing Judy Garland’s original 1939 studio recordings, backed by lush, live orchestration, will transport children and adults alike. With this version of The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, concertgoers will be treated to the Oscar-winning film as it has never been seen before!