Overview

We are the city of Lowell’s first and only professional orchestra. We provide the area with an ensemble that presents music at a very high level, of all styles and time periods, entirely free to the general population. Lowell is a gateway community, rich in cultural diversity but economically challenged in many respects so access to high-quality arts is essential. The interactive nature of the performances, is especially important for audiences who many not have enjoyed arts programming previously. There is a diverse international and diverse nature of the players as reflective of the Lowell community itself. The ensemble sometimes include, among its professional members, some music students enrolled in local universities, in order to provide them with an opportunity to gain experience and earn some money. The concerts are preceded by small introductions about the pieces to be performed. Featured composers are invited to speak about their own works whenever possible. The performances take place at Middlesex Community College, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and at other venues around the area. Some of these locations allow students to attend concerts without leaving their respective campuses, and allow the public in general to attend a concert at a proper performance space. Only in its first season, the LCO presented over three centuries of music, including two local premieres by living composers, a theatre production, partnered with artists for multi-media works, and recorded an album (currently working on the second one)