Sara Callaway
🌸 Magnolia Chamber Players at the Waterfront 🌸
🌸 Magnolia Chamber Players at the Waterfront 🌸

Summer Symposium 2026: The Performer/Composer

From composing to performing in small groups, each student at Summer Symposium had the chance to shine as a performer and composer. Students also got to learn about conducting, jazz, composition, songwriting, and designing their own zine through our fabulous guest artists!

On the last day of camp we had our symposium showcase, where we got to hear 14 brand new compositions created by our students, as well as chamber pieces they worked on in small groups. Showcase pics coming soon! 📸

A big thank you to our lead teachers Tyler Taylor and TJ Cole for their time and guidance, our fabulous guest artists for sharing your expertise with us, and our musicians who performed our new compositions.

We are so proud of these young composers and can’t wait to see what they accomplish next. See you all next year! ❤️🎶

2026 Ruth French Competition Winners 💫🎶

Congratulations to everyone who performed in the 2026 biennial Ruth French Competition! We had so many lovely performances; we are honored to celebrate Ruth’s legacy in this way.

🎼 Our division winners are:
Division I: Cora Brittain performing Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro
Division II: Megumi Martin performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, mvt. 3

Finalists for both divisions: Sebastian Martinez, Jiyu Park, Benjamin Valle, and Eva Zou

A big thank-you to our judges for this competition as well: Christopher Robinson, Gabriella Batista, and Sabrina Parry.

Can’t wait for next time!

Congratulations Tyler Taylor!

🎉 A BIG congratulations to Composition/French Horn faculty Tyler Taylor on premiering his new piece, Embers, with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra! This is an incredible accomplishment, and we are so thrilled to have Tyler be a part of our musical community!

We are excited to share one of Tyler’s students’ pieces tomorrow at our LAM-Wide Recital (at 5pm-swing on by!) and can’t wait for Summer Symposium led by Tyler and TJ Cole starting June 8th!

Read more about his piece at the link below. 💫

Read more

☀️ New Summer Group Sessions Offering: Creative Music Making with Stories

The Louisville Academy of Music is offering a NEW summer session for children ages 4-7! Led by LAM piano and early childhood music instructor Anna Johnston, children will learn music through reading their favorite storybooks.

Choose your own schedule, as each session can stand on its own and children will get to read a new book each week!

Register + Learn more


Summer Symposium Deadline is this Friday!

Don’t wait! Our Summer Symposium Deadline is quickly approaching. Register today and learn more at the link below.

Learn more + Register

Student-Ran Community Coffee House! Sign up today!

LAM is excited to host a coffee house run by our student advisory committee. Sign up at the link below, or show up to support local young musicians!

Sign up!

📆: May 16th, 1-2pm

📍: 2740 Frankfort Ave, Louisville KY 40206

Listen to our latest faculty recital!

Our faculty recital is now finished and uploaded! We are so grateful for all 31 of our amazingly talented faculty. Show our teachers some appreciation at the playlist linked below.

Listen In!

Summer Vacation Requests due May 25th!

Summer is just around the corner, and with that come vacations! LAM continues to give weekly private lessons throughout the summer. If you know of some planned dates you cannot make in June and July, submit a vacation request by May 25th for a tuition adjustment at the button below.

You will be notified if there is any issue with the request. If a student is traveling for more than a month, LAM cannot guarantee their particular lesson slot be held open.

The Biennial Ruth French Violin Competition: Applications are Open!

We are excited to host another year of the biennial Ruth French Violin Competition!

Receive feedback from qualified judges, and get the chance to win cash prizes! Learn more on our webpage linked below. Deadline to register is May 24th.

Learn more + Register

More about our Summer Programs!

Stuck on what to do for your children (or yourself!) this summer? Look no further! LAM has summer camps available for a wide range of musical levels and ages. You are bound to find something that fits right for you or a loved one.

Learn more about daily schedules, core faculty members, and more on our webpages linked below!

Summer Symposium: Ages 12-18
Keyboard Camp: Ages 11-15
Instrument Discovery: Ages 10-13

Interview Feature on Louisville Public Media/90.5 WUOL

Louisville Academy of Music encourages young musicians to compose, not just play the music, but create their own.

Executive Director of Louisville Academy of Music Sara Callaway and composer Tahj Vaughn joined me in the studio to talk about their upcoming concert at Waterfront Botanical Gardens on March 20 at 6:30pm.

Tahj, a current student at LAM, tells us about his first experience composing, how the environment at the academy encourages him to write, and his composition style. He says his newest piece, Deep Blue Water, was inspired by Maurice Ravel. He encourages listeners to consider the history of water in the United States, how it influences our culture, and how it relates back to times of enslavement.

Listen to the full interview HERE

ACMP Chamber Music Play-In: Register by April 3!

Calling all 16+ players and singers: ACMP is once again hosting a chamber music play-in at the Louisville Academy of Music!

Have a great time sight-reading and playing in small groups, with a short showcase following the event. There will also be a social & potluck, so feel free to bring a dish of your choice to share!

Sign up and learn more at the link below. Designed for all levels 16+.

📆: April 11, 2026

⏰: 3:30-8:00pm (Registration begins at 3pm)

📍: Ruth French Recital Hall, Louisville Academy of Music

Learn more + Sign Up


🌸 Magnolia Chamber Players at the Waterfront 🌸

🌸 Magnolia Chamber Showcase at the Waterfront 🌸

The Louisville Academy of Music is excited to announce that our 2025–26 Magnolia Chamber Players will present a spring showcase in collaboration with NouLou Chamber Players at the stunning Waterfront Botanical Gardens!

Meet the Magnolia Players! (from left to right):

M. Offutt, cello

Stone Donaldson, violin

Megumi Martin, violin

Jonathan Beacham, flute

Tierney Smith, viola 

JP Hankins, viola

We are also delighted to feature old works and new, specifically two local composers, LAM student Tahj Vaughn and Daniel Gilliam.

While this is a free event, we recommend reserving your spot as seating is limited. Click the link below to reserve your spot today!

Rsvp

📆: March 20, 2026

⏰: 6:30pm

📍: Waterfront Botanical Gardens

Summer at LAM: Explore our Programs!

The Louisville Academy of Music is excited to announce our summer programs for 2026. We are thrilled to have three different programs, two of which are brand new.

We will be releasing more information through socials and our upcoming newsletters, so stay on the lookout! For now, click the link below to learn more and discover which program is right for you or someone you know.

Learn more + Register

Play Every Day Begins February 1st!

Due to last year’s success, the Louisville Academy of Music is once again hosting a practice-a-thon initiative for the month of February! To participate, students can complete a practice log, bingo card, or both to get the chance to win some cool prizes, one of them being a Spring semester of free lessons!

Share your practice progress on socials with #playeveryday ! Keep updated on our socials and newsletters for practice tips, tricks, and more from our LAM community.

At the end of the month, LAM will be hosting a pizza party for all participants. All other information can be found on our Play Every Day page.

Happy Practicing!