Mannie Fresh to Perform DJ Set With Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Friday
A groundbreaking collaboration will unfold on Friday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater, where Mannie Fresh joins the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for a high-energy, dance-driven performance. Tickets start…
A groundbreaking collaboration will unfold on Friday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater, where Mannie Fresh joins the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for a high-energy, dance-driven performance. Tickets start at $50 and are available through lpomusic.com. The event merges Fresh's work as an artist, producer, and DJ with live orchestration, using the orchestra as an expanded palette of instruments rather than a formal backdrop.
Fresh will bring key tracks from his celebrated catalog, including Cash Money-era favorites such as Juvenile's Ha, Lil Wayne's Go DJ, and Big Tymers' Still Fly. The show also stretches far beyond hip-hop, blending his hits with hand-picked favorites across genres to create an interactive, movement-focused experience.
“It's a DJ set with an orchestra,” Fresh says. “I'm putting some of my songs in there, but I'm also doing some of my favorite songs that I like, that I think will move the crowd and are special to people and special to me. So it's all over the place, from the Bee Gees to Barry White to trap music.”
The LPO has a long history of collaborations with local artists, and this performance continues that tradition by fully integrating Fresh's creative roles into the orchestral setting. The approach reimagines how the orchestra operates in a contemporary show, shifting from a formal presentation to a dynamic partnership.
“He's an artist, producer, and DJ, all in one. You're going to see all three of those worlds come together,” Nasir says. “And because he has such a creative mind, we're rethinking how the orchestra plays a part of that. He's seeing the orchestra as, ‘Now I have all these instruments to play with.'”
“I'm excited about doing it this way,” Fresh says. “Normally, when you're at something like an orchestra, you think tuxedos and people sitting down. This one is not that. This is the energy orchestra.”
“The way I was brought up, coming from New Orleans, we love musicianship,” Fresh says. “We love live instruments, but some things [just aren't possible]. That's what's good about doing it with an orchestra. It feels like home.”
The event marks a bold step in the evolution of orchestral performance, transforming the symphony experience into a vibrant, beat-driven celebration of New Orleans' creativity.
