Louisville has a long and proud cultural tradition, but in recent years, many of the city’s arts groups have struggled financially, and Andrew Adler says that the problem isn’t merely monetary. “Simply saying we ‘need’ an orchestra isn’t sufficient. Same with the opera, the ballet, etc. Of course it takes money to keep these organizations afloat, and more than that, to make them thrive. But the aesthetic imperative continues to be obscured when financial concerns constantly occupy the foreground.”