A sudden wave of joy rushes through the hall as Michael Tilson Thomas’ tribute to an avid orchestra supporter opens this passionate concert. Discover why pianist Daniil Trifonov has earned accolades around the globe as he performs a soulful concerto written by a teenaged Sergei Rachmaninoff, who was then just emerging onto the Russian music scene. That young composer was following in the footsteps of another extraordinary musician, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose Pathétique Symphony is still considered one of the most profound, intimate, and moving orchestral pieces of all time.

Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky

Powell Hall

Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony oscillates between the brutality of war and the indomitable spark of humanity. Though the composer described the work as a wartime requiem and the score is infused with deep sadness, he also said of it that “life is beautiful. All that is dark and depressing will disappear, depart, and the beautiful will reign.” The St. Louis Symphony Chorus also presents beauty with visionary musical psalm settings by Felix Mendelssohn and Igor Stravinsky in this first performance of their 50th anniversary season.

Shostakovich’s Eighth

Imagine strolling through an astounding art gallery without ever leaving your seat. Both Rachmaninoff’s Isle of the Dead and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition take us into the world of visual art, gathering ideas from famous paintings and using melody and timbre as tour guides. Between these works, the extraordinary prodigy Himari steps onto the stage for her remarkable SLSO debut. She performs Glazunov’s lyrical Violin Concerto, music charged with beautiful tension.

Pictures at an Exhibition

Inspired by the rolling hills, bird calls, and peaceful charm of the Bohemian countryside, Dvořák weaves together an array of vibrant folk songs and wistful pastoral melodies in his beloved Eighth Symphony. Kaija Saariaho’s ethereal Lumière et Pesanteur adds to the ambience in this dazzling program led by Portuguese conductor Dinis Sousa in his SLSO debut. MacArthur Genius Fellowship awardee and Avery Fisher Prize recipient Jeremy Denk takes on Bartók’s fiery Piano Concerto No. 2, delivering inimitable expressive power.

Dvořák’s Eighth

The Shame Disco. DJ Reform94 throws a youth disco for adults, with the best/worst music from the nineties.

Reform94

Union Scene

A free, family-friendly street dance on the west side of the Stadium of Fire site, featuring a Miner Music DJ spinning tunes from across the decades, held after the fireworks on Independence Day.

Street Dance: Post-Stadium of Fire Celebration

LaVell Edwards Stadium

Closing reading of the Queer Literature Festival Munich with Sophia Merwald, moderated by Franziska Setare Koohestani. Reading from the debut novel "Sperrgut".

Closing Reading: Sophia Merwald "Sperrgut"

Gasteig HP8

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ_ZQW5C2pw&amp;t=2s

The Artelize Podcast Presenting Will Shutes: 'Bring it down out of the clouds to human being level'

Celebrate the beloved animated series One Piece with an epic array of music full of action and emotion. Immerse yourself in the magic of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as it performs One Piece’s iconic music live on stage, while the greatest moments from the anime come to life on screen in perfect sync. Relive more than 25 years of the thrilling adventures of the Straw Hat Crew, all set to the vibrant sounds of the series’ most memorable music. Get ready for the brand-new TV opening “UUUUUS!” and to enjoy musical performances of the emotional “Haha naru Umi” (Mother Sea), the lighthearted “Sekai no ichiban oden da!!” (This is the best oden in the world!!), the amazing “Ore no saikouchiten” (Luffy’s Gear 5 Theme), and so much more.

One Piece in Concert

Artistic inspiration and passion shine as Brahms’ Third Symphony is paired with modern-day composer Detlev Glanert’s response to the work in this musical dialogue of a concert. The Third Symphony, one of Brahms’ most personal compositions, has been described by music critic Eduard Hanslick as “artistically the most nearly perfect” of the composer’s collection. Multi-Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes joins the conversation, returning to St. Louis to share his rendition of Bruch’s impassioned Violin Concerto No. 1.

Brahms’ Third

St. Louis, meet The Symphony Era. Composer-conductor Steve Hackman returns to Powell Hall, reimagining Taylor Swift’s iconic catalog with the full power of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. From chart-topping hits to beloved fan favorites—including “Cruel Summer,” “Love Story,” “Ready for It,” “All Too Well,” “Wildest Dreams,” and many more—this is Taylor like you’ve never heard her before. Be there for an unforgettable live orchestral experience—where heartbreak ballads glow brighter, mega-hits hit bigger, and Taylor’s music sounds brand new in a breathtaking symphonic transformation. 

Taylor Swift: The Symphony Era

Love, loss, redemption, and enlightenment. Kris Bowers’ work, For a Younger Self, was inspired by the hero’s journey and the electrifying artistry of violinist Charles Yang, who makes an exciting return to Powell Hall. Miguel Farías paints a dynamic portrait of life in the southernmost region of South America. And Sergei Rachmaninoff recounts his own life’s journey in a capstone work, Symphonic Dances, which serves as a poignant, powerful anthology of musical memories.

Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances

Savor each note at this season’s Playlist: Symphony Happy Hour concerts—for the classical curious and those looking to share their love of music. Sip signature cocktails and mocktails, enjoy conductor insights, and mingle with musicians at these special one-hour concerts designed to inspire, relax, and spark conversation.

Playlist: Symphony Happy Hour

Indomitable, legendary women make their mark in this concert celebrating operatic scores and captivating storytelling. Anja Bihlmaier conducts this orchestral thriller, featuring music from Strauss’ epic, revengeful opera, Elektra. The twisted tale of Salomé is depicted by French composer Mel Bonis, whose music explores the stories of distinctive female figures from literature and mythology. At the center of the program, Yeol Eum Son’s virtuosic gifts shine in Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto.

Salomé and Elektra

Experience the orchestra like never before with Philharmonia Fantastique, a live symphonic concert from Grammy-winning composer Mason Bates featuring vibrant animations by Oscar-winning filmmaker Gary Rydstrom (Jurassic Park, Toy Story). Follow a magical Sprite as we embark on a musical journey through the inner workings of an orchestra, revealing the energy, motion, and creativity behind the music. Part concert, part animated experience, this captivating performance reimagines the orchestra as a cinematic world where strings soar, percussion thunders, and every instrument joins in a powerful finale.

Concerts for Teens

Vibrant, swirling, hypnotic. The SLSO explores its devilish charm in a weekend of music that is quirky, eccentric, and all at once wonderful. Saint-Saëns’ infamous Danse macabre envisions rattling bones and the devil’s harmonies, and Connesson’s Cello Concerto toys with innovative textures and soundscapes inspired by the earth and the cosmos. A mosaic of Prokofiev’s dance music offers glimpses into Cinderella’s castle, Tolstoy’s War and Peace, and the evil spirits of Slavic mythology.

Prokofiev and Connesson

Prepare for a fantastical adventure as the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and St. Louis Children’s Choirs join the orchestra in this whimsical program. Music Director Stéphane Denève and the musicians start with Poulenc’s uplifting choral-orchestral work, Gloria—one of the composer’s most celebrated accomplishments. Then, in Ravel’s imaginative tale of L’enfant et les sortilèges, clocks, chairs, and teacups all spring to life. The composer’s ability to convey the jesting, waltzing, and often outlandish characters is itself something magical.

Ravel and Poulenc

Platinum singer-songwriter and pianist Andrew McMahon joins the SLSO for a career-spanning celebration of the songs that have defined more than twenty years of alternative pop. Experience McMahon’s music reimagined on a symphonic scale—from the pop-punk energy of his early band Something Corporate to the intimate storytelling of solo project Jack’s Mannequin and the chart-topping anthems of Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. Featuring fan favorites and unforgettable stories from across his acclaimed career, this electrifying concert offers a deeply personal journey through more than two decades of songwriting.

Andrew McMahon with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony opens in sweeping grandeur, its radiant horn calls setting the stage for one of the composer’s most beloved and evocative works. Frequent SLSO guest conductor David Danzmayr leads the orchestra through the romantic, chivalrous symphony, which resonates through the grand spaces of Powell Hall. And our own Principal Bassoonist, Andrew Cuneo, takes center stage for a new bassoon concerto by longtime SLSO collaborator, composer Kevin Puts.

Bruckner’s Fourth

Expansive American soundscapes and bold American voices come together in music by three celebrated composers: Aaron Copland, John Adams, and Wynton Marsalis. Teddy Abrams and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra join this incredible lineup to perform a new symphony by the virtuosic genre-crossing American music ambassador Wynton Marsalis. Copland’s orchestral suite from the 1940s film Our Town sets a tone of serenity and simplicity, depicting life in a small New Hampshire town, while John Adams’ Frenzy swings with interweaving rhythms and gestures jostling over a frenetic, perpetual pulse.

Marsalis’ Fifth

Resistance, protest, and solidarity echo down through the centuries in this concert. Gabriela Ortiz’s powerful new ballet score is pertinent and critical, expressing a multitude of emotions surrounding the topic of violence against women. Inspired by Mexico’s Glitter Revolution of 2019 and the 2020 International Women’s March, Ortiz’s music calls for revolution and unity. The St. Louis Symphony Chorus joins in with Haydn’s Mass for Troubled Times, itself a defiant and triumphant response to the trauma of war and invasion.

Haydn and Ortiz

“I wanted to convey human feelings and passions,” said Dmitri Shostakovich about his Tenth Symphony. This expansive work is at once tragic and unshakeable, relentlessly driving forward with a furious energy, a reflection on individuality and power in response to the death of Joseph Stalin. Danish violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider returns to Powell Hall to join Stéphane Denève and the SLSO for an equally emotional performance of Jean Sibelius’ soaring Violin Concerto.

Shostakovich and Sibelius

In this quintessentially American program overflowing with joy, get an orchestral jumpstart from Carlos Simon and his Concerto for Orchestra. Then, two SLSO musicians take the solo spotlight: Principal Clarinetist Scott Andrews showcases the jazz-infused, rollicking Clarinet Concerto by Aaron Copland, and Associate Concertmaster Erin Schreiber introduces us to the music of Christopher Stark, one of SLSO’s longtime artistic partners. Finally, West Side Story features some of Bernstein’s most beautiful music, a lasting vision of what humanity could be.

Bernstein and Copland

Moving from whispered lyricism to heartfelt intensity, Olga Kern blazes through Brahms’ herculean Piano Concerto No. 1 in a thrilling performance with beloved SLSO Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin. This concerto demonstrates Brahms’ confidence in the endurance and power of the pianist, requiring everything from sweet tenderness to searing intensity. Slatkin also leads the SLSO in his specialty, the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams. For his Sixth Symphony, Vaughan Williams quoted Shakespeare as an inspiration: “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.”

Orchestral events in St. Louis, MO

Rachmaninoff and Tchaikov...

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Shostakovich’s Eighth

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Pictures at an Exhibition...

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Dvořák’s Eighth

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Reform94

Union Scene

Street Dance: Post-Stadiu...

America's Freedom Festival at Provo

Closing Reading: Sophia M...

Gasteig HP8

The Artelize Podcast Pres...

Artelize

One Piece in Concert

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Brahms’ Third

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Taylor Swift: The Symphon...

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic ...

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Playlist: Symphony Happy ...

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Salomé and Elektra

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Concerts for Teens

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Prokofiev and Connesson

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Ravel and Poulenc

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Andrew McMahon with the S...

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Bruckner’s Fourth

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Marsalis’ Fifth

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Haydn and Ortiz

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Shostakovich and Sibelius...

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Bernstein and Copland

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Brahms and Vaughan Willia...

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra