The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Stéphane Denève announce programming for the 2022/2023 season, the orchestra’s 143rd and Denève’s fourth as Music Director
Highlights include:
- Repertoire that spans genre and time and celebrates music without boundaries, offering a musical journey to places near and far, real and imaginary, physical and spiritual.
- Season opener and St. Louis-favorite Forest Park concert, led by Denève, which welcomes thousands of St. Louisans to Art Hill for a free night of music and community.
- More than 26 works introduced to St. Louis audiences, including 18 pieces by 16 composers of today, including Mason Bates, Qigang Chen, Guillaume Connesson, Reena Esmail, Gabriela Lena Frank, Detlev Glanert, Helen Grime, Oswald Huỳnh, Nathalie Joachim, Gabriel Kahane, James Lee III, Wynton Marsalis, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, Kevin Puts, Kaija Saariaho, and James MacMillan conducting the orchestra in a program that includes his own music.
- Denève leads a wide range of programs, including rescheduled performances of Hector Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust featuring an all-star cast of acclaimed vocalists; world premieres by Guillaume Connesson, James Lee III, and Kevin Puts; collaborations with some of the world’s most celebrated artists including pianists Vīkingur Ólafsson and Hélène Grimaud, composer/vocalist/flutist Nathalie Joachim, and violinists Nicole Benedetti and James Ehnes; and a program including rare performances of Florent Schmitt’s Tragedy of Salome Suite and Francis Poulenc’s Stabat Mater.
- A two-week artist residency with violinist Nicola Benedetti, who will give the first SLSO performances of James MacMillan’s new Violin Concerto No. 2 and Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto, and will collaborate with the SLSO on educational activities for local students.
- A European tour with Stéphane Denève and pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, the SLSO’s first international tour since 2017 and first with Denève.
- SLSO Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress conducts two classical programs including Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish” and Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations; the annual New Year’s Eve Celebration concerts; and Live at Powell Hall, Family, and Education concerts; she also serves as Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.
- Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin leads a program including the SLSO premiere of Mason Bates’ Anthology of Fantastic Zoology, along with Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote, featuring cellist Joshua Roman in his SLSO debut and SLSO Principal Violist Beth Guterman Chu.
- Three SLSO Crafted happy hour concerts, one-hour concerts with commentary from the stage in a casual atmosphere introduced by Denève in 2019. Denève hosts the February 2023 Crafted.
- Programming that showcases the entire family of SLSO ensembles: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus with Director Kevin McBeth, and St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.
- Collaborations that highlight the breadth and depth of St. Louis’ vibrant artistic culture, including partnerships with The Muny, Lindenwood University, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; and free community concerts that create connections throughout the region and beyond.
- Increased access to SLSO programming, both in person and online, with new digital concerts, an expanded library of learning resources for teachers and families, events and resources for music lovers of all ages, student discounts, and the continuation of $15 tickets to all classical concerts and Stéphane Seats—a partnership program where Denève hosts community groups at classical concerts.
- Live broadcasts of Saturday night concerts on 90.7 KWMU St. Louis Public Radio, Classic 107.3, and online.
(March 30, 2022, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Stéphane Denève announced programming details for the orchestra’s 2022/2023 season. The upcoming season marks the orchestra’s 143rd and Denève’s fourth as Music Director.
Stéphane Denève, Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, said, “I believe that music can connect us with one another and break down boundaries and barriers. Music can open our minds to any place, take us to cultures far away or next door, and even to imaginary worlds. This season will be one of extraordinary journeys, and—as I make St. Louis my home—I can’t wait to welcome audiences to join our family of superb musicians and wonderful artists from around the world.”
Marie-Hélène Bernard, President and CEO of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, said, “Stéphane Denève and our team have crafted an extraordinary season that demonstrates music holds a central place in all our lives and builds bridges between people and cultures. This season is a testament to that community spirit—a community that spans the world and brings it closer to home.”
Jennifer Nitchman and Chris Tantillo, co-chairs of the SLSO Musicians’ Council, said, “The Musicians of the SLSO are very excited about the wide range of offerings for our 2022/2023 season, and we look forward to collaborating with Stéphane Denève, guest artists and conductors, and of course our own St. Louis Symphony Chorus and IN UNISON Chorus. Nothing brings us more joy than connecting to our audiences through music, whether it’s a classical concert, a movie score, or the annual Forest Park Concert. We are so grateful for the support of the St. Louis community.”
Denève and the SLSO will take audiences on a musical adventure, journeying to places near and far, real and imaginary, physical and spiritual. Denève designed the season to transport audiences elsewhere and break down musical boundaries. The season’s programs draw inspiration from and represent places on Earth, as well as in the solar system, imagined galaxies far away, and places accessed through faith or imagination.
Curated and Compose Your Own Subscriptions are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale in July 2022. Visit slso.org/season or call the Box Office at 314-534-1700.
Premieres and Music of Today
For the 22/23 season, more than 26 pieces will enter the SLSO’s repertoire, including 18 works by 16 composers of today, with more than 25 percent of the works on classical concerts by composers of our time. In addition to world premieres by Guillaume Connesson, James Lee III, and Kevin Puts, the SLSO performs works by Mason Bates, Qigang Chen, Reena Esmail, Gabriela Lena Frank, Detlev Glanert, Helen Grime, Oswald Huỳnh, Nathalie Joachim, Gabriel Kahane, James MacMillan, Wynton Marsalis, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, and Kaija Saariaho.
Guillaume Connesson’s Astéria shares its name and draws inspiration from the Greek goddess of the stars (November 18-20, 2022). This performance marks the third piece by Connesson performed during Denève’s tenure, including The Shining One in September 2019 and the U.S. premiere of his saxophone concerto, A Kind of Trane, in March 2020.
Kevin Puts’ Concerto for Orchestra is an SLSO commission and the third SLSO premiere of a Kevin Puts work since the start of Denève’s tenure, following Virelai in September 2019 and Silent Night Elegy in February 2020 (January 21-22, 2023).
James Lee III’s Visions of Cahokia also is an SLSO commission that depicts the largest community of the native Mississippian civilization that inhabited the St. Louis region from the 9th to the 14th centuries (January 28-29, 2023). The performance of Visions of Cahokia will be the fourth piece of Lee’s music performed by Denève and the SLSO since November 2021, following his Emotive Transformations (November 2021), Chuphshah! Harriet’s Drive to Canaan (March 2022), and Sukkot Through Orion’s Nebula (November 2022).
Helen Grime’s Violin Concerto: conductor and frequent SLSO collaborator John Storgårds leads the U.S. premiere with Leila Josefowicz, another frequent SLSO collaborator who has recorded several violin concertos with the orchestra, including her GRAMMY® Award-nominated performance of John Adams’ Scheherazade.2. The work was commissioned by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2016.
Programming for the 22/23 St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer series that features music of the 20th and 21st centuries will be announced at a later date.
Additional season highlights with Denève
Denève leads the SLSO in works including Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, and Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, alongside the first SLSO performances of many works, including Qigang Chen’s L’Éloignement, Reena Esmail’s Testament (from Vishwas), Gabriela Lena Frank’s Apu, Detlev Glanert’s Weites Land, Nathalie Joachim’s Fanm d’Ayiti, James Lee III’s Sukkot Though Orion’s Nebula, Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto, Nokuthula Ngwenyama’s Primal Message, Francis Poulenc’s Stabat Mater, and Tōru Takemitsu’s Night Signal.
To close the season, Denève, the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, the St. Louis Children’s Choirs, and an all-star cast of vocalists perform Hector Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust, with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard in her role debut as Marguerite, tenor Michael Spyres as Faust, and bass John Relyea as Méphistophélès (May 5-6, 2023). The performance of The Damnation of Faust is rescheduled from Denève’s inaugural season as Music Director.
Denève welcomes vocalist, flutist, and composer Nathalie Joachim for performances of Fanm d’Ayiti (Women of Haiti) (September 17-18, 2022), Joachim’s own work that pays tribute to the voices of women from her native Haiti. The collaboration with Joachim follows the world premiere of her work Family to close the current 21/22 season, commissioned by the SLSO for the orchestra and IN UNISON Chorus, an SLSO ensemble that focuses on the performance and preservation of music from African American and African traditions.
Mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, in her return, and tenor Clay Hilley, in his SLSO debut, perform with Denève and the orchestra on Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (September 30-October 1, 2022). O’Connor’s performance is supported by the Sarah Bryan Miller Fund—an endowed fund made possible by the late St. Louis Post-Dispatch classical music critic to support vocal soloists and performances of choral repertoire. Soprano Jeanine De Bique makes her SLSO debut on Francis Poulenc’s rarely performed Stabat Mater (October 21-22, 2022).
Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson returns to collaborate with Denève on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 after his November 2021 debut with the orchestra that led to critical acclaim (March 16, 2023). Other long-time collaborators of Denève return, including: pianists Hélène Grimaud for Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 (January 21-22, 2023) and Piotr Anderszewski performing Béla Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (April 29-30, 2023), as well as violinist James Ehnes for Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade (January 28-29, 2023).
Nicola Benedetti artist residency
GRAMMY® Award-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti joins the SLSO for a two-week artist residency in February 2023, continuing Denève’s commitment to multi-week immersions with artists. She gives the first SLSO performances of James MacMillan’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the composer leading the work (February 10-11, 2023). She then joins Denève and the SLSO for the orchestra’s first performances of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto, the piece for which she won the 2020 GRAMMY® Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo (February 18-19, 2023).
Additional artist collaborations
The SLSO welcomes many artists in the 22/23 season in an extension of established collaborations. Conductor Hannu Lintu and pianist Kirill Gerstein return for performances of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (October 15-16, 2022). Conductor John Storgårds collaborates with violinist Leila Josefowicz on the U.S. premiere of Helen Grime’s Violin Concerto (November 11-12, 2022). Pianist Stephen Hough returns for performances of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (October 28-29, 2022). Conductors Norman Huynh (October 14, 2022), Jane Glover (December 9-11, 2022), Cristian Măcelaru (January 14, 2023), and Nicholas McGegan (March 10-11, 2023) all make return appearances.
Throughout the season, the SLSO embarks on new collaborations with conductors, including Jonathon Heyward (October 7-8, 2022), Thomas Søndergård (October 28-29, 2022), Xian Zhang (November 26-27, 2022), Laurence Cummings (December 2-4, 2022), and James MacMillan (February 10-11, 2023), who will lead the orchestra in a program that includes his own music. Artists making their debut with the SLSO include pianists Marie-Ange Nguci with Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini (November 26-27, 2022), Alice Sara Ott with Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G (January 14, 2023), and Lise de la Salle with Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (April 15-16, 2023).
SLSO Musical Family
In addition to a Crafted and several Family, Education, Youth Orchestra, and Live at Powell Hall concerts, Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress leads two classical concerts. She first leads the first SLSO performances of Oswald Huỳnh’s Gia Đình, a piece inspired by the composer’s Vietnamese heritage and first workshopped by the SLSO in collaboration with the Mizzou New Music Initiative, a yearly collaboration with the University of Missouri in which student composers have their works read and performed by the orchestra. The concert also includes the first performances of Joseph Haydn’s Keyboard Concerto No. 11 with frequent SLSO collaborator Peter Henderson, and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish” (March 3-4, 2023). She also leads Samuel Barber’s Essay No. 2, Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Lise de la Salle in her SLSO debut, and Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations (April 15-16, 2023).
Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin returns for a program with ties to Spanish literature, leading Emmanuel Chabrier’s España and Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote, a piece influenced by the novel of the same name by Miguel de Cervantes. Cellist Joshua Roman, in his SLSO debut, and SLSO Principal Violist Beth Guterman Chu join Slatkin at center stage as soloists in this tone poem. The concerts conclude with the first SLSO performances of Mason Bates’ Anthology of Fantastic Zoology, a musical rendering of mythological creatures as described in the eponymous Spanish-language book by Jorge Luis Borges (April 22-23, 2023).
Four SLSO musicians step forward as soloists throughout the season: Concertmaster David Halen performing W.A. Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 (December 9-11, 2022), Principal Violist Beth Guterman Chu on Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote (April 22-23, 2023), English horn player Cally Banham with James MacMillan’s The World’s Ransoming led by the composer (February 10-11, 2023), and violinist Hannah Ji with Joseph Bologne’s Violin Concerto No. 2 (October 7-8, 2022).
The St. Louis Symphony Chorus, which has performed repertoire from the entire choral-orchestral canon since its formation in the 1976/1977 season, performs Francis Poulenc’s Stabat Mater and the Final Scene from Dialogues of the Carmelites (October 21-22, 2022), George Frideric Handel’s Messiah (December 2-4, 2022), Felix Mendelssohn’s The First Walpurgis Night (March 10-11, 2023), and concludes the season with Hector Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust (May 5-6, 2023). The women of the chorus join the SLSO for performances of Gustav Holst’s The Planets (November 18-20, 2022).
The St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, directed by Kevin McBeth in his 12th season, returns for its annual performance in A Gospel Christmas (December 15, 2022). The chorus performs its annual Lift Every Voice: Celebrating Black History Month concert (February 24, 2023), also under McBeth’s direction. The chorus collaborates with Denève and McBeth for a community concert honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 16, 2023), part of an annual commitment by the SLSO to support this important day of service by tapping into the power of music as a vehicle to build community. The IN UNISON Chorus, which specializes in the performance and preservation of music from African American and African traditions, has been supported by Bayer Fund since its formation in 1994.
The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, the region’s premiere training orchestra for young musicians aged 12-22, will present three concerts at Powell Hall, two of them led by SLSO Assistant Conductor and YO Music Director Stephanie Childress. Concerts, which include free seats for the community, will take place on November 13, 2022; March 19, 2023; and May 14, 2023.
European Tour
Denève and the SLSO will embark on a multi-country European tour in March 2023, the orchestra’s first international tour since visiting Spain in 2017. Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, who made his widely acclaimed SLSO debut in the 21/22 season, will join the orchestra for the tour. Additional details will be shared at a later date.
Live at Powell Hall, Family, and Holiday Programming
The SLSO’s popular Live at Powell Hall concerts—concerts that feature a variety of music from popular artists, films, and tributes to crowd-favorite musicians—return.
Film presentations with the SLSO playing the score live include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (September 23-25, 2022), Jurassic Park (November 4-6, 2022), Home Alone (December 22-23, 2022), Elf (December 29-30, 2022), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (February 3-5, 2023).
Holiday concerts resume at Powell Hall with the popular Gospel Christmas concert (December 15, 2022), which features the IN UNISON Chorus led by Kevin McBeth. The Mercy Holiday Celebration presents seven concerts of holiday music with multi-talented jazz artist Byron Stripling leading the orchestra, playing trumpet, and singing—five at Powell Hall (December 16-18, 2022) and two at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts at Lindenwood University in St. Charles (December 20-21, 2022). Childress leads the surprise-filled New Year’s Eve Celebration Concert, with matinee and evening concerts (December 31, 2022). The SLSO also performs its annual Lift Every Voice: Celebrating Black History Month concert with the IN UNISON Chorus (February 24, 2023).
Family Concerts return in the 22/23 season, complementing online family programming. Additional details will be announced later. Learn more at slso.org/family.
Community Concerts and Collaborations
Throughout the 22/23 season, the SLSO collaborates with a variety of St. Louis artists and institutions, highlighting the people and places that make the region exceptional, and creating access to music through community concerts.
Denève starts the season by leading the much-anticipated SLSO concert in Forest Park for a free night of music on Art Hill (September 14, 2022). Over the past 50 years, the SLSO has performed 34 free community concerts in Forest Park, entertaining hundreds of thousands of St. Louisans. In 2004, this special event became an annual tradition and serves as the unofficial start of the orchestra’s season. The concert is performed in memory of Mary Ann Lee.
The SLSO collaborates with long-time partner The Muny for a concert at Powell Hall celebrating the life and musical legacy of Stephen Sondheim (October 2, 2022).
The SLSO teams up with music educators from St. Louis and beyond in the third EXTRA CREDIT On Stage free community concert (October 7, 2022). This popular concert at Powell Hall honors the countless contributions of music educators in an evening of music that showcases their talents alongside SLSO musicians.
The SLSO joins the community, nation, and world, in honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For the first time, the SLSO will offer a free community concert at Powell Hall to celebrate King’s legacy. The concert (January 16, 2023) will be led by Denève and IN UNISON Chorus Director Kevin McBeth and feature members from the IN UNISON Chorus.
The SLSO’s popular Crafted series, hourlong happy hour concert experiences, continues with three concerts. These concerts, introduced by Denève in his inaugural season as Music Director, include food and beverage tastings from local businesses paired with an engaging concert experience and insights from the conductor. Conductor Norman Huynh and celebrated pianist, composer, and singer/songwriter Gabriel Kahane join the orchestra for performances of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring alongside Kahane’s own arrangements of his songs with orchestra (October 14, 2022). In other Crafted concerts, Denève takes audiences on a short tour of Europe with Claude Debussy’s Ibéria and Maurice Ravel’s La Valse (February 17, 2023), and Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress leads a concert featuring Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations (April 14, 2023).
The SLSO shares holiday cheer in St. Charles, Missouri, for two Mercy Holiday Celebration concerts at the J. Scheidegger Center for Performing Arts at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri (December 20-21, 2023), following a successful return to the university in the 21/22 season.
The SLSO will conclude its season as the resident orchestra of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the 46th year of this partnership. The 2023 Festival Season runs from May 20-June 25, 2023. Opera Theatre’s 2023 Festival Season will be announced later this summer, and more information about its current season can be found at ExperienceOpera.org.
Premieres and First Performances
Concerts in the 2022/2023 season include the first SLSO performances of more than 26 different works. Eighteen of those works are by 16 composers of today. Additional works by composers of today will be announced later as part of the St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer. Music Director Stéphane Denève remains committed to discovering and performing works by living artists that will enter and become mainstays of the orchestral repertoire, as well as developing deep relationships with composers of today.
World Premieres
Guillaume CONNESSON Astéria (November 18-20, 2022)
Kevin PUTS Concerto for Orchestra (January 21-22, 2023)
James LEE III Visions of Cahokia (January 28-29, 2023)
U.S. Premieres
Helen GRIME Violin Concerto (November 11-12, 2022)
SLSO Premieres
Nathalie JOACHIM Fanm d’Ayiti (Women of Haiti) (September 17-18, 2022)
Tōru TAKEMITSU Night Signal (September 30-October 1, 2022)
Qigang CHEN L’Éloignement (September 30-October 1, 2022)
Kaija SAARIAHO Ciel d’hiver (Winter Sky) (October 7-8, 2022)
Joseph BOLOGNE Violin Concerto No. 2 (October 7-8, 2022)
Gabriel KAHANE Book of Travelers (October 14, 2022)
Reena ESMAIL Testament (from Vishwas) (October 21-22, 2022)
Francis POULENC Stabat Mater (October 21-22, 2022)
Francis POULENC Final Scene from Dialogues of the Carmelites (October 21-22, 2022)
Jean SIBELIUS Night Ride and Sunrise (November 11-12, 2022)
James LEE III Sukkot through Orion’s Nebula (November 18-20, 2022)
Nokuthula NGWENYAMA Primal Message (November 18-20, 2022)
Camille SAINT-SAËNS Petite Suite from La Foi (January 14, 2023)
Detlev GLANERT Weites Land (Open Land) (January 21-22, 2023)
James MacMILLAN The World’s Ransoming (February 10-11, 2023)
James MacMILLAN Violin Concerto No. 2 (February 10-11, 2023)
Wynton MARSALIS Violin Concerto (February 18-19, 2023)
Joseph HAYDN Keyboard Concerto No. 11 (March 3-4, 2023)
Oswald HUỲNH Gia Đình (March 3-4, 2023)
Felix MENDELSSOHN The First Walpurgis Night (March 10-11, 2023)
Mason BATES Anthology of Fantastic Zoology (April 22-23, 2023)
Gabriela Lena FRANK Apu (April 29-30, 2023)
Artist Debuts
The SLSO welcomes the following guest artists making their debuts with the orchestra during the 22/23 season:
Conductors
Jonathon Heyward (October 7-8, 2022)
Thomas Søndergård (October 28-29, 2022)
Xian Zhang (November 26-27, 2022)
Laurence Cummings (December 2-4, 2022)
James MacMillan (February 10-11, 2023)
Pianists
Marie-Ange Nguci (November 26-27, 2022)
Alice Sara Ott (January 14, 2023)
Lise de la Salle (April 15-16, 2023)
Violinist
Nicola Benedetti (February 10-11 and February 18-19, 2023)
Cellist
Joshua Roman (April 22-23, 2023)
Vocalists
Nathalie Joachim (September 17-18, 2022)
Clay Hilley, tenor (September 30-October 1, 2022)
Jeanine De Bique, soprano (October 21-22, 2022)
Michael Spyres, tenor (May 5-6, 2023)
Artist
Gabriel Kahane | piano and vocals (October 14, 2022)
Returning Artists
The SLSO welcomes the following musicians returning to collaborate with the orchestra during the 22/23 season:
Conductors
Norman Huynh (October 14, 2022)
Hannu Lintu (October 15-16, 2022)
John Storgårds (November 11-12, 2022)
Jane Glover (December 9-11, 2022)
Cristian Măcelaru (January 14, 2023)
Stephanie Childress (March 3-4 and April 14-16, 2023)
Nicholas McGegan (March 10-11, 2023)
Leonard Slatkin (April 22-23, 2023)
Pianists
Kirill Gerstein (October 15-16, 2022)
Stephen Hough (October 28-29, 2022)
Hélène Grimaud (January 21-22, 2023)
Peter Henderson (March 3-4, 2023)
Víkingur Ólafsson (March 16, 2023)
Piotr Anderszewski (April 29-30, 2023)
Violinists
Leila Josefowicz (November 11-12, 2022)
James Ehnes (January 28-29, 2023)
Vocalists
Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano (September 30-October 1, 2022)
Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano (May 5-6, 2023)
John Relyea, bass (May 5-6, 2023)
Artist
Byron Stripling, conductor, trumpet, and vocals (December 16-21, 2022)
SLSO musicians
Hannah Ji, violin (October 7-8, 2022)
David Halen, Concertmaster (December 9-11, 2022)
Cally Banham, English horn (February 10-11, 2023)
Beth Guterman Chu, Principal Viola (April 22-23, 2023)
Ensembles
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
(October 21-22, 2022; November 18-20, 2022; December 2-4, 2022; March 10-11, 2023; May 5-6, 2023)
St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus (December 15, 2022; January 16, 2023; February 24, 2023)
St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra (November 13, 2022; March 19, 2023; May 14, 2023)
The St. Louis Children’s Choirs (May 5-6, 2023)
Composer Workshops
The SLSO continues its long tradition of supporting composers of today through several initiatives designed to nurture relationships with composers, an extension of Music Director Stéphane Denève’s and the SLSO’s commitment to developing the repertoire of the future, a cornerstone of Denève’s music directorship.
SLSO Composer Workshop
The SLSO will hold its second annual Composer Workshop this season. The workshop is a multi-day immersive residency for composers pursuing post-graduate studies that includes performances by the SLSO under Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress; guidance and feedback from an annually appointed workshop mentor; seminars with mentors and SLSO administration, musicians, and librarians; and a free community concert of the composers’ works at Powell Hall. As part of the SLSO’s commitment to the further promotion and performance of the workshop’s participants, future St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer seasons—a concert series in collaboration with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation that presents bold and daring chamber music of the 20th and 21st centuries—will include a piece by each composer.
The inaugural workshop took place in January 2022 with celebrated American composer/conductor John Adams, a longtime SLSO collaborator with many works recorded by the orchestra, including the recordings of his City Noir and Saxophone Concerto which won the 2015 GRAMMY® Award for Best Orchestral Performance.
Mizzou New Music Initiative
The SLSO’s collaboration with the Mizzou New Music Initiative, begun in 2017, continues in the 22/23 season. In this partnership, the orchestra reads and workshops pieces composed by University of Missouri music students, followed by a free community concert of the students’ works. For the first time, a work from the collaboration will be performed on a classical concert. The SLSO performs a piece by Oswald Huỳnh (March 3-4, 2023), led by Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress.
Programming and Access for All
The SLSO remains committed to providing broad access to music for people of all ages through a variety of resources, including digital concerts, media broadcasts, education tools, online programming, and more.
Media Partnerships
The SLSO continues its partnerships with 90.7 KWMU St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3. SLSO Saturday night classical concerts will be broadcast and streamed online by St. Louis Public Radio for a 13th year, with simulcasts on Classic 107.3 continuing for a second year. Live broadcasts are hosted by SLSO Creative Partner Tim Munro.
Select pieces are available to stream for 30 days on slso.org after broadcasts.
Digital Concerts
In the 22/23 season, the SLSO makes full concerts available to stream on slso.org through digital concerts, offering an intimate view of SLSO musicians performing on the Emerson Concert Stage, filmed using the SLSO’s high-definition camera system. Since launching in 2021, more than 10,000 households have accessed digital concerts. A new slate of digital concerts available to stream will be announced at a later date. Learn more at slso.org/digitalconcerts.
Education and Family Resources for Children
Inspiring students to get involved and stay involved in school music programs, the SLSO celebrates more than 100 years of its education programs. With concerts for schoolchildren starting in 1921 under Music Director Rudolph Ganz, the SLSO was one of the first orchestras in the country to institute an education program. Each year, the SLSO serves tens of thousands of students and teachers throughout the St. Louis region, as well as teachers and students in more than 42 states and 15 countries. In the 22/23 season, the SLSO offers a robust library of in-person, digital, and online education resources for families and teachers, including:
- The reboot of in-school programming, including the launch of the all-new Acoustic Music Project (AMP) for Elementary Schools, along with continued Education Concerts at Powell Hall.
- Tiny Tunes: Giraffes Can’t Dance incorporates social-emotional learning in a digital concert format designed for Pre-K students.
- The Digital Concert: Peter and the Wolf, created for students aged 5-12, presents a new twist on the classical Sergei Prokofiev tale, presented in partnership with the Endangered Wolf Center. The educator version includes supplemental material for classrooms.
- SLSO SoundLab introduces children ages 8-12 to music through a series of videos and activities that explore the intersection of music, science, and technology. Since its launch in December 2020, SLSO SoundLab has reached more than 60,000 students across the U.S.
- The orchestra’s Instrument Playground Online, presented by PNC Arts Alive and accessed through slso.org, features videos, photos, and activities that introduce audiences to the instruments of the orchestra and the musicians who play them.
- Learning Lab activity galleries: Available for download at slso.org at no cost, the SLSO Education Team created activities around major ideas in orchestral music, including theme and variations, finding inspiration, and creating musical motifs for characters in literature and film. Sortable by grade level, galleries include family-specific content and classroom guides for educators.
For more information on the SLSO’s education programming, visit slso.org/learning or slso.org/schools. SLSO education programs are presented by the Steward Family Foundation.
Education Resources for Adults
The SLSO also offers educational opportunities for music lovers of all ages:
- SLSO Stories Live, a digital panel discussion begun in 2020, continues with events that explore topics related to the orchestra. Learn more at slso.org/online-events. These events are also available in video format on the SLSO’s YouTube page or in podcast form on slso.org/podcasts or on most major listening platforms.
- Pre-Concert Conversations, sponsored by Washington University Physicians, take place one hour before each classical concert in Powell Hall’s auditorium. Hosts and guests discuss the music performed on that concert, providing historical context for the pieces performed.
SLSO Stories – Digital Magazine
Audiences can learn more about the SLSO and its musicians with stories from backstage, in Powell Hall, and throughout St. Louis at the orchestra’s digital magazine, SLSO Stories. This companion site to slso.org features stories, photos, program notes, and videos about the various aspects of the SLSO—including concerts, community programs, education initiatives, special events, and more. To date, more than 80,000 people have taken a deeper look at the SLSO through SLSO Stories.