The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra shares results of its 2021/2022 season at annual meeting, highlighting artistic achievements, community impact, and innovative outreach

(November 15, 2022, St. Louis, MO) – Today at its Annual Meeting, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra shared the artistic achievements, community impact, and financial results of its 2021/2022 season, its 142nd consecutive year. In addition, the members elected four new board members and re-elected eight board members for an additional three-year term. The full 21/22 Annual Report is available at slso.org/impact.

More than 174,000 people experienced the SLSO during its 21/22 season at live concerts at Powell Hall and throughout the region, with 35 percent of all single-ticket buyers attending an SLSO concert for the first time. In addition, 9.2 million were reached by the SLSO’s digital programming and social media, including 250,000 students and more than 1,600 teachers in 48 states and 17 countries. The institution reported $8.3 million in earned revenue and $8.165 million in philanthropic giving in FY22.

The SLSO remained financially stable, despite the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022, the SLSO reported an operating surplus as a result of pandemic-related federal assistance, strong charitable giving, and thoughtful expense management.

At the Annual Meeting, Members of the Corporation elected four new trustees, who joined two trustees elected in April. It also re-elected eight trustees and three officers. New trustees include Irasa Downing (Edward Jones), David Piston (Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis), Bella Sanevich (NISA Investment Advisors), and Janet Williams (Community Volunteer), in addition to Nick Ragone (Ascension) and Rachel Seward (MiTek), who were elected in April. Trustees who were re-elected include Spencer Burke (St. Louis Trust), Dr. Nicholas Kouchoukos (Missouri Baptist Medical Center), Dr. Kenneth Ludmerer (Washington University in St. Louis), Elizabeth Mannen Berges (Wells Fargo Advisors), Kate Warne Riggs (Edward Jones), Stephen M. Savis (Bayer AG), Sherry Sissac (Accenture), and Daniel C. Wessel (Enterprise Holdings). Three officers were re-elected: Steve Finerty (Argent Capital Management) as Board Chair, Emily Pulitzer (Pulitzer Arts Foundation) as Secretary, and David Steward (World Wide Technology) as Vice Chair. Bella Sanevich (NISA) was appointed as SLSO trustee representative to the SLSO Endowment Trust.

Steve Finerty, Chair of the SLSO Board of Trustees, said, “We are grateful we were able to share live music in person with the St. Louis community last season. It was thanks to their generous support that we were able to make music accessible throughout the season. I want to thank the Board, Music Director Stéphane Denève, and President & CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard for their continued steady leadership. I applaud the dedication of our extraordinary musicians and staff. Thanks to their talents, the SLSO continues to serve our community through music.”

Marie-Hélène Bernard, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra President and CEO, said, “Thanks to the remarkable support of our audiences, donors, and community, the SLSO connected St. Louis through the power of live music—both in Powell Hall and throughout our region. I am grateful Stéphane Denève and our musicians for their incredible artistry and dedication to the community. A special thanks goes to our staff, Symphony Volunteers, and two choruses for their unwavering commitment to our mission. And we appreciate the strong leadership and continued support of Steve Finerty and our Board and Advisory Council.”

Key Institutional and Artistic Highlights
• Creative Collaborations and Partnerships across Artforms and the Community
Throughout the 21/22 season, Denève and the SLSO welcomed renowned guest artists and acclaimed composers to Powell Hall, including 15 artists in their SLSO debuts. Guests ranged from multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi and composer Anna Clyne to pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Víkingur Ólafsson, percussionist Martin Grubinger, and conductor Elim Chan. The SLSO also collaborated with a variety of local artists, including COCA Co-Artistic Director Kirven Douthit-Boyd and musicians from the region’s armed forces, as well as with organizations such as the Missouri History Museum, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Gateway Music Outreach, and Asian American Chamber of Commerce. This season marked the 45th year of the SLSO’s partnership with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

• Championing Music of Today
Stéphane Denève and the SLSO championed music of today, performing three world premieres and 39 other pieces by living composers, including as part of its St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer series. The SLSO connected its commitment to music education with music of today by hosting its first Composer Workshop, welcoming four composers to work with conductor/composer John Adams, SLSO musicians, and staff, then culminating in a community concert of their works by the SLSO.

• Celebrating Artistic Milestones: Retirement of St. Louis Symphony Chorus Director Amy Kaiser
The SLSO celebrated Amy Kaiser in the final season of her distinguished career after 27 years as Director of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. Kaiser served as the second director of the Symphony Chorus, working with four SLSO Music Directors and taking the Chorus to Carnegie Hall with the SLSO five times.

• Announcing the Renovation and Expansion of Historic Powell Hall
The SLSO announced plans to renovate and expand its historic home, the first major renovation of the building since becoming Powell Hall in 1968. The renovation and 65,000-square-foot expansion will enable greater community connections through the new education and learning center, as well as enhance the audience and artist experience, while preserving the building’s historic character. Work is expected to begin in spring 2023.

FY22 Financial Results and Community Support
• For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022, total operating revenue was $31.284 million after the addition of pandemic-related federal assistance of $4.2 million, while operating expenses totaled $30.201 million. Without federal assistance, the operational deficit would have been $3.117 million.

• The SLSO reported strong philanthropic support during the year. A total of $7.7 million was raised for the Annual Fund, including $260,000 generated by the Berges Family Challenge. More than 50 percent of challenge donations came from new donors.

• The endowment ended the fiscal year at $239 million. The SLSO’s endowment plays a vital role in providing financial support to further the SLSO’s mission. The distribution from the endowment draw proved critical to the stability of the SLSO this year, providing approximately 34 percent of the SLSO’s income.

Overall Reach and Community Impact
• More than 174,000 people experienced the power of live music with the SLSO at Powell Hall and across the region—starting with an estimated 15,000 St. Louisans at the return of the Forest Park concert. The SLSO presented more than 100 live performances, including 80+ concerts at Powell Hall, two holiday concerts in St. Charles at Lindenwood University, Juneteenth at Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, SLSO On the Go in St. Peters, and others throughout the St. Louis community.

• The SLSO continued the innovative digital education programs it started during the pandemic. During the 21/22 season, the SLSO reached 250,000 students—more than four times the students reached in any previous season. These programs also engaged more than 1,600 teachers across 48 states and 17 countries. The SLSO also visited four universities throughout the Midwest—University of Missouri, Indiana University Bloomington, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Nebraska-Lincoln—to offer masterclasses for students, as well as perform concerts.

• An estimated 450,000 people experienced the SLSO through its weekly live broadcasts of Saturday classical concerts with longtime partner St. Louis Public Radio and new simulcast partner Classic 107.3.

Board of Trustees
• New Trustees Elected
Four people were elected as new Board Trustees, each to serve a three-year term: Irasa Downing (Principal, Edward Jones), David Piston (Professor and Head, Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis), Bella Sanevich (Managing Director, Corporate Governance and Legal, NISA Investment Advisors), and Janet Williams (Community Volunteer). They join two other new Board members elected in April: Nick Ragone (Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ascension) and Rachel Seward (Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, MiTek).

• Board Trustees Re-elected
A total of eight Board members were re-elected at the meeting. Two board members were re-elected to serve a second three-year term: Spencer Burke (Principal, St. Louis Trust) and Kate Warne Riggs (Retired Principal, Investment Strategist, Edward Jones). Six board members were re-elected for a third term: Dr. Nicholas Kouchoukos (Endowed Chair, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgical Services, Missouri Baptist Medical Center), Dr. Kenneth Ludmerer (Professor of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis), Elizabeth Mannen Berges (Managing Director – Investments, Wells Fargo Advisors), Stephen M. Savis (Retired, Human Resources, Bayer AG), Sherry Sissac (US Midwest Integrated Marketing and Communications Lead, Accenture), and Daniel C. Wessel (Vice President of Global Business Management, Enterprise Holdings).

• Officers Re-elected
Three officers were re-elected for a term of two years each: Steve Finerty (Chairman, Argent Capital Management) as Board Chair, Emily Pulitzer (Chair, Pulitzer Arts Foundation) as Secretary, and David Steward (Founder and Chairman, World Wide Technology) as Vice Chair.

• Endowment Trust Appointments:
At its August meeting, the Endowment Trust elected John Jennings (President, St. Louis Trust) as chair of the Trust, replacing Kim Walker, who reached her term limit as independent trustee. David Hagee (Chief Investment Officer, Commerce Bank) was elected as independent trustee. New Board trustee Bella Sanevich (NISA Investment Advisors) was appointed as the fourth SLSO trustee, filling the seat left previously held by Michael Neidorff.