Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin and Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress lead the SLSO in April
(March 7, 2023, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced details of its April concerts at Powell Hall, the orchestra’s first concerts upon its return from its five-city European tour in March. The month begins with the final Crafted concert of the season hosted by SLSO’s Assistant Conductor, Stephanie Childress; two soloists in their SLSO debuts, pianist Lise de la Salle and cellist Joshua Roman; SLSO wind players perform Dai Fujikura’s solo works at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation; and Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct the SLSO.
Tickets start at $15 for classical concerts and are $30 for the Crafted concert. Tickets may be purchased at slso.org or by calling the Box Office at 314-534-1700. A full concert calendar is available at slso.org or on the SLSO’s mobile app available for iOS or Android. Saturday classical concerts will be broadcast live on 90.7 FM KWMU St. Louis Public Radio, Classic 107.3, or online (stlpr.org). Audiences can attend a Pre-Concert Conversation, an engaging discussion about the music and artists on the program, one hour prior to each classical concert in the auditorium.
The SLSO’s 143rd season runs through May 2023. For more information, visit slso.org.
Crafted: Elgar’s Enigma Variations
Friday, April 14, 2023, 6:30pm CDT
Stephanie Childress, conductor
Edward ELGAR Enigma Variations
Doors open at 5:00pm for this happy hour concert.
Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress examines the portraits of composer Edward Elgar’s close friends and family at the third and final happy hour concert of the season. The work is comprised of 14 variations on an original theme, each variation a musical sketch of one of Elgar’s loved ones. Childress and the orchestra performed the “Nimrod” variation at SLSO’s 2022 New Year’s Eve Celebration. Complementary food and drinks from local vendors are offered, as well as the opportunity to meet the musicians before the concert. Tickets are $30.
Elgar’s Enigma Variations
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 8:00pm CDT
Sunday, April 16, 2023, 3:00pm CDT
Stephanie Childress, conductor
Lise de la Salle, piano (SLSO debut)
Samuel BARBER Essay No. 2
Frédéric CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2
Edward ELGAR Enigma Variations
These concerts are presented by the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation.
These concerts are presented by Stifel.
Pianist Lise de la Salle makes her SLSO debut with Stephanie Childress conducting. The program opens with Barber’s Essay No. 2, the second of three short orchestral compositions written by Barber. De la Salle will then perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. De la Salle established herself as an international soloist at a young age, winning First Prize at the “European Young Concert Artists” and “Young Concert Artists International Auditions” in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Like de la Salle, Chopin began his musical career early on: he wrote his Piano Concerto No.2—which was actually the first concerto he composed—before he completed his formal education. His motive was to write a concerto that he could play on world tours. Childress and the SLSO will conclude the program with Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
Live at the Pulitzer: Wild Air
Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 7:30pm CDT
Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108
Matthew Roitstein, flute
Xiomara Mass, oboe
Scott Andrews, clarinet
Andrew Cuneo, bassoon
Thomas Jöstlein, horn
Victoria Knudtson, horn
Dai FUJIKURA Yurayura (First SLSO performance)
Dai FUJIKURA Calling (First SLSO performance)
Dai FUJIKURA Uniuni (First SLSO performance)
Dai FUJIKURA Sandpiper (First SLSO performance)
Dai FUJIKURA Harahara (First SLSO performance)
Paul DEAN Jasper and Charlie (First SLSO performance)
The SLSO continues its collaboration with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation with works by Japanese-English composer Dai Fujikura and Australian composer Paul Dean. Fujikura takes his inspiration from the natural world. Five SLSO wind players will embody different aspects of nature: Yurayura (to rock or shake) for horn, Calling for Bassoon, Uniuni (sea urchins) for horn, Sandpiper for flute, and Harahara (fluttering heart) for horn. The musicians will form a quintet to perform Dean’s exuberant Jasper and Charlie. The Live at the Pulitzer series advances the SLSO’s and Music Director Stéphane Denève’s commitment to music of today through the exploration of contemporary music and intersecting art forms. Tickets are $25.
Slatkin Conducts Strauss
Saturday, April 22, 2023, 10:30am* CDT
Sunday, April 23, 2023, 3:00pm CDT
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Joshua Roman, cello (SLSO debut)
Beth Guterman Chu, viola
Emmanuel CHABRIER España
Mason BATES Anthology of Fantastic Zoology (First SLSO performances)
Richard STRAUSS Don Quixote
*Refreshments courtesy of Kaldi’s Coffee and Eddie’s Southtown Donuts. Shuttle service available from Plaza Frontenac
Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin takes the stage once again to perform a program of lively and enchanting works inspired by Spanish literature and dance. The concert begins with Emmanuel Chabrier’s España which was built off two Spanish dances: the malaguena, a traditional flamenco style, and the jota, an Aragonese folk dance. Next, is Mason Bates’ Anthology of Fantastic Zoology which the composer describes as a “kind of psychedelic Carnival of the Animals.” The piece is based on Jorge Luis Borges’ Manual de zoología fantástica (Book of Imaginary Beings), which contains descriptions for 120 mythical beasts from literature and folklore. Bates titles each movement after a magical creature, some of which Bates’ himself imagined. The night leads up to Strauss’ Don Quixote, an epic tale of the knight, Don Quixote de la Mancha based on novel by Miguel de Cervantes. The work is divided into an introduction, 10 variations which depict the knight’s adventures, and an epilogue. The role of Don will be portrayed by cellist Joshua Roman in his SLSO debut. Roman is known for his versatility and artistic leadership which he uses to inspire the next generation of classical audiences. SLSO Principal Violist Beth Guterman Chu takes on the role of Sancho Panza, Don’s sidekick.