St. Louis Symphony Orchestra October 2024 concerts span genres, with U.S. premiere, classical favorites, chamber music, and concert for families

(September 4, 2023, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced details of its October 2024 concerts, which includes classical favorites by Antonín Dvořák, Felix Mendelssohn, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; the U.S. premiere of a new work by Daniel Slatkin; a celebration of the legacy of Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin; chamber music that spotlights SLSO string players; and a Concert for Kids that explores Earth’s creatures.

Tickets start at $20 for classical concerts, $15 for Concerts for Kids, and $31 for Live at The Sheldon chamber music concerts and are on sale now. 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.  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. 

While the transformational expansion and renovation of Powell Hall continues, the SLSO will perform October concerts at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and The Sheldon (October 10 only). Shuttle service will be available for all classical concerts starting at $15 per seat. Shuttles for performances at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL will depart from Plaza Frontenac and free parking is available on the UMSL campus.  

Ginastera and Dvořák: From Argentina to Bohemia
Friday, October 4, 10:30am CDT*
Sunday, October 6, 3:00pm CDT
Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis 
1 Touhill Circle, St. Louis, MO 63121 

Cristian Măcelaru, conductor

Antonín Dvořák  Carnival Overture
Gabriela Lena Frank Concertino Cusqueño (First SLSO performances)
Alberto Ginastera Variaciones concertantes
Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 6

*Refreshments provided by Kaldi’s Coffee and Eddie’s Southtown Donuts.

Vibrant musical colors twist and dance in this varied program. Alberto Ginastera’s Variaciones concertantes and Gabriela Lena Frank’s Concertino Cusqueño explore the sights and sounds of South America, while showcasing the virtuosity of the SLSO musicians. Conductor Cristian Măcelaru, in his seventh appearance with the SLSO, illuminates the soul of Antonín Dvořák’s music, from the fireworks of Carnival Overture to the exuberant Sixth Symphony.

Concert for Kids: Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony
Saturday, October 5, 4:00pm CDT
Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis 
1 Touhill Circle, St. Louis, MO 63121 

Samuel Hollister, conductor
Bobby Norfolk, narrator
Emily Bowling, special guest

Dan Brown Wild Symphony (First SLSO performances)
John Williams “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Suite
Camille Saint-Saëns “The Elephant” from Carnival of the Animals
Igor Stravinsky Selections from The Firebird Suite (1919 version)
Gioachino Rossini Excerpt from William Tell Overture

Created in partnership with the Saint Louis Zoo. Most enjoyed by ages 5+. Concerts for Kids are inclusive of people with sensory sensitivities. Accommodations will be provided so that everyone may enjoy the experience of live orchestral music.  

Embark on a musical adventure with Dan Brown’s latest surprise, Wild Symphony. As the SLSO shares this captivating story from The New York Times bestselling author of The Da Vinci Code, illustrated by Susan Batori, audiences join Maestro Mouse and his animal friends for a wild ride that illuminates the natural world through music. Conducted by SLSO Assistant Conductor Samuel Hollister in his SLSO debut, the musical adventure travels through the trees and across the seas to meet a menagerie of characters from whales to ponies, and beetles to elephants—each with a special secret to share. Audiences are invited to arrive early for family friendly activities one hour prior to the concert.

Live at The Sheldon: String Theory
Thursday, October 10, 7:30pm CDT 
The Sheldon 
3648 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63108 

Erin Schreiber, curator and violin 
Shawn Weil, curator and violin 
Shannon Williams, viola 
Bjorn Ranheim, cello 
Peter Henderson, piano 

Caroline Shaw Entr’acte
George Walker Molto Adagio from String Quartet No. 1
Stefan Freund Delirium (First SLSO performance)
Pablo de Sarasate Navarra
Robert Schumann Piano Quintet in E-flat major

Chamber music curated by Erin Schreiber (Associate Concertmaster) and Shawn Weil (violin).
Sponsored by the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. Welcomed by Classic 107.3.

SLSO string players take the spotlight in the first of five chamber music concerts held at The Sheldon, the orchestra’s Grand Center neighbor. Called “the hottest ticket in town” (St. Louis American), the series places creative control in the hands of SLSO musicians. In this program curated by Associate Concertmaster Erin Schreiber and violinist Shawn Weil, strings explore a vast universe of skill and technique. Music by living composers Caroline Shaw and Stefan Freund skitters to the highest octaves and shifts through shapes and textures. George Walker draws a line from beginning to end bound by counterpoint, harmony, melody, and the mood of a gentle elegy. Sarasate’s Navarra, a violin duet with piano accompaniment, follows the rhythms of a quick-footed Spanish dance. Richard Schumann’s Piano Quintet expands the universe for string writing by incorporating piano, a masterpiece of invention.

Mendelssohn’s Reformation: Onward to Triumph
Friday, October 18, 7:30pm CDT
Saturday, October 19, 7:30pm CDT
Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis 
1 Touhill Circle, St. Louis, MO 63121 

David Danzmayr, conductor
Conrad Tao, piano

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Ballade (First SLSO performances)
Camille Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2
James MacMillan One (First SLSO performances)
Felix Mendelssohn  Symphony No. 5, “Reformation”

Conductor David Danzmayr returns to the SLSO for his third appearance in a program that seeks understanding, unity, and progress. Felix Mendelssohn’s radiant “Reformation” symphony, written when the composer was just 21 years old, culminates in a blazing hymn celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg confession, a key document in Lutheranism. Soloist Conrad Tao shares Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2, a work he calls “both charming and dramatic.” The SLSO performs Ballade by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a 19th- and 20th-century Black composer whose music is receiving renewed attention, for the first time, along with Sir James MacMillan’s One, a mysterious musical walk through the woods.

Slatkin’s Legacy: A Birthday Celebration
Friday, October 25, 10:30am CDT*
Sunday, October 27, 3:00pm CDT
Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis 
1 Touhill Circle, St. Louis, MO 63121 

Leonard Slatkin, conductor

Cindy McTee Timepiece (First SLSO performances)
Domenico Scarlatti  Five Sonatas for Orchestral Wind Ensemble (First SLSO performances)
Arranged by Leonard Slatkin                                                               
Daniel Slatkin Voyager 130 (U.S. premiere)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

*Refreshments provided by Kaldi’s Coffee and Eddie’s Southtown Donuts.

The SLSO celebrates the legacy of Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin and his indelible impact on St. Louis. The first half celebrates his family—both personally and musically. Cindy McTee, Slatkin’s wife, winds the orchestra like a clock, then lets it spin in Timepiece. Daniel Slatkin, Slatkin’s son, reaches into the cosmos for the U.S. premiere of a work that uses music from the spacecraft Voyager’s golden record. And five of Domenico Scarlatti’s sonatas are given new life in Slatkin’s own arrangements for SLSO wind players. Slatkin brings a lifetime of experience to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 to close the program, music of deeply personal emotions that he took on tour with the orchestra as Music Director.

About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 145th year with the 2024/2025 season and its sixth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.

The transformational expansion and renovation of its historic home, Powell Hall, slated to be completed in 2025, builds on the institution’s momentum as a civic leader in convening individuals, creators, and ideas, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. Committed to building community through compelling and inclusive musical experiences, the SLSO continues its longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, embracing its strengths as a responsive, nimble organization, while investing in partnerships locally and elevating its presence globally. For more information, visit slso.org.

About the University of Missouri–St. Louis Touhill Performing Arts Center
Designed by the renowned architectural firm I.M. Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners, the Touhill Performing Arts Center is a landmark performance facility on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). The Touhill at UMSL hosts an average of 120 events, 200 performances, and 90,000 visitors per year.

The Touhill at UMSL staff manages several collaborative relationships and programs that, along with campus and community partners, bring together a diverse season of dance, theatre, music, festivals, and special events.

About The Sheldon
Through the power of music and art, The Sheldon ensures that all have access to unique, relevant and inventive experiences that change lives and strengthen our community.

The Sheldon breaks down barriers, making music and visual art accessible to all. Known around the world for its acoustically perfect concert hall, the adjoining Sheldon Art Galleries presents world-class visual art exhibitions in an intimate space, and over 30,000 young people each year engage in Sheldon education programs including live and online performances and STEAM-based learning. TheSheldon.org.

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