St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announces more than $150 million in gifts supporting the transformational expansion and renovation of its concert hall

(January 14, 2025, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) announced that it has received more than $150 million in gifts in support of the expansion and renovation of its concert venue and to enhance the SLSO’s endowment. The Jack C. Taylor Music Center includes the renovation of Powell Hall, the existing 1925 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, plus a 64,000-square-foot expansion designed by the internationally acclaimed architecture firm Snøhetta and local architect of record Christner Architects. The campaign’s success has been driven by pace-setting gifts and grants from the following lead donors: Emily Rauh Pulitzer; the Crawford Taylor Foundation; the estate of Howard Witsma; the Berges Family Foundation; Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield; and the State of Missouri.

Steven L. Finerty, Chair of the SLSO Board of Trustees, said, “We have been truly heartened by the support shown by our community for this project. We are grateful for the many donors who have already contributed. Their generosity and belief in our vision allow the SLSO to enrich lives through music, locally and throughout the world. We invite the community to participate in this once-in-a-generation project, welcoming gifts of all sizes to enable one of the world’s finest orchestras to deepen its service to the St. Louis community.”

Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO, said, “We are now a few months away from completing this ambitious project—a defining moment in the 145-year history of our organization. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have supported this endeavor. Their generosity is shaping the future of music in St. Louis and creating a legacy that will inspire generations to come. This project will benefit our entire community—our committed and engaged audiences, the many new friends we’ve made while performing throughout the community during the past two seasons, and all who believe in the vitality of the St. Louis region. We look forward to realizing our vision of creating a space for music to flourish and inspire, making music accessible to all, and furthering our commitment to music education.”

The Jack C. Taylor Music Center—named in honor of the late SLSO patron, philanthropist, and champion of St. Louis—unifies new and renovated spaces to create an international music destination in St. Louis. At the heart of the project is the renovation of Powell Hall, the orchestra’s home since 1968. Designed with community service at its forefront, the project will preserve the civic treasure for generations to come, make music more accessible, better serve the needs of the community, and help to shape the orchestra of the future.

To date, the gifts received account for more than 98 percent of the fundraising campaign’s $155 million goal. Of the $155 million goal, $140 million will fund the expansion and renovation of the orchestra’s home, while $15 million will support the orchestra’s endowment for operations and programs.

The SLSO will open the Jack C. Taylor Music Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony and orchestra performance for the community on September 19, 2025. A reopening gala will follow on September 20, 2025, with the first concerts of the 146th season on September 26-28, 2025. Details about these and other season-opening events will be shared later.

The 2025 opening of the Jack C. Taylor Music Center centers the SLSO’s priorities on artistic excellence, community engagement, and investment in music education, which altogether reach one million people annually. The project transforms the audience and artist experience, providing new amenities and preserving and enhancing the internationally recognized acoustics and aesthetics of the concert hall, elevating the SLSO as a destination orchestra for musicians worldwide. A new Education and Learning Center will serve as a hub for the SLSO’s growing education programs, which engaged more than 1,300 teachers and 449,000 students locally and internationally in the past year. The Education and Learning Center will also serve as a rehearsal and gathering space for three ensembles under the SLSO umbrella: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus (a nearly 50-year artistic partner of the SLSO, under the direction of Erin Freeman), the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus (under the direction of Kevin McBeth with the unique mission of amplifying choral and choral-orchestral music of the African diaspora), and the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra (under the direction of Samuel Hollister and serving the region’s most accomplished young musicians).

The Jack C. Taylor Music Center will also serve as an incubator for creativity and connections, making music accessible through robust collaborations with more than 130 partners annually.

The expansion and renovation of the orchestra’s home builds on the institution’s momentum on all fronts under the leadership team of Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO for a decade, and Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director, now in his sixth season. The SLSO has served the community in alternate venues throughout the St. Louis region for the past two season, attracting approximately 40 percent new ticket buyers.

Highlights of the current 2024/2025 season include world premieres by Anna Clyne and Nina Shekhar; the 21st season of the Live at the Pulitzer chamber series exploring the intersection of today’s music and visual art; a recently added chamber series featuring and curated by SLSO musicians; cross-genre programming that builds new audiences and responds to diverse audience interests; and meaningful community programs that explore composer voices from the LGBTQ+ community, those impacted by the Holocaust, and those from Bosnia and Herzegovina, responding to St. Louis’ prominent Bosnian population. For more information, visit slso.org.

The SLSO will announce programming details of the 2025/2026 season—the first season back in Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center—in February. Learn more about the project here.

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