The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra begins new era with the reopening of Powell Hall at the new Jack C. Taylor Music Center

(September 15, 2025, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) announced details for the reopening of its historic home, Powell Hall at the new Jack C. Taylor Music Center, and updates to its milestone 2025/26 season, the orchestra’s 146th. The reopening of historic Powell Hall, along with a transformational expansion—together creating the Jack C. Taylor Music Center—follows a two-year, $140 million project centers the SLSO’s priority of making music more accessible to all.

Led by Snøhetta as design architect and Christner Architects as the architect of record, the project meticulously preserved 100-year-old Powell Hall’s acclaimed acoustics and stunning visual design, while making significant enhancements to the audience and artist experience. Opened in 1925 and SLSO’s home since 1968, the building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2001.

Improvements to the concert experience include new seating, more and enhanced amenities, and improved accessibility and safety measures. Backstage areas have been significantly upgraded with better instrument storage, additional practice areas and dressing rooms, and a state-of-the-art recording studio. The addition of a nearly 4,000-square-foot Education and Learning Center will serve as a hub for the SLSO’s growing portfolio of education programs, a rehearsal space for the SLSO’s two choruses and Youth Orchestra, and a nexus for community gathering, fostering the institution’s growth as a leader in music education and community engagement. The SLSO has commissioned internationally renowned artist Sheila Hicks to create a permanent, site-specific art installation for the new main entrance.

This two-year expansion and renovation project represents exceptional collaborative design excellence with key partners including Snøhetta and Christner Architects alongside BSI Constructors as construction manager, Kirkegaard for acoustics, and Schuler Shook for theater planning.

Beginning with the SLSO’s anticipated annual September 17 concert in Forest Park, the SLSO has programmed concerts and events to welcome the community back to Powell Hall and to celebrate the milestone season. The ceremonial opening of its season, the Forest Park concert serves as a preview for the season for an estimated 20,000 people, led by Music Director Stéphane Denève.

On September 19, the SLSO opens the historic venue with a celebratory ribbon cutting, featuring performances by the orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus—a chorus specializing in the performance of music from the African diaspora, one of two resident SLSO choruses. The ribbon cutting is the culmination of two years of construction at the 1920s-era venue, welcoming people into the restored space for the first time.

Concerts begin at the restored venue on September 26-28 with Opening Weekend. Denève and the SLSO reunite with Powell Hall in a celebration of the past, present, and future, paying homage to the building’s historic place in St. Louis’ civic life while looking toward increased artistic, community, and educational opportunities within the expanded space. Opening Weekend concerts open with a trio of fanfares by Aaron Copland, Joan Tower and the world premiere of James Lee III’s Fanfare for Universal Hope. Multi-Grammy-Award-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and members of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus join the orchestra for the world premiere of a song cycle by Composer in Residence Kevin Puts, House of Tomorrow, which draws text and musical inspiration from the poetry of Khalil Gibran. The concerts conclude with Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben,telling a triumphant tale of adventure and accomplishment. Celebratory social events will surround each of the Opening Weekend concerts.

A free community open house day, welcoming the region to explore the venue alongside performances of musicians from across the SLSO’s family of ensembles will be held on November 8. Additional details about this open house will be announced later.

The SLSO’s 146th season is a celebration of the power of music and the return to the renovated Powell Hall. An outstanding roster of guest artists joins the SLSO with programming that highlights bold, large-scale masterworks, including Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, Maurice Ravel’s complete Daphnis et Chloé, and W.A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute—all led by Denève. The SLSO’s two resident choruses—the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus—will be featured prominently throughout the season. The SLSO continues its commitment to elevating the vital voices of today, with nearly 40 percent of works on classical programs by living composers. World premieres of SLSO commissions include music by Nathalie Joachim, James Lee III, and Composer-in-Residence Kevin Puts, plus SLSO co-commissions by Carlos Simon and Jasmine Guo.

SLSO programming is responsive to diverse audience interests. In addition to classical programming, the SLSO continues its popular film series with six films; beloved holiday concerts; classical crossover concerts featuring the music of Dolly Parton, Chuck Berry, John Coltrane, and collaborations with artists including Sissel, Tower of Power, Ben Rector, and more.

Engaging audiences of all ages, the SLSO continues its Concerts for Kids (designed for students ages Pre-K to 12), and has added a new Concert for Teens experience designed for tweens and teens. Appealing to audiences curious about classical music, the SLSO has restarted its happy hour concert series, now called Playlist, designed to present music in a casual and enlightening format.

New offerings this season include a piano recital series featuring acclaimed artists Víkingur Ólafsson and Isata Kanneh-Mason, and two chamber music concerts curated by and featuring acclaimed guest artists, including violinist Augustin Hadelich and pianist Orli Shaham. The extraordinary artistry of SLSO musicians take center stage in seven chamber music concerts: four Live at The Sheldon concerts, featuring music from across the chamber canon performed at The Sheldon, the SLSO’s Grand Center neighbor and curated by the musicians; and three Live at the Pulitzer concerts, a 20+-year partnership with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation featuring music by living composers performed in the museum’s galleries and programmed in response to exhibitions on display.

Details about all concerts are available 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. 

The reopening of the venue focuses on the SLSO’s mission to create a vibrant community and improve access to music. In addition to improved accessibility to the venue, architectural design that fosters greater openness with the surrounding community, and an emphasis on programming that responds to the community’s diverse tastes, the SLSO has prioritized access in the 25/26 season with the following initiatives:

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