Forest Park Concert

📍 This event takes place at Art Hill in Forest Park

Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026, 7:00pm This event has passed

Plan Your Forest Park Visit

Everything you need to know before you head to Forest Park, including parking, food & drinks, pre-concert activities, and more.

Plan Your Visit

Program

Stéphane Denève, conductor
Members of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus | Erin Freeman, director
Members of the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus | Kevin McBeth, director

John Stafford Smith “The Star-Spangled Banner”
Rosamund Johnson / arr. Holland “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Ottorino Respighi The Pines of the Villa Borghese from The Pines of Rome
Ludwig van Beethoven Allegro from Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”
Carl Orff O Fortuna from Carmina Burana
Aaron Copland Simple Gifts from Old American Songs
George Gershwin Oh Lawd, I’m on My Way from Porgy and Bess
Leonard Bernstein “Mambo” from West Side Story
Various / arr. Hayman/Kessler Armed Forces Salute
Samuel Ward / arr. Dragon “America the Beautiful”
John Williams March of the Resistance from Star Wars: The Force Awakens
John Williams Battle of the Heroes from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
John Williams Throne Room and End Title from Star Wars Suite
John Philip Sousa The Stars and Stripes Forever

Singalong Lyrics

About this Concert

Celebrate the start of the 26/27 season with friends and family at this beloved annual concert. Music Director Stéphane Denève leads the SLSO in a vibrant program featuring highlights of the upcoming year. Bring your drinks, snacks, and chairs, and enjoy an unforgettable evening on Art Hill as we usher in a new season of music and community surrounded by the beauty of St. Louis.

Find everything you need to plan your visit here.

- This free concert has taken place for more than 55 years, reflecting the SLSO’s commitment to St. Louis and the city’s love of this treasured tradition.
- Bring your own picnic dinner or choose from the many food truck partners on-site.
- In September 2024, a downpour threatened to put an early end to the concert. Luckily, the rain didn’t last, and both the audience and musicians were able to enjoy a full evening of festive music making.