SLSO Unveils Genre-Spanning Powell Hall Presents Series in Newly Renovated Home
By Eric Dundon
As the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra continues its milestone 146th season—and its first inside the newly opened Jack C. Taylor Music Center—the institution is marking the moment with a slate of fresh, genre-crossing events designed to welcome even more audiences into its reimagined home. Powell Hall Presents, a curated series that brings nationally touring productions to the city without the orchestra onstage, returns this season with three singular experiences spanning folk rock, jazz, and a beloved movie musical.
The series begins February 10, 2026, with The Simon & Garfunkel Story, an immersive concert chronicling the unlikely rise of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Using original film footage and backed by a full band, the production revisits hits that shaped a generation—“Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Cecilia,” and more. For longtime fans and new listeners alike, it’s a chance to witness the story behind one of the most influential duos of the 1960s inside one of the most iconic spaces in St. Louis.
On June 6, Powell Hall turns its spotlight to jazz legends with Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane: Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial, a celebration marking 100 years since the births of two giants who forever altered the artform. Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard—long inspired by Miles Davis’ boundary-breaking spirit—joins saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, whose own voice bridges personal innovation and his father’s enduring legacy. Their collaboration, supported by an ensemble of top-tier instrumentalists, promises a concert where tribute meets transformation, honoring jazz’s lineage while imagining where it can go next.
Summer brings a burst of cinematic joy as families, friends, and lifelong fans gather for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music Sing-A-Long on July 18. Set within the grandeur of Powell Hall, the event screens the 1965 Academy Award–winning film with on-screen lyrics, inviting audiences to join in beloved tunes like “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” and “My Favorite Things.” Costumes, laughter, and full-throated singing are all encouraged, making the evening as much a community celebration as a film screening.
The launch of this year’s Powell Hall Presents series comes during a period of historic transformation for the SLSO. The Jack C. Taylor Music Center—featuring a fully renovated Powell Hall and a 64,000-square-foot expansion designed by the internationally acclaimed architecture firm Snøhetta—opened in September 2025. The project represents the SLSO’s commitment not only to acoustic and architectural excellence, but to creating a cultural home that is welcoming, flexible, and connected to the community it serves.
Tickets for all Powell Hall Presents events are now on sale at slso.org and through the SLSO Box Office at 314-534-1700.
Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.
