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SLSO dances its way to 2025

By Eric Dundon

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra said farewell to 2024 in style with its annual New Year’s Eve Celebration concert. Held at Stifel Theatre, the concert was led by Stephanie Childress, the SLSO’s Assistant Conductor from 2020 to 2023.

Childress built the program around themes of dance, plus pieces that connected to her time in St. Louis. Now the Principal Guest Conductor of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra in Spain, Childress programmed multiple Spanish or Spanish-inspired pieces, including music from José Serebrier’s Carmen Symphony and Joseph Turrin’s Fandango, a Spanish dance for two people—in this case Principal Trumpet Steven Franklin and Principal Trombone Jonathan Randazzo in their SLSO solo debuts.

Photos by Theo Welling.

Stephanie Childress, who was the SLSO’s Assistant Conductor from 2020 to 2023, led the New Year’s Eve program for the second time.
Principal Trumpet Steven Franklin, left, and Principal Trombone Jonathan Randazzo made their SLSO solo debuts in Joseph Turrin’s Fandango.
Audience members take a selfie in the Stifel Theatre lobby.
The SLSO cello section.
Childress also served as the typewriter player in Leroy Anderson’s appropriately titled “The Typewriter.”
Associate Principal Timpanist Kevin Ritenauer.
The final hooray of 2024 for the SLSO holiday season was the New Year’s Eve Celebration.
Childress leads a selection from José Serebrier’s Carmen Symphony.
Mingling in the lobby pre-concert.
Violinists Jessie Chen, left, and Charlie Lin.
The SLSO returns to the Stifel Theatre on January 25-26.
Audience members give the orchestra a standing ovation.

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