St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s February concerts include celebration of Mozart, tribute to John Coltrane, and annual commemoration of Black History Month

(January 6, 2026, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced details of its February 2026 concerts, which includes a concert version of Mozart’s celebrated opera, The Magic Flute; a commemoration of Black History Month; performances of the score to Amadeus; chamber music; and a centennial celebration of the acclaimed musician John Coltrane.

Tickets for all concerts are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased 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. Audiences can attend a Pre-Concert Conversation, an engaging discussion about the music and artists on the program, one hour prior to each classical concert. 

The Sheldon
3648 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63108
Thursday, February 5, 7:30pm CST

Michael Casimir, curator and viola
Yin Xiong, curator and cello
Xiaoxiao Qiang, violin
Siyu Zhang, violin
Peter Henderson, piano

Paul Wiancko American Haiku (First SLSO performance)
Trent Fitzsimmons New work (World Premiere)
Kevin Puts Home (First SLSO performance)
Johannes Brahms Piano Quartet No. 1

The performance of Trent Fitzsimmons’ work is presented in partnership with the Mizzou New Music Initiative. Sponsored by the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. Welcomed by Classic 107.3.

SLSO musicians explore the meaning of home in a chamber music concert for strings and piano curated by violist Michael Casimir and cellist Yin Xiong. Japanese American composer Paul Wiancko describes his American Haiku for violin and cello as a “treatise on life itself.” Kevin Puts, who serves as the orchestra Composer in Residence this season, gives witness to the European refugee crisis through his string quartet, Home. Concluding the program, Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet captures the emotional complexity of a young composer searching for his place in the world. The program also includes the world premiere of a chamber music work by Trent Fitzsimmons, presented as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Mizzou New Music Initiative to nurture the next generation of composers.

Friday, February 6, 10:30am CST*
Saturday, February 7, 7:30pm CST

Xian Zhang, conductor
Steven Banks, saxophone (SLSO debut)

Reena Esmail RE|Member (First SLSO performances)
Billy Childs Diaspora (Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra) (First SLSO performances)
Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 5

Presented by the Whitaker Foundation.

*Coffee Concert Series supported by EverTrue. Complimentary refreshments courtesy of Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. and Eddie’s Southtown Donuts.

Humanity is at the core of this SLSO program. Sergei Prokofiev conceived his Symphony No. 5 “as a symphony on the greatness of the human soul.” A wartime symphony, the Fifth Symphony has endured as one of Prokofiev’s most popular and moving works. In 2020, as Indian American composer Reena Esmail set out to compose RE|Member, she felt the deep healing of a collective return to music-making after a global pandemic. Her piece shines a spotlight on the SLSO woodwinds, especially the oboe. Billy Childs expresses trauma, resilience, and empowerment within the Black American experience through his symphonic poem Diaspora, brought to life in these performances by saxophonist Steven Banks. Banks, a dedicated advocate for inclusivity in the orchestral field, has toured the piece with several American orchestras in tandem with his Come As You Are initiative—a program that encourages accessibility to the concert hall for Black audiences and other marginalized communities. Xian Zhang, the Music Director of the Seattle Symphony, leads the performances in her second appearance with the SLSO, following her 2022 debut, which received praise for its “outstanding quality” (KDHX).

Tuesday, February 10, 7:30pm CST 

Experience the sound of a generation with The Simon & Garfunkel Story—an immersive journey through the lives and music of the beloved American folk-rock duo. Accompanied by original film footage and a full live band, this powerful performance traces Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s rise from humble beginnings as Tom & Jerry to their incredible success as one of the best-selling music groups of the ‘60s. Hear the songs that defined an era—including “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia,” “Homeward Bound,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Sound of Silence,” and more—in a stunning concert that brings to life the emotion, beauty, and storytelling behind Simon and Garfunkel’s unforgettable music.

Note: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra does not perform at this concert.  

Friday, February 13, 7:00pm CST
Saturday, February 14, 7:00pm CST

Stéphane Denève, conductor
St. Louis Symphony Chorus | Erin Freeman, director
Peter Henderson, piano

W.A. Mozart                                           Amadeus in Concert

Amadeus in Concert is a production of Avex Classics International. The Amadeus film is licensed by The Saul Zaentz Company.

The SLSO and St. Louis Symphony Chorus perform Mozart’s most celebrated works live to picture in Amadeus, Miloš Forman’s Academy Award-winning film. This period epic tells the tale of Vienna court composer Antonio Salieri and his rivalry with the brilliant young composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri’s envy fuels his plot to destroy the man, all while being unable to tear himself away from the genius of Mozart’s music. Brought to life by the SLSO and Music Director Stéphane Denève, Amadeus in Concert is a soaring celebration of astonishing musical achievement, featuring many of Mozart’s most-loved works, including excerpts from Symphony Nos. 25 and 29, the Great Mass in C, the Requiem, opera music from The Marriage of Figaro and The Abduction from the Seraglio, Piano Concerto Nos. 20 and 22, and more.

Sunday, February 15, 7:00pm CST

Stéphane Denève, conductor
Anthony Parnther, conductor and arranger
Tamika Lawrence, vocals
Shaleah Adkisson, vocals
Scott Coulter, vocals
John Boswell, piano

Repertoire and additional artists to be announced.

Join the SLSO for a once-in-a-lifetime experience as the SLSO and St. Louis CITY SC present Eternal: A Tribute to Tina Turner—the ultimate journey through Tina’s immortal catalog. From her gospel and soul roots in St. Louis to her rise as the Queen of Rock, Music Director Stéphane Denève, alongside conductor/arranger Anthony Parnther and a curated lineup of special guests, takes audiences on an immersive symphonic tour of Tina’s rise to stardom. St. Louis is where Anna Mae Bullock found her voice and became Tina—a global and cultural icon whose spirit still endures and inspires the world today.

Friday, February 20, 7:30pm CST
Sunday, February 22, 3:00pm CST

Stéphane Denève, conductor
Ben Bliss, tenor (Tamino) (SLSO debut)
Mei Gui Zhang, soprano (Pamina) (SLSO debut)
Will Liverman, baritone (Papageno) (SLSO debut)
Rainelle Krause, coloratura soprano (The Queen of the Night) (SLSO debut)
David Leigh, bass (Sarastro) (SLSO debut)
Teresa Perrotta, soprano (First Lady) (SLSO debut)
Elizabeth Sutphen, soprano (Papagena)
Jennifer Feinstein, mezzo-soprano (Second Lady) (SLSO debut)
Daryl Freedman, mezzo-soprano (Third Lady) (SLSO debut)
Rodell Rosel, tenor (Monostatos) (SLSO debut)
William Socolof, bass-baritone (Speaker) (SLSO debut)
St. Louis Symphony Chorus | Erin Freeman, director
The St. Louis Children’s Choirs | Dr. Alyson Moore, artistic director
Cori Ellison, dramaturg (SLSO debut)
Luke Kritzeck, lighting designer

W.A. Mozart                             The Magic Flute

Presented by Noémi Neidorff.

Music Director Stéphane Denève, whose earlier experiences conducting opera forever impacted his appreciation for Mozart’s brilliant musical mind, leads a complete concert version of The Magic Flute, Mozart’s 1791 opera. The Magic Flute introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, including the villainous Queen of the Night and the quirky, yet relatable Papageno, in a story that blends fairy tale and philosophy. One of Mozart’s most brilliant orchestral scores, this magnificent, extravagant opera-in-concert production combines the talents of the SLSO, a cast of acclaimed vocalists, and the “impeccable” (KDHX) St. Louis Symphony Chorus. The cast for the production includes stars of today’s opera field, including sopranos Mei Gui Zhang, Rainelle Krause, Teresa Perrotta, Elizabeth Sutphen; mezzo-sopranos Jennifer Feinstein and Daryl Freedman; tenors Ben Bliss and Rodell Rosel; baritone Will Liverman; bass-baritone William Socolof; and bass David Leigh, all in their SLSO debuts.

Friday, February 27, 7:30pm CST

Kevin McBeth, conductor
St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® Chorus | Kevin McBeth, director

Repertoire and additional artists to be announced.
Supported by Bayer Fund.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus present a joyful celebration of Black History Month, an annual tradition that goes back decades that showcases the magnificent variety and depth of Black musical expression. For more than 30 years, the IN UNISON Chorus has served as a bridge between the orchestra and St. Louis’ Black community through its unique interpretations of music from the African diaspora, a unique chorus in the orchestral industry.

Saturday, February 28, 7:30pm CST

Edwin Outwater, conductor
Carlos Simon, curator and arranger
Joe Lovano, saxophone (SLSO debut)

Additional artists and repertoire to be announced.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to the creative genius of jazz legend John Coltrane in a one-night-only performance. In this concert, Coltrane’s popular and groundbreaking works from his early Prestige Recording years to his late 1960s masterpieces are newly orchestrated by in-demand composer Carlos Simon. This unique concert experience journeys through the life and legacy of one of music history’s most influential artists. Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Joe Lovano, a genre-defying instrumentalist with more than two dozen albums to his name, joins the SLSO for this unprecedented performance.

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