St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s March concerts feature classical favorites by Beethoven and Bernstein, welcome return of former SLSO Music Director David Robertson
Assistant Conductor Samuel Hollister leads the SLSO and guest artists in a trip through musical cultures in the second Concert for Kids of the season, March 1
Former SLSO Music Director David Robertson returns to lead the orchestra for the first time since the conclusion of his tenure in the first SLSO performances of Steven Mackey’s Turn the Key, Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Something for the Dark, and his own piano concerto, Light Forming, with pianist Orli Shaham, along with Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, March 6-7
Pianist Orli Shaham and SLSO musicians collaborate on a chamber music concert with music by Avner Dorman, W.A. Mozart, and Franz Schubert, March 8
Anna Sułkowska-Migoń, in her SLSO debut, leads the orchestra in Grazyna Bacewicz’s Overture, Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto with returning guest artist Leila Josefowicz, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, March 14-15
In the final Playlist Happy Hour concert of the season, Music Director Stéphane Denève leads the orchestra in a deep dive into the celestial works of film composer John Williams, March 19
Denève leads the orchestra and string trio Time for Three in the first SLSO performances of Composer in Residence Kevin Puts’ Contact, along with music by John Williams and John Adams, March 20 and 22
Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson inaugurates a new recital series with a program of music by J.S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert, March 26
Denève leads the SLSO in its first performances of Jasmine Guo’s the sound of where i came from, alongside music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Kevin Puts, March 27-28
(January 27, 2026, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced details of its March 2026 concerts, which include a celebration of film composer John Williams, the continuation of its Happy Hour and Concert for Kids series, and the inauguration of a new piano recital series.
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, or listen to the orchestra’s podcast, Noted, which explores classical concerts, available on slso.org.
Concerts for Kids: Music Without Boundaries
Sunday, March 1, 3:00pm CST
Samuel Hollister, conductor
Rulin Olivia Zhang, erhu
Amir Salesevic, accordion
Maya Anand, vocals
Farshid Etniko, guitar
Rafael Hernández Marín El Cumbanchero (First SLSO performance)
Arranged by Albert Gonzales
Reena Esmail Ram Tori Maya
Farshid Etniko Caushemar au paradis (First SLSO performance)
Arranged by Amy Greenhalgh
Yaoxing Chen The Battle Horses Galloping
Liu Tianhua Beautiful Night (First SLSO performance)
Arranged by Amy Greenhalgh
Traditional Hold My Life
Arranged by Chris Woehr
Carlos Simon Motherboxx Connection (First SLSO performance)
Most enjoyed by ages 6+. Concerts for Kids are inclusive of people with sensory differences. Accommodations will be provided so that everyone may enjoy the experience of live orchestral music.
In this concert designed for families with children ages six and up, journey through music from around the world, with each culture adding its own rhythm, style, and instruments. The concert traverses a unique landscape of music, including a Hindu devotional, symphonic Afrofuturism, a classic Latin American song, and a rollicking Chinese folk tune featuring the two-stringed erhu. Along the way, the concert celebrates how music connects everyone using traditional instruments and melodies that remove boundaries between cultures.
Bernstein and Robertson | American Reflections
Friday, March 6, 10:30am CST*
Saturday, March 7, 7:30pm CST
David Robertson, conductor
Orli Shaham, piano
Steven Mackey Turn the Key
David Robertson Light Forming, a Piano Concerto(First SLSO performances)
Sarah Kirkland Snider Something for the Dark (First SLSO performances)
Leonard Bernstein “The Age of Anxiety,” Symphony No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra
David Robertson “…A Joyful Noise…” (First SLSO performances)
Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
*Coffee Concert Series supported by EverTrue. Complimentary refreshments courtesy of Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. and Eddie’s Southtown Donuts.
David Robertson, SLSO Music Director from 2005 to 2018, returns to conduct a deeply emotional program exploring evolution and change through works by four American musical luminaries. Robertson’s own piano concerto, written for and performed by Orli Shaham, explores themes of language and love. Steven Mackey’s Turn the Key expresses the joys of transformation, Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Something for the Dark is a meditation on renewal, and Leonard Bernstein’s Second Symphony features a solo piano voice representing the composer’s introspective journey. The concert concludes with an exuberant finale, Robertson’s “…A Joyful Noise…”
Chamber Concert with Orli Shaham
Sunday, March 8, 3:00pm CDT
Orli Shaham, curator and piano
Erin Schreiber, violin
Shannon Williams, viola
Melissa Brooks, cello
Erik Harris, double bass
Scott Andrews, clarinet
George Goad, trumpet
W.A. Mozart Trio for Piano, Viola, and Clarinet in E-flat major, “Kegelstatt”
Avner Dorman Sextet (First SLSO performance)
Franz Schubert Piano Quintet in A major, “Trout”
Internationally acclaimed pianist Orli Shaham curates and leads a chamber music program that shines a light on the wide-ranging talents of SLSO musicians. Shaham brings her “virtuosity and intelligent musicianship” (Chicago Classical Review) to the program, spotlighting musicians in small ensembles on the Powell Hall stage and offering a glimpse into the vast world of chamber music. The program concludes with the virtuosic “Trout” quintet by Franz Schubert, recognized as one of the most popular chamber music pieces of all time.
Scheherazade | Magic and Myth
Saturday, March 14, 7:30pm CDT
Sunday, March 15, 3:00pm CDT
Anna Sułkowska-Migoń, conductor (SLSO debut)
Leila Josefowicz, violin
Grażyna Bacewicz Overture (First SLSO performances)
Alban Berg Violin Concerto
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
The March 14-15 concerts feature sensational stories by remarkable women. Anna Sułkowska-Migoń—known in the orchestra world for her sensibility to nuance and detail—opens her SLSO debut with a dynamic overture by fellow Polish musician, Grażyna Bacewicz. Leila Josefowicz, a St. Louis favorite and recording partner of the SLSO, displays her formidable talent in Berg’s soul-searching Violin Concerto, written in remembrance of a lost friend. And the orchestra conjures the legendary magic of Scheherazade’s 1,001 tales in Rimsky-Korsakov’s beloved interpretation of the centuries-old Middle Eastern legend.
Playlist: Symphony Happy Hour | Spotlight on John Williams
Thursday, March 19, 6:30pm CDT
Stéphane Denève, conductor
John Williams Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
John Williams “Adventures on Earth” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
John Williams Selections from Star Wars Suite
Presented by the William T. Kemper Foundation.
Playlist: Symphony Happy Hour concerts are designed to inspire, relax, and get the conversation going in a casual atmosphere perfect for those new to the orchestra as well as seasoned veterans. Sip signature cocktails and mocktails, enjoy insights from the conductor, and mingle with musicians at these one-hour concerts with surrounding social events. On March 19, soar through the stars as the SLSO performs works by legendary composer John Williams. Featuring selections from Star Wars, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and more, this concert promises to launch imaginations into orbit. Music Director Stéphane Denève, a personal friend of Williams, provides fascinating insights into the music in a celebration of the sweeping themes, dramatic motifs, and cinematic brilliance that have defined music for generations.
John Williams and Kevin Puts | A Cosmic Journey
Friday, March 20, 10:30am CDT*
Sunday, March 22, 3:00pm CDT
Stéphane Denève, conductor
Time for Three (SLSO debut)
Ranaan Meyer, double bass
Nick Kendall, violin
Charles Yang, violin
John Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Kevin Puts Contact (First SLSO performances)
John Williams Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
John Williams “Adventures on Earth” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
John Williams Selections from Star Wars Suite
*Coffee Concert Series supported by EverTrue. Complimentary refreshments courtesy of Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. and Eddie’s Southtown Donuts.
Music by three of America’s most respected contemporary composers comes together for a ride to the far corners of the galaxy. The orchestra blasts into space with John Adams’ driving fanfare Short Ride in a Fast Machine, among the most-performed contemporary pieces in the past three decades. Next is Kevin Puts’ Contact, inspired by humans’ fundamental need for connection, featuring the Grammy Award-winning trio, Time for Three. Puts serves this season as the orchestra’s Composer in Residence. Finally, Denève and the orchestra explore the great beyond with selections from John Williams’ iconic scores from the films E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Star Wars.
Víkingur Ólafsson in Recital | Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert
Thursday, March 26, 7:30pm CDT
Víkingur Ólafsson, piano
J.S. Bach Prelude in E major, BWV 854
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, op. 90
J.S. Bach Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830
Franz Schubert Piano Sonata in E minor, D. 566
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, op. 109
In pianist Víkingur Ólafsson’s hands, composers of the 18th and 19th centuries sound brand new. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 30, one of the composer’s most mature—and most demanding—anchors a recital of music by the three classical music titans: Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert. Ólafsson, whose heartfelt interpretations and commitment to recordings have garnered one billion streams, returns to St. Louis for the first time since the start of the SLSO’s 2023 European tour to share this intensely personal program.
Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto | Radiant Vision
Friday, March 27, 7:30pm CDT
Saturday, March 28, 7:30pm CDT
Stéphane Denève, conductor
Víkingur Ólafsson, piano
Ludwig van Beethoven The Consecration of the House Overture
Jasmine Guo the sound of where i came from (乡音 Xiāng Yīn) (First SLSO performances/SLSO co-commission)
Kevin Puts Concerto for Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5
Jasmine Guo’s work was commissioned by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program, an initiative of the League of American Orchestras in partnership with the American Composers Orchestra.
Dedicated to Music Director Stéphane Denève and the SLSO, Kevin Puts’ Concerto for Orchestra is a complex, beautiful, and satisfying emotional journey that puts a spotlight on the talents of the entire orchestra. This music resonates in Powell Hall alongside a new work by Chinese composer Jasmine Guo and Beethoven’s magnificent, heroic Emperor Piano Concerto, performed by the SLSO’s good friend, acclaimed pianist Víkingur Ólafsson.
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