St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Stéphane Denève announce programming for 2026/27 season, the orchestra’s 147th

(February 18, 2026, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) and Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director, announced programming for the SLSO’s 2026/27 season, the orchestra’s 147th and Denève’s ninth as Music Director. Programming surveys music across genres and time and includes an extraordinary line-up of acclaimed guest artists. The season builds on the momentum of the celebrated reopening of Powell Hall at the new Jack C. Taylor Music Center—the SLSO’s community-centered home for music which opened in September 2025 after a transformational expansion and renovation.

Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director of the SLSO, said, “The resonance of symphonic music has no limit, and its relevance today as a unifying force is undeniable. Our 26/27 season unfolds as a vibrant expression of that boundless reach. From the essential human messages of Mahler and Beethoven to the pure sense of wonder found in Ravel, and through the vital voices of today like Wynton Marsalis, Gabriela Ortiz, Guillaume Connesson, or Carlos Simon, this season traces music’s most direct path from one heart to another. I can’t wait to share the stage with our musicians, some of the finest in the world, alongside our choruses and many visiting friends for a season that pushes boundaries, reflects the character of our community, and illuminates the very soul behind each note. Reopening our beloved Powell Hall has been a dream come true and welcoming ever-growing audiences of all ages and backgrounds to the Jack C. Taylor Music Center is an immense joy. Let’s continue to celebrate it together.”

Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO, said,“Our upcoming season celebrates the vitality and joy of symphonic music—presenting beloved masterworks, welcoming exceptional guest artists, and nurturing the next generation of creators, musicians, and music lovers. We are committed to actively listening to our community and offering a vast array of transformative experiences in a welcoming environment, fostering a vibrant community around the shared power of music. We look forward to building on the momentum of the reopening of our musical home, engaging with new and longtime audiences in fresh and exciting ways, and making music accessible to all.”

Bjorn Ranheim and Chris Tantillo, co-chairs of the SLSO Musicians’ Council, said, “The musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra are incredibly excited for the season ahead as we continue to welcome audiences back to the exquisite Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center. We are deeply grateful for their unwavering support and can’t wait to share an exciting lineup of programs in the year to come.”

In the 26/27 season, Denève leads nine classical programs with music spanning centuries and styles, highlighting his heartfelt approach to music making.

Denève builds on his deep engagement across the SLSO’s artistic portfolio, working with all institutional ensembles—the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, and the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra; leading a Playlist: Symphony Happy Hour concert; and participating in community engagement initiatives including Stéphane Seats—free seats to select concerts for community partners.

The SLSO celebrates the 50th anniversary season of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, which has performed repertoire from the choral-orchestral canon to critical acclaim since its formation in the 1976/77 season under then-Music Director Jerzy Semkow. Recognized for its artistic excellence, the Symphony Chorus has performed with the SLSO hundreds of times at Powell Hall, Carnegie Hall, and other venues locally and nationally. The Symphony Chorus has been under the direction of Erin Freeman since 2024.

In the 26/27 season, the SLSO spotlights the Symphony Chorus’ extraordinary artistry in a dynamic lineup of music spanning eras from Baroque to contemporary, including four pieces new to the Chorus. Performances include Felix Mendelssohn’s Psalm 114 (When Israel out of Egypt Came) andIgor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms (November 14-15, led by David Afkham), Francis Poulenc’s Gloria and Maurice Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (The Child and the Spells)(February 12-13, led by Denève), Gabriela Ortiz’s Revolucíon diamantina (Glitter Revolution)and Joseph Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis (Mass for Troubled Times) (March 20-21, led by Carlos Miguel Prieto), and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 (May 7 & 9, led by Denève). The complete Chorus also joins the orchestra for the annual Mercy Holiday Celebration concerts (December 17-20, led by Erin Freeman).

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), one of the world’s leading jazz ensembles, returns to St. Louis for a week of concerts in March 2027, led by luminary Wynton Marsalis in his final year touring with the group. The ensemble presents a solo concert on Wednesday, March 10, part of the SLSO’s Powell Hall Presents non-orchestral series.

Then, on March 12-14, the SLSO joins JLCO for the St. Louis premiere of Marsalis’ Symphony No. 5, “Liberty,” a new symphonic work that merges jazz, blues, and orchestral sounds to tell a distinctly American story. Co-commissioned by the SLSO, Marsalis’ Liberty Symphony is a significant addition to the contemporary American symphonic canon, exploring the roots of jazz within a symphonic context. Led by conductor-composer Teddy Abrams, the concert also includes music by Aaron Copland and John Adams. 

The two ensembles first collaborated in 2012 before releasing an acclaimed recording of Marsalis’ A Swing Symphony in 2019 on the Blue Engine label, recorded in 2018 at Powell Hall.

The orchestra welcomes a roster of acclaimed guest artists throughout the season. Eight conductors make their SLSO debuts, including:

Vocalists making their debut including sopranoAphrodite Patoulidou, singing on Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs and Jean Sibelius’ Luonnotar, and playing nyckelharpa, a medieval bowed string instrument (October 2 & 4). St. Louis native and Grammy Award-winning soprano Julia Bullock makes her SLSO debut on Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (October 30-31).

Instrumentalists making their SLSO debuts include pianist Daniil Trifonov performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (November 6-8); teenage virtuosa violinist Himari performing Glazunov’s Violin Concerto (November 28-29); and trumpeter Pacho Flores on Roberto Sierra’s Salseando (April 30-May 1).

Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin welcomes back his friend and frequent artistic collaborator, pianist Olga Kern, for Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1, alongside Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 6 (April 16 & 18).

Additional returning conductors include David Afkham (November 14-15), John Storgårds (November 28-29), and David Danzmayr (February 26-27).

Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, in Maurice Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (February 12-13), and mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3(May 7 & 9) also return.

Additional pianists making their SLSO returns include Yefim Bronfman on Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (September 26-27); Marie-Ange Nguci on W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21(October 16-17); Jeremy Denk on Béla Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 2(December 4-5); and Yeol Eum Son on Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (January 29-30). Returning violinists include James Ehnes on Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 (January 8-10); Charles Yang on Kris Bowers’ For a Younger Self (January 16-17); Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider on Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto (April 3-4).

Three SLSO musicians perform as soloists: Principal Bassoon Andrew Cuneo on the St. Louis premiere of Kevin Puts’ Bassoon Concerto (February 26-27), Principal Clarinet Scott Andrews on Copland’s Clarinet Concerto (April 9-11), and Associate Concertmaster Erin Schreiber on the world premiere of Christopher Stark’s Violin Concerto (April 9-11).

The St. Louis Symphony Chorus,under the direction of Erin Freeman in her third season, celebrates its 50th anniversary season in a slate of programs with the orchestra that span 225 years of music.

The St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® Chorus, which preserves and performs music from the African diaspora and is directed by Kevin McBeth in his 16th season, returns for its annual spirited holiday celebration: IN UNISON Christmas (December 10-11), featuring St. Louis native and NAACP Image Award nominated actress and singer Jenifer Lewis. The Chorus performs its annual Lift Every Voice: Celebrating Black History Month concert, also under McBeth’s direction(February 19), featuring celebrated composer, vocalist, and pianist Isaac Cates.

The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, the region’s premier training orchestra for young musicians aged 12-22, will present three concerts in its 57th season, all under the direction of Samuel Hollister, SLSO Assistant Conductor and The Fred M. Saigh Youth Orchestra Music Director in his third season leading the ensemble. Concert details will be announced later.

Twenty pieces enter the SLSO’s repertoire during the 2026/27 season, including 14 works by living composers.

Christopher Stark Violin Concerto (Apr 9-11)

Performed by SLSO Associate Concertmaster Erin Schreiber, led by Denève. Stark is an artistic partner of the SLSO and curator of the Live at the Pulitzer chamber music series. The concerto draws inspiration from birds, a shared interest of Stark and Schreiber, exploring musical ideas influenced by murmurations, migrations, dawn choruses, and flight patterns.

Ülo Krigul Proteus Pulse (Oct 16-17)

Proteus Pulse derives its energy from an old Greek God of Waters. Kristiina Poska, who led the world premiere with the Flanders Symphony in 2022, conducts.

Detlev Glanert Vexierbild. (Hidden Image.) (Jan 8-10)

Led by Denève. These concerts continue a series of performances pairing the music of Johannes Brahms with the music of Glanert—pieces composed in direct conversation with the 19th-century luminary. This is the fourth Glanert/Brahms pairing since the start of Denève’s tenure.

Kevin Puts Bassoon Concerto (Feb 26-27)

Performed by SLSO Principal Bassoonist Andrew Cuneo, led by David Danzmayr. A St. Louis native, Puts is deeply connected to the SLSO, which has performed more than a dozen of his works, and has released an acclaimed recording of his music in 2025. Puts serves as the SLSO’s Composer in Residence in the current 2025/26 season.

Wynton Marsalis Symphony No. 5, “Liberty” (Mar 12-14)

Led by Teddy Abrams. The Liberty Symphony is a major addition to the contemporary American orchestral repertoire, fusing the roots of jazz music in the orchestral medium. The SLSO released a recording of Marsalis’ Swing Symphony with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 2019.

Andrea Tarrodi Liguria (Sep 26-27), Denève conducts
Anna Meredith Nautilus (Oct 2 & 4), Dalia Stasevska conducts
Jean Sibelius Scene with Cranes (Oct 2 & 4), Dalia Stasevska conducts
Luciano Berio Folk Songs (Oct 2 & 4), Dalia Stasevska conducts
Michael Tilson Thomas Agnegram (Nov 6-8), Denève conducts
Felix Mendelssohn Psalm 114 (When Israel out of Egypt Came) (Nov 14-15), David Akham conducts
Kaija Saariaho Lumière et Pesanteur (Light and Gravity) (Dec 4-5), Dinis Sousa conducts
Miguel Farías Retratos Australes (Southern Portraits)(Jan 16-17), Paolo Bortolameolli conducts
Kris Bowers For a Younger Self (Violin Concerto) (Jan 16-17), Paolo Bortolameolli conducts
Mel Bonis Salomé from Trois femmes de légende (Jan 29-30), Anja Bihlmaier conducts
Maurice Ravel L’Enfant et les sortilèges (The Child and the Spells) (Feb 12-13), Denève conducts
John Adams Frenzy: a short symphony (Mar 12-14), Teddy Abrams conducts
Gabriela Ortiz   Revolución diamantina (Glitter Revolution) (Mar 20-21), Carlos Miguel Prieto conducts
Carlos Simon  “Wake Up!” Concerto for Orchestra (Apr 9-11), Denève conducts
Roberto Sierra  Salseando (Apr 30-May 1), Domingo Hindoyan conducts

The SLSO continues its popular film series, performing scores live while the movie plays overhead. Films in the 26/27 season include Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets^TM (September 18-20, music by John Williams), The Muppet Christmas Carol (December 12-13, music by Miles Goodman), Hook (January 22-24, music by John Williams), Star Wars: A New Hope (March 5-7, music by John Williams), plus musical highlights from two beloved series: One Piece, the Japanese anime television show (January 2-3, music by Kohei Tanaka) and National Geographic’s Secrets of the Whales (April 23-24, music by Raphaelle Thibaut). The orchestra will be the first in the world to present Edward Scissorhands, the 1990 Gothic romantic fantasy with music by Danny Elfman (October 23-25).

Advancing its commitment to making symphonic music accessible, the SLSO’s artistic vision includes genre-defying concerts that reflect the wide range of musical interests within the SLSO’s community. Special concerts in the 26/27 season include:

Holiday concerts include the popular IN UNISON Christmas concert (December 10-11), which features the IN UNISON Chorus led by Kevin McBeth. The Mercy Holiday Celebration presents five concerts of beloved holiday music with conductor Erin Freeman and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus at Powell Hall (December 18-20), and a performance at the J. Scheidegger Center for Performing Arts at Lindenwood University in St. Charles (December 17). Comedian, actress, and singer Ana Gasteyer brings her Sugar & Booze Holiday Spectacular to Powell Hall (December 22). The SLSO bids farewell to 2026 with its annual festive New Year’s Eve Celebration, led by Assistant Conductor Samuel Hollister (December 31). The SLSO also performs its annual Lift Every Voice: Celebrating Black History Month concert with the IN UNISON Chorus and Kansas City-based composer and vocalist Isaac Cates (February 19).

Playlist, the SLSO’s Happy Hour series, returns with a trio of concerts. These performances, designed for the classical curious, illuminate the stories behind the music through engaging commentary from the conductor and include social events before and after the concert. Denève leads a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” (October 28), and Assistant Conductor Samuel Hollister presents Mussorgsky’s/Ravel’s Pictures at an Exhibition (January 20) and Debussy’s La Mer (April 21).

Additional specials and Concerts for Kids will be announced later along with information about the SLSO’s Live at the Pulitzer (chamber music exploring the intersection of visual and aural art by composers of today, performed at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation) and Live at The Sheldon (music from the entire chamber music library curated and performed by SLSO musicians at The Sheldon).

The SLSO will conclude its season as the resident orchestra of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL), marking the 49th year of this partnership. Opera Theatre will announce programming for its 2027 Festival Season in June 2026. The current 2026 Festival Season runs May 23–June 28, 2026, and includes The Pirates of Penzance, The Light in the Piazza, A Streetcar Named Desire, Romeo and Juliet, and the annual Center Stage concert. Tickets and more information can be found at ExperienceOpera.org.

Subscription packages for the SLSO’s 26/27 season go on sale Wednesday, February 18, at 10:00am CST and can be purchased online at slso.org/subscribe.

Subscribers get first access to every concert this season, priority choice of seats, up to 25 percent savings on all ticket prices, and the flexibility to exchange concerts as needed. Subscribe by April 24 for priority seat selection. Curated series and Compose Your Own subscriptions begin at six concerts.

Single tickets will go on sale July 2026.

Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting, innovative, and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 147th year with the 2026/27 season and its ninth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community engagement—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.

The orchestra’s current 25/26 season marks the reopening of the orchestra’s historic home following a two-year transformational expansion and renovation designed by acclaimed architecture firm Snøhetta. The Jack C. Taylor Music Center, with a renovated Powell Hall at its heart, builds on the institution’s momentum as a civic leader in convening individuals, creators, and ideas.

The core of the SLSO’s artistic foundation is its dynamic partnership with Denève, whose energetic musicianship, visionary storytelling, and collaborative spirit have facilitated strong connections with local and visiting artists, as well as advanced the SLSO’s role as a leader in music education. The SLSO musical family also includes two resident choruses: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, founded in 1976, performs choral-orchestral music from the Baroque era to today; and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, founded in 1994, focuses on the performance and preservation of music from the African diaspora. The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, founded by Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin in 1970, is the region’s premier training orchestra for high school and college students.

An integral part of the vibrant St. Louis community, the SLSO enjoys a long history of robust and enduring collaborations with hundreds of artists and organizations locally and around the world. Orchestra musicians regularly share music each year at schools, medical facilities, places of worship, and community spaces. In addition to dozens of orchestral performances held at Powell Hall each year, the orchestra presents chamber music in collaboration with The Sheldon and at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. The SLSO has also served as the resident orchestra for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for nearly 50 years.

Beyond the St. Louis region, the SLSO’s impact is realized through concert broadcasts on St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3, acclaimed recordings, regular touring activity, and a digital portfolio that includes a robust online education platform with interactive programs, activities, and learning opportunities for all ages.

Since the arrival of Marie-Hélène Bernard as President and CEO in 2015, the SLSO has aligned its mission to make music more accessible, fostering a culture welcoming to all.

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