St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announces 2026 holiday concerts

(November 10, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced details of its holiday 2026 concerts, which include an IN UNISON Christmas concert; The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert; six Mercy Holiday Celebration concerts; a vintage holiday celebration with Broadway star Ana Gasteyer; A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage; and the annual New Year’s Eve celebration.

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. 

Thursday, December 10, 2026, 7:30pm CST
Friday, December 11, 2026, 7:30pm CST

Kevin McBeth, conductor
Jenifer Lewis, vocals
St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus | Kevin McBeth, director

Traditional / arr. Anthony DiLorenzo “Joy to the World”
Marianna Martines Dixit Dominus
Eric Whitacre Glow
Traditional / arr. Roland Carter / orch. David L. Gill “Mary Had a Baby”
Traditional / arr. Michael Lawrence “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Traditional / arr. Brazeal Dennard “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”
Traditional / arr. David L. Gill “Shout for Joy”
Franz Gruber / arr. David L. Gill “Silent Night”
Gustav Holst / arr. Steven Franklin In the Bleak Midwinter
G.F. Handel / arr. Warren/Jackson/Kibble/Hey/Chinn “Hallelujah” from Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration
Traditional “Angels We Have Heard on High”
John F. Wade / arr. John Wasson “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
Traditional / arr. Mack Wilberg “The First Nowell”
Norman Hutchins / arr. Dustin Loehrs / orch. Daniel Galbraith “Emmanuel”
Richard Smallwood / arr. Cliff Duren “I Love the Lord
Traditional / arr. David L. Gill “Go! Tell It on the Mountain”
Marc Shaiman / arr. David L. Gill “Black Don’t Crack”
Adolphe Adam / arr. J. Daniel Smith “O Holy Night”

St. Louis-born actor and singer Jenifer Lewis returns to Powell Hall for the first time since 2012 to headline IN UNISON Christmas. Known for her charismatic stage presence, Lewis brings the exuberance of Broadway to this annual celebration, joining the SLSO and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus for an evening of uplifting music. Led by IN UNISON Chorus Director Kevin McBeth, the program spotlights the chorus, an SLSO resident ensemble dedicated to performing and preserving music from the African diaspora.

Supported by Bayer Fund

Saturday, December 12, 2026, 7:00pm CST
Sunday, December 13, 2026, 2:00pm CST
Sunday, December 13, 2026, 7:00pm CST

Evan Roider, conductor (SLSO debut)
Members of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus | Erin Freeman, director

Miles Goodman The Muppet Christmas Carol

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and fan favorite Muppets join the SLSO in this merry, magical version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. Michael Caine stars as Ebenezer Scrooge, the penny-pinching grump who—with the help of Kermit as his clerk Bob Cratchit and a few ghostly visits—learns to open his heart to the true meaning of Christmas. This beloved holiday classic comes to life on Powell Hall’s big screen as the orchestra performs the score live to picture.

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. © Disney. All rights reserved.

Thursday, December 17, 2026, 7:30pm CST
At the J. Scheidegger Center for Performing Arts at Lindenwood University,
2300 W. Clay St., St. Charles, MO 63301

Friday, December 18, 2026, 10:30am & 7:30pm CST
Saturday, December 19, 2026, 2:00pm & 7:30pm CST
Sunday, December 20, 2026, 2:00pm CST
At Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center

Erin Freeman, conductor
Norm Lewis, vocals (SLSO debut)
St. Louis Symphony Chorus | Erin Freeman, director

Traditional / arr. Sean O’Laughlin Christmas Canticles
Traditional / arr. J.S. Bach/Erin Freeman “In Dulci Jubilo”
Steven Amundson Rejoice!
Various / arr. and orch. Joseph Joubert  “Ave Maria / O Holy Night”
Eric Whitacre  Glow
Antonio Vivaldi / recomp. Max Richter Winter I from The Four Seasons Recomposed
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky  Waltz of the Snowflakes from The Nutcracker
Jule Styne / orch. Joseph Joubert  “Let It Snow”
Larry Stock / arr. Daryl McKenzie  “A Cradle in Bethlehem”
Robert Shaw / arr. Robert Russell Bennett  Selections from The Many Moods of Christmas Suite No. 4
Traditional / arr. Bill Holcombe Festive Sounds of Hanukah
Mykola Leontovych / arr. Barlow Bradford “Carol of the Bells”
Leroy Anderson  Sleigh Ride
Percy Faith / arr. Lee Norris “Brazilian Sleigh Bells”
Walter Afanasief / arr. Joseph Joubert / orch. David Gill “Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Everyday?”
Jerry Herman / arr. Robert Wendel “We Need a Little Christmas”
Gene Autry / arr. James Ployhar “Here Comes Santa Claus”
Felix Bernard / arr. Ralph Hermann  “Winter Wonderland”
Walter Kent / arr. Mark Hayes “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
Charlie Smalls / arr. and orch. Joseph Joubert “Home” from The Wiz
Various / arr. James Stephenson   A Holly and Jolly Sing-Along!

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s annual toast to the holidays returns with concerts at Powell Hall and at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, featuring vocalist Norm Lewis, whose Broadway credits include Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, and The Phantom of the Opera (as the Phantom). Blending the timeless and traditional with contemporary classics, these concerts feature the SLSO and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus in a program filled with warmth—from cozy fireside ballads to poignant carols and the joyful sound of sleigh bells, with perhaps a visit from Santa Claus.

Presented by Mercy.

Tuesday, December 22, 2026, 7:30pm CST

Stuart Malina, conductor
Ana Gasteyer, vocals (SLSO debut)

Musician, comedian, and actor Ana Gasteyer shares songs from her album, Sugar & Booze, called “an uproarious homage to Christmas albums of old” by Billboard in this retro-inspired holiday concert. The Saturday Night Live alum pairs vintage holiday standards with original songs full of witty, offbeat stories. The album reached the Billboard Jazz Top 5 and drew praise from the Los Angeles Times: “Were Frank, Dino, or Sammy still with us, any or all would pounce on the delightfully swaggering title track.”

Repertoire announced from the stage.

Sunday, December 27, 2026, 3:00pm & 7:00pm CST

Celebrate the season with Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang in A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning animated television special, this production features actors and a three-piece band performing the story alongside Vince Guaraldi’s timeless music. Follow Charlie Brown as he searches for the meaning of Christmas with help from his friends.

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

Thursday, December 31, 2026, 7:30pm CST

Samuel Hollister, conductor
Aubrey Logan, vocals and trombone (SLSO debut)
Adam Maness, piano
Bob DeBoo, bass
Kaleb Kirby, drums

Aaron Copland Buckaroo Holiday from Rodeo
George Gershwin “Fascinating Rhythm”
David Mann “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”
Leonard Bernstein Three Dance Episodes from On the Town
Florence Price / orch. William Grant Still / ed. Michael Kibbe Dances in the Canebrakes
Milton Ager “Happy Days Are Here Again”
Frank Loesser “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”
Dmitri Shostakovich Waltz from Suite for Variety Orchestra, No. 1
Georges Bizet  Habanera
Arturo Márquez  Danzón No. 2

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra rings in 2027 as the orchestra fills Powell Hall with music that speaks to the heart while embracing the hope and joy the new year brings. Assistant Conductor Samuel Hollister conducts the SLSO for this special concert that will carry audiences into the New Year with a spirit of renewal and excitement.

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