Ribbon cut on the new Jack C. Taylor Music Center

By Eric Dundon

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra opened its expanded and renovated home, the Jack C. Taylor Music Center, in the most appropriate way: with music.

A September 19 ribbon cutting event was the culmination of a decade of work, according to SLSO President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard. The building had been closed for construction since spring 2023 to make way for a $140 million transformation that expanded the historic venue by 64,000 square feet, improving the audience and artist experience while preserving the civic treasure for future generations.

At the ribbon cutting, the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus stood in front of the new arched entryway, open to the community with large windows, while a red ribbon stood nearby. On the John Bachmann Plaza, local business leader, arts supporters, and dignitaries gathered in front of a new entrance at the corner of Grand Blvd. and Samuel Shepherd Dr.

“It took many years of dreaming and planning this transformative project, but all’s well that ends well—we stand before a hall that matches the brilliance of the music that fills it,” Steve Finerty, Chair of the SLSO Board of Trustees, told the crowd.

Finerty thanked the community for their deep and unwavering support, both in funding the project and also by keeping up with the orchestra as it traveled to alternate throughout the region for the past two seasons.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer declared September 19-25 the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Week in the city of St. Louis, and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page made the same proclamation.

Bernard, whose vision for the expanded facility crystallized a decade ago, said the moment was much larger than a building.

“It’s a promise to our city, our artists, and the future of the St. Louis region to make music more accessible to all,” she said.

In addition to providing more space to create community connections, the refreshed venue greatly improves accessibility across a range of needs, from wider seats to more elevators to a quiet room for people needing a break from a concert.

The entire project, Bernard noted, received outstanding support from the region’s population and local governments. Before the ribbon was cut, Bernard announced that extraordinary community support had contributed $173 million for its ongoing Music For All Campaign, the fundraising effort to support the project and enhance the SLSO’s endowment. The fundraising total to date is the largest campaign in the orchestra’s 146-year history, surpassing an initial goal of $155 million. In addition to fully funding the $140 million expansion and renovation of Powell Hall, the campaign also supports the SLSO’s endowment, ensuring that the institution can fulfill its mission of enhancing lives through the power of music while fostering a vibrant and connected community.

“With the success of this fundraising campaign and opening of our magnificent home, we are poised to launch a new era that will elevate St. Louis as a global music destination,” Finerty added.

After the red ribbon was cut, the IN UNISON Chorus burst into song—appropriately “Lovely Day.” Inside, visitors marveled at the high ceilings and winding staircase that connects three levels to the Powell Hall, the existing 1925 building that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Inside the concert hall, Music Director Stéphane Denève and the orchestra performed several pieces of music: Liberty Fanfare by John Williams, excerpts of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Stravinsky’s The Firebird, and W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues. The improved acoustics helped the already renowned hall sound even more full. Attendees burst into prolonged applause at the conclusion of the final work.

The Jack C. Taylor Music Center—named in honor of the late SLSO patron, philanthropist, and champion of St. Louis—unifies new and renovated spaces to create an international music destination in St. Louis. At the heart of the project is the renovation of Powell Hall, the orchestra’s home since 1968.

“I am deeply grateful for the remarkable team whose creativity, care, and attention to detail has brought this vision to life, as well as to Music Director Stéphane Denève for his inspiration and partnership, our musicians who are the heart of our organization, and our dedicated staff and volunteers,” Bernard said.

Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.