SLSO Honored with Two Awards from Explore St. Louis

By Eric Dundon

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra received two high-profile awards from Explore St. Louis at its annual meeting on September 22, 2026, honoring the institution’s work in elevating the profile of the region nationally and the tireless dedication of a Symphony Volunteer Association member.

President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard accepted the Kim Tucci Heart of St. Louis Award from the Civic Pride Foundation.

The Civic Pride Foundation is the nonprofit arm of Explore St. Louis (known by many as the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission), created to strengthen community engagement across the St. Louis region. Through its work, the Foundation celebrates the people and organizations that help make St. Louis a more connected, vibrant, and welcoming place and that contribute meaningfully to the way residents and visitors alike experience the region.

Explore St. Louis honored the SLSO for placing St. Louis on the international stage with the opening of the Jack C. Taylor Music Center in September 2025, driving national and international visitors to St. Louis and garnering acclaim from visiting journalists and unanimous praise from guest conductors and artists.

“With the revitalized Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center, our reimagined home is far more than a beautiful building,” Bernard said in remarks to a room of hundreds who gathered at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis. “It is a generational investment in the vitality of St. Louis—making music more accessible than ever, welcoming visitors from around the world, and elevating our region as a cultural destination.”

Explore St. Louis leaders praised that investment, noting that the SLSO drives tourism to the region from the Midwest and far beyond, generating millions of dollars in economic activity yearly.

“The reopening of the beautifully transformed Powell Hall has only amplified that impact, creating a renewed cultural destination while reinforcing the Symphony’s long-term investment in the vitality of our community,” said Catherine Neville, Explore St. Louis’ Executive Vice President for Community Engagement. “It represents exactly the kind of work we hope to celebrate through this award: work that honors what is special about St. Louis while helping move the region forward.”

The Kim Tucci Heart of St. Louis Award was named in memory of J. Kim Tucci, a tireless ambassador for St. Louis and co-founder of the local Italian restaurant chain, The Pasta House Co.

In addition to this prestigious honor, a long-time member of the Symphony Volunteer Association received a Hospitality Hero award for her efforts to make Powell Hall a warm and welcoming place for all visitors.

Susanne Mertens, who has volunteered with the SLSO for 30 years, has built a decades-long connection to the institution, dating back to her attendance at concerts as a child. Her volunteerism has spanned a range of activities, from selling merchandise and giving tours, to welcoming senior groups.

She joined more than 150 hospitality professionals in receiving the Hospitality Hero award.

“Susanne Mertens defines dedication and reliability, particularly stepping up to assist patrons during the orchestra’s recent nomadic period and since the reopening of Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center,” wrote Susan Roberts, SLSO Manager of Group Sales and Partnerships, in her nomination Mertens. “On a near-weekly basis, Susanne assists with group arrivals, particularly with buses servicing senior centers. Always warm and welcoming, she is often the first person associated with the SLSO that patrons meet, frequently in cold or snowy weather conditions.”

Mertens manages a team of volunteers who welcomes patrons, and has performed many tasks with grace and understanding, from locating lost audience members, chasing down patrons’ scarves blown down the street, and managing traffic control for buses on Delmar Blvd.

“Greeting the senior patrons as a Group Host volunteer has been an important SVA contribution,” Mertens said. “It takes some of them a lot of effort to attend and letting them know that I am happy that they are at the concert uplifts them. I believe that showing that the SLSO and SVA care about them makes them feel better that day.”

“Susanne exemplifies the spirit of our volunteers,” said Andrea Biske, SLSO Manager of Volunteer Programs. “Her extraordinary hospitality skills are matched by her generous attitude. She makes the SLSO a better place for all to experience music.”

Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.