Four Things to Know About the SLSO Holiday Concerts
By Eric Dundon
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra brings musical magic year-round, but perhaps no time is as special as the holidays for the orchestra at its home, Powell Hall.
From hometown star Jenifer Lewis to a live performance of The Muppet Christmas Carol, the 2026 holiday concert line-up spreads season cheer through music, film, and familiar holiday stories.
Star power of visiting artists
Broadway and screen favorites headline several of the season’s biggest gatherings. Jenifer Lewis, the actor and singer born in nearby Kinloch, returns to Powell Hall for the first time since 2012 to lead IN UNISON Christmas on December 10–11. Lewis has built a celebrated career across Broadway, film and television, including the ABC comedy Black-ish. She joins conductor Kevin McBeth, the SLSO, and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus for a program centered on holiday music tinged with gospel, R&B, and soul.
Norm Lewis brings another major Broadway resume to the Mercy Holiday Celebration, performing with the SLSO and St. Louis Symphony Chorus under conductor (and director of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus) Erin Freeman. His credits include Miss Saigon and Les Misérables; in 2014, he became the first Black actor to play the Phantom in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera. The Mercy Holiday Celebration concerts run December 17–20: Thursday at Lindenwood University; and five concerts from Friday through Sunday at Powell Hall.
Vocalist and comedian Ana Gasteyer, known for her years on Saturday Night Live, brings “Sugar & Booze” to Powell Hall on December 22. Her album of vintage-style holiday songs reached the Billboard Jazz Top 5.
Holiday traditions
Many people count a visit to Powell Hall as a yearly tradition. The 1920s-era original building, and now the 2025 expansion, is decked out in green, red, and gold, complete with life-size nutcrackers, towering Christmas trees, and twinkling lights glinting from every corner. The warmth of the building extends to the stage, where musical traditions shape a month of concerts.
IN UNISON Christmas puts the IN UNISON Chorus at the center of the celebration, with carols and spirituals alongside works by Marianna Martines and Eric Whitacre. Beloved from decades, this concert ushers in the holiday season at the SLSO. Later in the month, the Mercy Holiday Celebration mixes familiar seasonal favorites with music for Hanukkah, a sing-along and the possibility of a cherished visit from Santa Claus. Both programs bring the SLSO together with one of two resident choruses, making the annual choral sound of the holidays part of the experience.
The month’s concert calendar closes with another annual tradition, the New Year’s Eve Celebration. Assistant Conductor Samuel Hollister leads music that moves from Aaron Copland’s Buckaroo Holiday and George Gershwin’s “Fascinating Rhythm” to Florence Price’s Dances in the Canebrakes and Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2. Jazz vocalist and trombonist Aubrey Logan makes her SLSO debut, pairing her voice and instrumental playing with the orchestra and a small jazz ensemble.
A variety of styles
The calendar ranges well beyond carols. In The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert, the film plays on Powell Hall’s screen while the orchestra performs Miles Goodman’s score live. Evan Roider makes his SLSO debut conducting the December 12–13 performances, with members of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus.
On December 27, actors and a three-piece band bring A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage to Powell Hall. The production—part of the Powell Hall Present non-orchestral series—follows Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang alongside Vince Guaraldi’s iconic music. Meanwhile, Gasteyer’s retro holiday show leans into jazz and comedy, and the Mercy program moves among orchestral works, carols and popular seasonal songs.
Gift opportunities
A concert can make a memorable holiday gift, and SLSO-branded merchandise is available to browse and purchase in person at Powell Hall. SLSO gift certificates can be purchased at any time, giving recipients the flexibility to choose a performance that suits them.
Visit the boutique at Powell Hall to get your SLS-branded sweatshirt, t-shirt, hat, water bottle, silk scarf, and a host of other unique gifts for every member of your family.
Tickets for the holiday concerts are on sale now at slso.org or through the Box Office at 314-534-1700. The December 17 Mercy Holiday Celebration takes place at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Performing Arts at Lindenwood University in St. Charles; the other concerts listed here take place at Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center.
Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.
