Your Gifts at Work: SLSO ACCESS Program Expands

The SLSO receives thousands of concert ticket requests every year from organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Beyond Housing, Pianos for People, and the Urban League to share with the clients they serve. SLSO ACCESS is a bold strategic alliance with these social service agencies to broaden access to live music.

In the first three months of the 23/24 season, we partnered with twelve organizations to bring live music to audience members from under-represented and under-served communities. The 1,880 tickets requested through November represented a 400+ increase over the same time the previous year. Charitable gifts have allowed us to dramatically expand this program since its inception, continuing our commitment to bringing music to all.

In Good Company: The Legacy of Sarah Bryan Miller

The classical music critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sarah Bryan Miller, attended hundreds of concerts and events, forming deep relationships with SLSO musicians, staff, and patrons. Through her writing, she championed the SLSO and a number of other St. Louis arts organizations. As a journalist, however, it was not her policy to make a gift during her lifetime in order to remain impartial.

Following her passing, Bryan—as she was known to those close to her—was able to financially support the orchestra she loved dearly. Her generous support established the Sarah Bryan Miller Fund, an endowed fund that supports vocal soloists and underwrites performances of choral repertoire with the SLSO—a nod to her earlier career as a mezzo-soprano. “She certainly believed strongly in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and wanted to do everything she could to preserve, maintain, and improve it,” shared lifelong friend Bruce Ryder.

We are always looking for individuals who have an interest in sharing their personal connection to music, the SLSO, and motivation behind supporting the orchestra from a charitable perspective. Your stories help us connect with individuals through concert Playbills, this newsletter, and other communication channels.

Thank You, Legacy Circle Members!

With thousands of options, we are deeply grateful that you have made the SLSO a giving priority. In addition to including the SLSO in your charitable plans, many of you go even further with annual gifts that offer immediate support. Over 60% of Legacy Circle members made an outright gift within the past year. Your generosity now and in the future plays a critical role in sustaining the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. With charitable contributions supporting two-thirds of what it takes to fulfill our artistic, educational, and community mission, we’re grateful for your consideration of a gift to the Annual Fund this season.