SLSO Holding Benefit Concert to Support Tornado Recovery Efforts

By Eric Dundon

Following the destructive tornado that tore through portions of the St. Louis region on May 16, 2025, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) will perform special concert fundraiser to support the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’s ongoing relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts following the May 16 tornado. Presented in partnership with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Fabulous Fox, this collaborative effort features the SLSO and members of its two resident choruses performing a variety of music on stage at the Fabulous Fox at 3:00pm, Sunday, June 29, 2025. Gospel and R&B singer and Grammy Award-winning vocalist BeBe Winans joins the orchestra and choruses for this community-centered special event.

Pay-what-you-wish general admission tickets are available now. Donations can be made directly to the Urban League’s Disaster Relief Fund here. All funds raised from this concert and donation effort will benefit the Urban League’s Disaster Relief Fund, which supports the most immediate needs of people displaced or impacted in north St. Louis. Funds will also be distributed to partner churches in the IN UNISON program, the SLSO’s signature community engagement program that has connected church congregations primarily in north St. Louis to the orchestra for more than 30 years. Nine of the SLSO’s partner churches sustained damage from the tornado.

“This special concert honors and assists our friends and neighbors in need, while supporting the vital work of the Urban League in the aftermath of the May 16 tornado,” said Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO. “The effort fortifies years of collaboration with the Urban League to uplift the community.”

The concert is held in partnership with the Fabulous Fox.

“In the wake of the recent tornadoes that have impacted our community, it’s imperative that we come together to support those affected,” said Jeff Antrainer, The Fabulous Fox President and CFO. “We hope this event will not only raise essential funds but also uplift the spirits of our neighbors during this challenging time.”

The concert will be led by SLSO Music Director Stéphane Denève, and Kevin McBeth, director of the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus. The orchestra will be joined on stage by members of its two resident choruses—the IN UNISON Chorus, which specializes in the performance and preservation of music from the African diaspora, and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. Many of the singers in the IN UNISON Chorus, another arm of the IN UNISON program, come from IN UNISON partner churches.

BeBe Winans brings his soulful and stirring vocals to the concert. Best known as an inspirational R&B artist along with his musical partner and sister CeCe, Winans is among the first true Christian crossover artists to hit the mainstream. He last collaborated with the SLSO and IN UNISON Chorus in February 2024 at the SLSO’s annual Lift Every Voice concert.

The program includes music of reflection, hope, joy, and power in a performance that celebrates enduring community bonds and a shared commitment to help neighbors recover, rebuild, and heal. Music selections include Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Florence Price’s Adoration, John Williams’ Hymn to the Fallen from the Steven Spielberg film Saving Private Ryan, and songs by Rollo Dilworth, Gwyneth Walker, and more.

The May 16 tornado, whose path began in Clayton and moved through the Central West End and north St. Louis, damaged an estimated 5,000 structures in the region with winds peaking at 152 mph.

The Urban League accepts donations to the Disaster Relief Fund directly through its website.

“Music has the unique ability to provide comfort and healing, and build bridges between communities,” Bernard said.

Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.