Concert program: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) The Consecration of the House Overture, Op. 124 Moni (Jasmine) Guo (b. 1993) the sound of where i came from for two violins, bass and orchestra (3% Xiang Yin) Kevin Puts (b. 1972) Concerto for Orchestra Hymn for the Hurting - Caccia No. 1 Music Box with Arietta Toccata (Refrain) - Sicilienne (Refrain) - Ecco la Marcia? (Caccia No. 2) INTERMISSION Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 (Emperor) Allegro Adagio un poco mosso - Rondo (Allegro) Vikingur Olafsson, piano

Tonight’s program is a Beethoven sammich, with Puts and Guo in-between. Víkingur Ólafsson soloist.

Getting comfy (again), settling in for another night with #SLSO.
#ClassicalMusic #STL

Getting comfy at #STL Powell Hall—Vikingur Olafsson recital. #SLSO
🎵🎹 Bach & Beethoven program sammich, with Schubert in between.
#ClassicalMusic

Double fine. Looks like I’m the part owner of an entire bakery—yeah, caved to the Concerto program as well. For both, I’ll be the ticket-holder sighing at the marvelous Powell Hall renovation. Worth the wait suffering thru secondary venues for a few years. #SLSO #STL

Guest soloist and conductor make new energy flow for SLSO Opening a concert with a premiere is powerful: the first music heard in the hall that night marks the first time that music was ever heard in that hall. This weekend, guest conductor Anna Sułkowska-Migoń opened the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s program at Powell Hall with the St. Louis premiere of Grażyna Bacewicz’s “Overture.” A […]

Everyone performed like a famished person finally presented with food. Sitting onstage mostly watching Josefowicz work wonders on Berg had left everyone absolutely dying to play some music.🎻🎶✨

🖋 Chris King for The St. Louis American
📸 Photo by Chris Lee

#SLSO #STLLivingIt #StLouis #stlamerican

ALT: Text exchange: “| *am* going to see an Icelandic pianist in a couple weeks (Vikingur Olafsson, who's the hot ticket these days). Does that count?” “Almost - is this him?” Picture of beagle at piano keyboard

I mention the recital + Icelandic pianist coincidence.
Dr. Progenydóttir, good scientist, synthesizes data.
Her conclusion: “…is this him?”

💁🏻‍♀️🎹🐶
#VikingurOlafsson #ClassicalMusic #dogs
#SLSO

ALT: Text exchange: screen capture of Olafsson’s wiki bio. “Eh, not quite. Needs glasses...” “Even if I didn't know this man was Icelandic, that's what my first guess would be (followed by Portland Oregon)” Image: Characters from TV series Portlandia, captioned “We put birds on things”

Not quite.
“Even if I didn’t know he was Icelandic,
that would be my first guess.

(Or Portland.)”
🤦🏻‍♀️🎹🐶
#VikingurOlafsson #ClassicalMusic #dogs
#SLSO

My wife and I had a great time taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the newly-renovated Powell Hall, the landmark venue that's home of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. I wrote up some of the stories we heard from our guide. You can read them here: harrisonline.com/powell-symph... #slso

David Robertson and Orli Shaham bring joy and living composers to Powell Hall We were seeing and hearing double this weekend at Powell Hall during the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s program led by guest conductor (and beloved former music director) David Robertson.  There were two musical husband and wife couples: Robertson and guest soloist Orli Shaham, and the composers Steven Mackey and Sarah Kirkland Snider, who both had […]

'David Robertson and Orli Shaham bring joy and living composers to Powell Hall'

🖋 Chris King for The St. Louis American
📸 Photo from orlishaham.com 

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #SLSO #PowellHall #NewMusic #ClassicalMusic

Víkingur Ólafsson in Recital Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert - St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Fine. I got a ticket to the recital—but please talk me out of the concerto program on the weekend because that’s the musical equivalent of stopping in for a cannoli and leaving as part owner of an entire bakery.

Mar 26. Víkingur Ólafsson in Recital
Powell Hall #slso #stl #ClassicalMusic

IN UNISON and Coltrane The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is closing out Black History Month by lifting up the legacy, brilliance, and global impact of Black music on two consecutive nights at Powell Hall. On Friday, February 27, the annual Lift Every Voice: Black History Month Celebration returns under the direction of Kevin McBeth, featuring the St. Louis Symphony […]

'IN UNISON and Coltrane'

🖋 Kenya Vaughn | The St. Louis American
📸 Photo from Facebook

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #BlackHistoryMonth #SLSO #INUNISON #BlackMusic #PowellHall

An electrifying ‘Eternal’  St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Music Director Stéphane Denève had a request when he greeted the audience at Powell Hall for Eternal: A Tribute to Tina Turner Sunday night. “Make yourselves at home.” “The symphony is for everyone,” Denève said. “So feel free to clap, to dance, to stand up — to party like Tina Turner […]

'An electrifying ‘Eternal’'

🖋 Kenya Vaughn | The St. Louis American
📸 Lawrence Bryant | St. Louis American

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #RAC #ARPA #EternalTribute #SLSO #TinaTurner #LiveMusic

Special Guest Brittany Howard returned to the stage for an electric encore of the Tina Turner classic “The Best” during the finale of “Eternal: A tribute to Tina Turner”on Sunday evening accompanied by SLSO🔥🫶🏿💛🖤🎶

📸 Dawn Suggs | St. Louis American

#SLSO #stlamerican

Tina Turner’s eternal flame The fire ignited by Tina Turner right here in St. Louis never stopped glowing. And on Feb. 15, that flame will rise inside the newly renovated Powell Hall. This weekend, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis City SC join forces for Eternal: A Tribute to Tina Turner, presented by Purina. It’s a one‑night‑only […]

'Tina Turner’s eternal flame'

🖋 Kenya Vaughn | The St. Louis American
📸 Courtesy photos

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #TinaTurner #SLSO #CitySC #PowellHall #STLCulture

Saxophone concerto one of two SLSO premieres Think of the tens of thousands of Black folks in St. Louis who dress sharp on Sunday mornings and attend churches, houses of worship that also are houses of song. They cherish live music and love to fellowship with others. Think of how few of them savor the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra at Powell Hall […]

'Saxophone concerto one of two SLSO premieres'

🖋 Chris King for The St. Louis American
📸 Photo from steven-banks.com 

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #SLSO #LiveMusic #SaxophoneMagic #PowellHall

stlsymphony on Instagram: "Aaaand bring on the heat 🌶️With your help, we exceeded our first $2,500 goal! Keep giving to see which musician gets to squirm nex…" Aaaand bring on the heat 🌶️With your help, we exceeded our first $2,500 goal! Keep giving to see which musician gets to squirm next 👀🎶 Thanks to Philip Ross, Associate Principal Oboe, for kicking us off

The hot sauce challenge, BTW, was one of the musicians’ ideas. For every $2500 in donations pledged, a musician would eat a hit of hot sauce, then play their instrument.
Associate principal oboe Philip Ross was fired up for the first round. Yow! #SLSO
Video:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRxUSes...

Better than the SLSO hot sauce challenge, tho. (Would the Arch still have its storm-thwarting magic if it was turned into a harp, Kian?)
youtube.com/watch?v=-85Z...
#SLSO #GatewayArch #KianSoltani #STL

Lifting the legacy of Black composers Every seat in the Missouri History Museum’s Lee Auditorium was filled Friday night for a gathering that honored the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by celebrating Blackness through the lens of classical music. “Let It Resound: The Legacy of Black Composers” brought together musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the […]

'Lifting the legacy of Black composers'

🖋 Kenya Vaughn | The St. Louis American
📸 Taylor Marrie | St. Louis American

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #RAC #ARPA #LetItResound #BlackComposers #FlorencePrice #INUNISON #SLSO #BlackMusicHistory

Gospel’s symphonic visionary Richard Smallwood passes at 77 Richard Smallwood didn’t just write songs. He crafted hymns that felt like they had always existed. His music lived in that rare space where classical precision met the raw ache of the Black church, where the moans and wails of its origins could sit comfortably beside contemporary praise. The legendary composer, pianist, and worship leader […]

Composer bridged the Black church & concert hall

🖋 Kenya Vaughn | The St. Louis American
📸 Wiley Price | St. Louis American

His music lived in that rare space where classical precision met the raw ache of the Black church...

#SLSO #RAC #stlamerican

Kevin McBeth, director of the IN UNISON Chorus, directs a rehearsal at Manchester United Methodist Church. The IN UNISON Chorus performed with SLSO in a benefit concert for tornado victims at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

From left: Rochelle Calhoun, Gwendolyn Wesley and Candice Boyd rehearse with St. Louis Symphony's IN UNISON Chorus at Manchester United Methodist Church.

Mark Cereghino and Ousmane Gaye, bottom row, during a rehearsal at Manchester United Methodist Church.

Though the May 16 tornado brought pain to many in IN UNISON Chorus, they still made a joyful noise to help others. For more stories with 💙 like this one from Jeremy D. Goodwin, donate. 💙 stlpr.org/give 📷 Cristina Fletes-Mach #stlpr #slso #InUnisonChorus #ULSTL #news

Kian Soltani burns on Haydn cello concerto without stealing thunder from Shostakovich  The program the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is performing this weekend opens, deceptively, with a blast of quintessential feel-good music: Three Romances for orchestra by Clara Schumann. This is lush romanticism with a wall of violins, so consistently orchestrated (by Benjamin de Murashkin) it would serve as a good sleeper conductor’s audition. You want your conductor to […]

I have never seen a more vivid solo performance before an orchestra…

🖋 Chris King for The St. Louis American
📸 Kian Soltan. Photo by Marco Borggreve

#SLSO #STLLivingIt #StLouis #stlamerican

Image 1

SLSO oboe & bassoon play the sounds of smiles at the Sheldon 🎼🎺💫

🖋 Chris King for St. Louis American
📸 Jeff Scott's Instagram

www.stlamerican.com/arts-and-entertainment/l...

#SLSO #STL #stlamerican

Kevin John Edusei leads SLSO on subtle, thoughtful program for Thanksgiving weekend The weekend after Thanksgiving is a strange time. Thanksgiving and its companion shopping holiday have lost their hold on us, and Christmas and the New Year have not yet taken hold, but it is not business as usual either. We are down to the last month of the year, knowing that half of the month […]

'Kevin John Edusei leads SLSO on subtle, thoughtful program for Thanksgiving weekend'

🖋 Chris King for The St. Louis American
📸 Photo from kevinjohnedusei.com 

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #SLSO #ClassicalMusic #ThanksgivingConcert

(The post text, BTW, is from a post by SLSO on other social. We need an edit button!! Until then, imagine quotation marks at beginning and end. And #SLSO needs to get over here, too…)

Wide shot of St Louis symphony, chorus and soloists on the main stage at Powell Hall, the home to the symphony. View is from main floor orchestra seat. Architectural style is Gothic Revival (I think)—lots of cream and gold pillars and accents. Audience was a full house and the sea of heads can be seen in the foreground.

So the space crunch muted some acoustic underscoring of the divided worlds. It was still stunning, and being back at Powell Hall was like going home.

Pic is of Powell Hall stage when the last of the performers were onstage. Click for wide view. Wee bit tight!
3/3 #STL #SLSO

#SLSO performance left me exhausted and awestruck, with how they captured Britten’s tangled beauty, drama, and devastation. I’m oddly grateful for a piece that remains so moving and relevant. (Go read some Wilfred Owen, peeps.)
BUT, re: Britten creating an impression of separate worlds…
1/3
#STL

SLSO performs Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff with naturalness and grace  When guest soloist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider walked back onto the Powell Hall stage on Friday, November 1, yielding to the audience’s call for an encore, he described his experience playing with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, under the musical direction of Stéphane Denève. “There is something in the sound and approach to music,” Szeps-Znaider said, “that […]

'SLSO performs Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff with naturalness and grace'

🖋 Chris King for The St. Louis American
📸 Photo from www.demarremcgill.com 

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #SLSO #ClassicalMusic #Arts

Berglund leads SLSO in thrilling program with note of resisting fascism Guest conductor Tabita Berglund led the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra through a spirited and plucky – figuratively and literally – concert this weekend at the refurbished and recently reopened Powell Hall. Berglund and SLSO showed pluck (in the figurative sense of courage) by opening with a musical attack on Nazis and connecting that to here […]

'Berglund leads SLSO in thrilling program with note of resisting fascism'

🖋 Chris King for The St. Louis American
📸 Taylor Marrie | St. Louis American

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #SLSO #StLouisArts #PowellHall #LiveMusic

Classically Chuck Berry As conductor Anthony Parnther cued the start of the overture, four of the last words one would imagine to prelude an orchestral performance rang through the newly updated Powell Symphony Hall. “Let’s get ready to rock,” the prerecorded voice said after giving an introduction for the special performance that featured the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.  […]

'Classically Chuck Berry'

🖋 Kenya Vaughn | The St. Louis American
📸 Wiley Price | St. Louis American

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #ChuckBerry #SLSO #StLouisMusic

Slatkin returns to Powell Hall with Mozart, Elgar - and Slatkin For the first piece that he presented at the renovated and reopened Powell Hall, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Conductor Laureate  Leonard Slatkin chose a composer he knows well and loves: Leonard Slatkin. Schubertiade: An Orchestral Fantasy – heard here in its U.S. Premiere – showed Slatkin as a storyteller in a magical realist mode. As Slatkin told a […]

There were moments when the textures of all the stringed instruments interlaced so deeply and with such resonance, it felt complete in a way that almost nothing ever feels complete is.🎻🎺🥁🌟

🖋 Chris King for The St. Louis American
📸 Wiley Price | St. Louis American

#SLSO #STLLivingIt #stlamerican

Symphony’s 146th season introduces expanded Jack C. Taylor Music Center, $140M in upgrades  The stunning upgrades to Powell Symphony Hall, along with the architectural elements of the newly created Jack C. Taylor Music Center that wraps around it, reflect a $140 million transformation unveiled in spectacular fashion. “It’s like an art piece, you know what I mean,” said veteran media personality Robyn Boyce as she made her rounds […]

'Symphony’s 146th season introduces expanded Jack C. Taylor Music Center, $140M in upgrades'

🖋 Kenya Vaughn | The St. Louis American
📸 Taylor Marrie | St. Louis American

#stlamerican #stlnews #stlouis #SLSO #StLouisArts #PowellHall