Interchanging Idioms

Composer Don Davis to conduct performances April 5-6 The St. Louis Symphony will once again return Powell Hall to its movie hall roots on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6, when it performs the live score to The Matrix, while the unforgettable futuristic film plays on a big screen above the stage. Bother performances start at 7pm. Don Davis, who composed the original score for the movie, will conduct both St. Louis Symphony performances, which promise to be fast-paced fusions between movie and music. Members of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, directed by Amy Kaiser, will also perform on the program. Prior to each concert there will be a costume contest, so don’t forget to bring your shades and futuristic gear. Tickets are still available and may be purchased on-line at stlsymphony.org or by calling 314-534-1700.

Today, St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU and the St. Louis Symphony announced the renewal of their partnership to include live broadcasts of all 2012-13 Saturday night Wells Fargo Advisors Orchestral Series concerts. The performances will be broadcast live on St. Louis Public Radio’s main channel, 90.7 KWMU and will be streamed live at www.stlpublicradio.org . This is the third year of the partnership. The series’ first live broadcast from Powell Hall will be Saturday, September 29 at 8 p.m. St. Louis Symphony Music Director David Robertson will be at the podium, conducting Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (featuring pianist Emanuel Ax) and Respighi’s iconic Pines of Rome. A complete list of all live broadcasts can be found on-line at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/programs/symphony.php#.UFii91F15nw St. Louis Public Radio’s Robert Peterson returns to host the live broadcasts. The St. Louis Symphony’s Adam Crane will again join Peterson as broad...

Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, the June 15 concert featuring Wynonna Judd and the St. Louis Symphony has been cancelled.

Itinerary includes UC-Davis residency and performances, March 15-20, 2013 The St. Louis Symphony will return to California during its 2012-2013 season, touring the state March 15-20, 2013. The Symphony, led by Music Director David Robertson, will take part in an intensive 3-day residency program at the University of California-Davis, which will include community concerts, coachings with elementary, secondary and high school students, a side-by-side rehearsal with the UC-Davis Symphony Orchestra and a performance at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Violinist James Ehnes will be joining the St. Louis Symphony to perform Berg’s Violin Concerto at the Mondavi Center. The orchestra will also perform at venues in Costa Mesa, Palm Desert and Santa Barbara. St. Louis Symphony Principal Flute, Mark Sparks, will perform the Rouse Flute Concerto at the other venues. It is the second tour of the season for the St. Louis Symphony; in September 2012, the orchestra performs in Europe for...

The St. Louis Symphony announced today a change to its May 4-6, 2012 performances at Powell Hall. Guest conductor Rafael Frübeck de Burgos has had to cancel his appearances with the Symphony due to health reasons. Peter Oundjian , who is conducting the St. Louis Symphony’s April 20-22 concerts, will also conduct the final weekend of the Symphony’s RachFest, featuring pianist Stephen Hough performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerti No. 1 and No. 3. The St. Louis Symphony will also perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture during all three weekend concerts. Tickets are still available and can be purchased on line at www.stlsymphony.org , by phone at 314-534-1700 or in person at Powell Hall’s box office, 718 North Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103.

Special performances scheduled at Powell Hall February 8 and February 10 The first takes place Wednesday, February 8 at 7pm. The free On Stage at Powell event highlights traces the story of music from Africa to North America. The performance is a MetLife Music Without Boundaries event, and received additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Symphony’s annual Lift Every Voice concert takes place Friday, February 10 at 7pm. The performance features the orchestra, the Symphony’s IN UNISON® Chorus and St. Louis’s own Jenifer Lewis as featured vocal soloist. Lewis, whose vast career includes appearances in The Preacher’s Wife , Disney’s The Princess and the Fro g and Broadway’s Hairspray , is from Kinloch and a graduate of Webster University. The evening will be a celebration of African-American culture and tradition which has enriched the lives of people here in St. Louis, across our country and around the world. Tickets still remain for the Lift Every Vo...

The St. Louis Symphony will unveil its 2012-2013 season during a Town Hall Meeting at Powell Hall tonight at 6:30pm. The meeting is free and the public is encouraged to attend. St. Louis Symphony Music Director David Robertson and President/CEO Fred Bronstein will discuss next season’s subscription series, which is presented by Wells Fargo Advisors. Other programs will also be announced, including the ever-popular Live at Powell Hall events. Tenor Brian Owens will give a brief performance. The session will be opened up for audience questions and a reception will follow immediately after the program. St. Louis Symphony Vice President of External Affairs Adam Crane will moderate. HEC-TV will broadcast the Town Hall Meeting live and in its entirety. It will also stream live at www.hectv.org

Stars of Broadway’s blockbuster Wicked perform with the St. Louis Symphony March 25 Tickets go on sale today for the newly-added Wicked Divas concert at Powell Hall. The concert pairs singers Emily Rozek and Julia Murney with the St. Louis Symphony for a performance on March 25, 2012 at 3pm. The Wicked Divas concert features songs from Broadway, popular music and opera, performed by actresses who’ve played the divas from Wicked. Rozek portrayed Glinda the Good Witch; Murney was her wicked counterpart, Elphaba. The artists have appeared on television, in musicals and at regional theatres across the country, and both starred in Wicked on Broadway. Tickets can be purchased by calling 314-534-1700, by visiting stlsymphony.org or at the Powell Hall Box Office, 718 N. Grand Boulevard in St. Louis.

Music from Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark Included in Dec. 29 & 30 Concerts His works are etched on our collective memories—now the Movie Music of John Williams is coming to Powell Hall December 29 and 30. Williams composed such classic movie scores as Star Wars , Saving Private Ryan and Close Encounters of the Third Kind , and many of his most famous works will be performed by the St. Louis Symphony during the Movie Music of John Williams concerts at Powell Hall on December 29 and 30. Music Director David Robertson will lead the Symphony in this celebration of some of the most beloved and recognizable movie music ever written. As an extra treat for patrons, more than a dozen costumed characters from the Star Wars films will be stationed throughout Powell Hall during the concerts and will be available for photo opportunities.

St. Louis Symphony’s Holiday Celebration Concerts December 16-18 The St. Louis Symphony will have some expert help getting its home ready for the rest of the holiday season. Expert decorators from Macy’s Visual Department will come to Powell on Wednesday, December 14 at 1pm to help transform the hall into a true winter wonderland. As part of a special holiday partnership, a window featuring the St. Louis Symphony is also included at the downtown St. Louis Macy’s store. The halls will be fully decked at Powell just in time for the St. Louis Symphony’s four Holiday Celebration concerts on December 16-18. The program features fantastic music from the St. Louis Symphony, favorite carols and even a special surprise or two from Santa. The holiday fun is presented by Macy’s. Tickets may be purchased on-line at www.stlsymphony.org or by phone at 314-534-1700. In addition, the St. Louis Symphony is offering “gift packages” for Mom, Dad and families. These special ticket deals of...

Intensive musical residency program pairs Symphony musicians with elementary school students Second grade students at Airport Elementary School in the Ferguson-Florissant district will present a special musical assembly and performance showcasing all they’ve learned during the St. Louis Symphony’s Adopt-A-School program. The concert takes place at the school on Thursday, December 8 at 2pm. Adopt-A-School provides an in-depth approach to music education. It features weekly visits from St. Louis Symphony staff and musicians which focus on classical music, basic musical skills and learning the instruments of the orchestra. One special visit even featured a hands-on conducting class taught by St. Louis Symphony Resident Conductor Ward Stare. In addition, the students at Airport Elementary school prepared for and attended a St. Louis Symphony education concert, took part in a special percussion demonstration and got a behind the scenes tour of Powell Hall. The St. Louis Symphony’s...

Chorus Rehearsing at Lambert Monday, November 20 to help ease holiday travel stress Thanksgiving is the busiest, and perhaps most trying travel time of the year. The St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® Chorus hopes to alleviate some of that transportation stress through the power of music. On Monday, November 21, conductor Kevin McBeth and the entire IN UNISON Chorus will take their rehearsal on the road, performing for airline passengers at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The group, comprised of 125 singers from churches across the St. Louis region, will rehearse its upcoming A Gospel Christmas concert at the airport’s new Meet and Greet area, located by the baggage claim carousels. It’s hoped the rehearsal will help get Lambert travelers in the holiday spirit as they head out for Thanksgiving. The group will begin its rehearsal at 7pm; it’s expected to last about an hour. Special programs are planned at Powell Hall throughout the month of December and include: · ...

Sunday, November 6 concert featuring singer/songwriter is sold out Acclaimed singer/songwriter Ben Folds performs with the St. Louis Symphony Sunday, November 6 at 7:30pm at Powell Hall. The concert, which has grown to become one of the most anticipated music events of the season, is sold out.

Powell Hall is truly THE place to be Halloween weekend for ghouls and goblins of all ages. The St. Louis Symphony is pleased to present two special and spooky programs: The Phantom of the Opera and Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead . Powell Hall will return to its roots as a movie house for The Phantom of the Opera , Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29. The original silent film from 1925 will be shown and St. Louis Symphony musicians will provide a live score that’s sure to leave everyone on the edge of their seats. Then on Sunday, October 30, audiences will delight in The Composer is Dead , the first Family Concert of the 2011-2012 season. Children’s author Lemony Snicket wrote the text and St. Louis Symphony musicians play a central role in this suspenseful whodunit designed to introduce children to the orchestra and its instruments. Renowned St. Louis storyteller Bobby Norfolk will narrate this special presentation. Costumes are encouraged! Tickets for all...

On the evening of Friday, October 14, at Powell Hall in St. Louis, conductor David Robertson, Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony, was made a “ Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres ” by the French Republic’s Ministry of Culture. The award and medal were presented to Mr. Robertson by Marie-Anne Toledano, Cultural Attaché of the Consulate General of France in Chicago, at a festive reception after the St. Louis Symphony concert. This concert, led by David Robertson, gave the U.S. premiere of French composer Philippe Manoury’s Synapse, with violinist James Ehnes as soloist. It was supported by FACE, the French-American Fund for Contemporary Music created by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in 2004. Additional works on the program were the Overture to Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1. The “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” (Order of Arts and of Letters) was established on May 2, 1957, by the French Minister of Culture, and ratified as part ...

Exciting look at musicians, Powell Hall and the concert experience is available to view on-line The St. Louis Symphony is pleased to present a new promotional video designed to tell the St. Louis Symphony story and build excitement for the upcoming 2011-2012 season. Featuring Music Director David Robertson, Concertmaster David Halen and other STL Symphony musicians, the “brandumentary” communicates the power and accessibility of live music at Powell Hall. Captured during the STL Symphony’s performances of Carmina Burana in May 2011, the brandumentary and its accompanying videos are now available to view on-line at www.stlsymphony.org/stor y After watching the brandumentary in its entirety, viewers will receive a special 2-for-1 ticket offer. The videos were produced by UPBrand Collaborative, a St. Louis-based branding and creative firm. Photography was captured by Rob Durbin with sound/video editing by 90 Degrees West.

Pack up your picnic basket, bring your lawn chairs and join the St. Louis Symphony for its free Forest Park concert on Thursday, September 8, 2011. Led by Resident Conductor Ward Stare, the Symphony musicians will perform a program full of highlights from the upcoming 2011-2012 season. The selections were chosen with the entire family in mind and will include works from Strauss, Mahler and Beethoven, plus scores from West Side Story, Mary Poppins and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The concert begins at 7pm on Art Hill. Be sure to stay for the dazzling fireworks display immediately following the performance, generously provided by long-time Symphony friend Mary Ann Lee. The St. Louis Symphony’s free Forest Park concert is the perfect way to kick off the upcoming 2011-2012 Symphony season!

The St. Louis Symphony announced today a change to the September 30, 2011 concert at Powell Hall. Schoenberg’s Five Pieces for Orchestra will now be performed in lieu of Edgar Meyer’s Double Bass Concerto No. 3. The concerto was to have had its world premiere at Powell Hall, but it has not yet been completed. The September 30 program also includes works by Ives, Copland and Gershwin’s An American in Paris. Tickets are still available and can be purchased on line at www.stlsymphony.org , by phone at 314-534-1700 or in person at Powell Hall’s box office, 718 North Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103.

St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU and the St. Louis Symphony announced today the renewal of their partnership to include live broadcasts of all 2011-12 Saturday night Wells Fargo Advisors Orchestral Series concerts. The concerts will be broadcast live on St. Louis Public Radio’s main channel, 90.7 KWMU and will be streamed live at www.stlpublicradio.org . The series’ first live broadcast from Powell Hall will be Saturday, September 17 at 8 p.m. St. Louis Symphony Music Director David Robertson will present an all-Stravinsky celebration, highlighting three of his ballet masterpieces in one program. The broadcast includes Petrushka, The Rite of Spring , and the St. Louis Symphony premiere of Les Noces, Stravinsky’s musical rendition of an ancient wedding written for four pianos, percussion and chorus. Guest soloists include soprano Dominique Labelle, mezzo-soprano Kelly O’Connor, tenor Thomas Cooley, and baritone Richard Paul Fink. The St. Louis Symphony Chorus will also be feature...

NEW LIVE AT POWELL SHOWS ALSO ANNOUNCED Single tickets for the 132nd season of the Saint Louis Symphony go on sale beginning Friday, August 12 at 9am. Tickets can be purchased online at www.stlsymphony.org, by calling (314) 534-1700, or in person at the Powell Hall Box Office (718 N. Grand Blvd.) The Symphony just added five new concerts to its Live at Powell series for the 2011-2012 season. May 11, 2011: Music of Led Zeppelin: The St. Louis Symphony will be joined on stage by a rock band and vocalists as a full evening of Led Zeppelin classics including “Kashmir,” “Black Dog” and “Immigrant Song.” May 18, 2012: Summer Dance Card: The focus is on symphonic dance music as Resident Conductor Ward Stare leads the Symphony through Bernstein’s West Side Story, Brahms’ Hungarian Dances and Falla’s Three Dances from Three Cornered Hat. June 2, 2012: Bond and Beyond: 50 Years of 007: The St. Louis Symphony invites you to a shaken, not stirred evening featuring the musi...