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43-510: Powell Hall (formerly known as the St. Louis Theater and Powell Symphony Hall ) is the home of the St. Louis Symphony . Erected in 1925 as the St. Louis Theatre, the theatre presented live vaudeville and motion pictures. The theatre was acquired by the St. Louis Symphony Society in 1966 and renamed Powell Symphony Hall after Walter S. Powell , a local St. Louis businessman, whose widow donated $ 1 million towards

86-644: A 200-member chorus and an orchestra of 55. Under Max Zach 's tenure (1907 to 1921), it changed its name to the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Before moving to its current home in Powell Hall , the SLSO performed for many years at the Kiel Opera House . The orchestra has given concerts regularly at Carnegie Hall and has made overseas tours to Europe and to Japan. The St. Louis Symphony has recorded for

129-420: A dedicated railroad collection was established in 1983, named after John W. Barriger III , an American railroad executive whose large personal library of books, corporate papers, and photographs formed the core of the railroad holdings. In 1985, the library established a formal waterways collection named after Herman T. Pott, a prominent river industry executive. The newspaper photo morgue and clipping files of

172-434: A labor dispute led to a cancellation of concerts for two months. Before the musicians could vote on the terms of the new contract, management changed the locks to Powell Hall without notifying them. Auditions were cancelled, and the health insurance for musicians was cancelled without notice as well. Whilst the musicians considered themselves to be 'locked out', management considered this action to be an illegal strike, since

215-482: A mutual agreement under which they agreed to refer to the eight-week period as a "Work Stoppage" and the "Vote of No Confidence" was rescinded. In March 2005, the musicians and Adams agreed to a new contract. From 2005–2018, the SLSO music director was David Robertson . During Robertson's tenure, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has partnered with St. Louis Public Radio to broadcast its subscription concerts live every Saturday night during its regular season, since

258-549: A statement. The expansion will include: a 3,660-square-foot Education and Learning Center with rehearsal space and a venue for educational programs, receptions, and community gatherings. A three-story lobby with overlooking terraces and enhanced amenities. Significantly more backstage space for artists, with amenities like dressing rooms, a musician lounge, music library, practice spaces, recording studios, and more. New passenger drop-off locations with more accessible entryways. Outdoor green spaces with areas for audiences to gather. While

301-453: Is available only by full-season subscription. The St. Louis Symphony announced in January 2023 that Powell Hall will see the start of a major revitalization project in spring 2023, the first since 1968. “We will preserve the history of Powell Hall while creating a state-of-the-art center for community, innovation, and powerful music experiences," SLSO President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard said in

344-532: The St. Louis Globe-Democrat , established in 1854, moved to the library. The library's historic downtown location and status as an independent institution came under internal review in 1994, when the Board of Direction began a long-range self-study to determine how to make the library's collections more accessible to modern scholars. 1996 marked the 150th Anniversary of the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association, and also became

387-603: The University of Missouri–St. Louis and at the Stifel Theatre . In its 140-year history, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has earned nine Grammy Awards out of 60 nominations from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences . Leonard Slatkin established the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1970. The orchestra's assistant conductor (known also in the past as resident conductor) also acts as music director of

430-515: The 2012 fiscal year, the highest revenues in over a decade, while seats sold grew by 16% and more than 31,000 new people were added to the customer base, reversing five years of decline. Because of successful audience development initiatives at the core of the plan as well as other revenue progress and strong management of expenses, the structural deficit (whose gaps are funded by additional contributions) has declined 18% from $ 3.4M in 2007 to $ 2.8M in 2011, dipping as low as $ 2.62m in 2010. Bronstein left

473-673: The 2017/2018 season. Adams stood-down as the orchestra's president and executive director in June 2007. Fred Bronstein assumed the posts in March 2008. Faced with declining ticket sales and deficits, Bronstein immediately launched an aggressive new revenue plan with audience development at the core of its actions. Bronstein also took steps to broaden and diversify the symphony's programming through popularly oriented programming series such as "Live at Powell Hall". Since 2008, because of new programming and marketing strategies, ticket revenues have grown 39% in

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516-412: The 2021-2022 season. Childress concluded her tenure with the orchestra at the close of the 2022-2023 season. In July 2024, the SLSO announced the appointment of Samuel Hollister as its next assistant conductor and music director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, effective with the 2024-2025 season. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra houses two choral ensembles: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and

559-465: The Columbia, RCA Victor, Red Seal, Telarc, Vox/Turnabout, Angel EMI, and Nonesuch labels. It has also issued CD recordings on its own label, Arch Media, and has received seven Grammy Awards and 58 nominations. For Opera Theatre of Saint Louis , the St. Louis Symphony has been the resident orchestra since 1978, divided into two ensembles, each performing two of the operas in the season. Also associated with

602-583: The Herman T. Pott National Inland Waterways Library, or the Art Museum. The collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library have been named a City Landmark by the city of St. Louis, Mo. , due to the cultural significance of the library. In December 1845 a group of civic leaders and philanthropists joined to establish a membership library with the intent of creating a place "where young men could pass their evenings agreeably and profitably, and thus be protected from

645-630: The IN UNISON Chorus. Founded in 1977 by music director Jerzy Semkow and its first director, Thomas Peck, the St. Louis Symphony Chorus is an orchestral chorus that performs in major concerts throughout each season, usually featured in choral symphonies . Peck served as director of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus until his death in 1994. Amy Kaiser succeeded Peck as director of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, from 1995 to 2022. In February 2024, Erin Freeman made her first appearance as guest chorus director with

688-425: The SLSO and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. In July 2024, the SLSO announced the appointment of Freeman as the next director of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, with immediate effect. The IN UNISON Chorus was established in 1994 by Robert Ray, and performs a variety of musical styles; it primarily focuses on the music of African-American and African cultures, notably gospel music , and partners with several churches in

731-559: The SLSO to head the Peabody Conservatory in the spring of 2014. In February 2015, the SLSO named Marie-Hélène Bernard, then-president of the Handel and Haydn Society as its new president and CEO, effective July 1, 2015. In 2003, Stéphane Denève first guest-conducted the orchestra. In June 2017, the orchestra named Denève as its next music director, effective with the 2019-2020 season, with an initial contract of three seasons. He held

774-446: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s expansion wing will be named the Jack C. Taylor Music Center. Jack C. Taylor , the late founder of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and a prolific donor to St. Louis arts organizations, made a $ 40 million contribution to help establish the orchestra's endowment trust in 2000, a donation noted at the time as the largest ever given to an American orchestra. The gift saved

817-416: The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. Past St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductors have included Slatkin, Gerhardt Zimmermann , David Loebel, David Amado, Scott Parkman, Ward Stare , Steven Jarvi, and Gemma New . In December 2020, the SLSO announced the appointment of Stephanie Childress as its next assistant conductor and music director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, effective with

860-769: The St. Louis area. The IN UNISON Chorus is currently directed by Kevin McBeth, who is also Director of Music at Manchester United Methodist Church in suburban St. Louis. The ensemble celebrated its 25th anniversary during the 2018/2019 season. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra also features the Holiday Festival Chorus, consisting of high-school-aged singers from across the St. Louis region, performing at holiday concerts each season. [REDACTED] Media related to St. Louis Symphony Orchestra at Wikimedia Commons St. Louis Mercantile Library The St. Louis Mercantile Library , founded in 1846 in downtown St. Louis, Missouri,

903-488: The auditorium of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at Locust and Broadway in Downtown St. Louis . During the 1881/82 season the 80-member chorus was joined by an orchestra of 31 members. A disbanded Musical Union joined the group. In 1893, the St. Louis Choral-Symphony was formally incorporated. It remained largely a choral organization through its performances at the 1904 World's Fair under Alfred Ernst when it expanded to

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946-482: The auditorium, with noted speakers including Mark Twain , Carl Schurz , Ralph Waldo Emerson and Oscar Wilde . In 1854 the library moved to a new building at 510 Locust Street, on the corner of Broadway and Locust streets. The structure included the 2,000 seat Grand Hall, the largest auditorium in the city at the time. The first session of the Missouri Constitutional Convention in 1861 met in

989-502: The city in the years preceding commonplace public and academic libraries. James E. Yeatman was the first president. Yeatman would go on to be one of the founders of the Mercantile Bank as well as Washington University in St. Louis . By 1847 it had 1,600 volumes and 283 subscribing members. In 1851 it merged with the St. Louis Lyceum. The St. Louis Symphony played its first concerts in the library. A series of lectures were held in

1032-425: The city to focus on its major historic collections of books, papers, and art works. The Art Museum has actively collected paintings, drawings, sculpture, and folk art of America since its foundation, tracing back to an early loan from noted St. Louis artist Charles Deas . The Mercantile Library historically collected materials to reflect the industrial history of St. Louis and the surrounding region. In this spirit,

1075-611: The concert hall, which will see a reduction in capacity by about 500, though the new capacity of 2,150 will keep the venue in line with those of similarly sized orchestras in the U.S. A 3,400-square-foot extension on space previously occupied by a parking lot will include room for education programs and lectures, rehearsal space for the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus. 38°38′25″N 90°13′48″W  /  38.64024°N 90.230059°W  / 38.64024; -90.230059 Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra The St. Louis Choral Society performed in

1118-457: The fall of 2010, after the sale of the St. Louis classical radio station KFUO . Robertson conducted the orchestra's first-ever appearance at The Proms in September 2012. In 2013, Robertson's contract was extended through the 2015/16 season, and a further contract extension, announced in March 2014, was through the 2017/18 season. Robertson's tenure as SLSO music director concluded at the end of

1161-477: The first 40 years of its existence as a stage for live vaudeville performances as well as motion pictures . The last movie shown in the old theater was The Sound of Music in 1966. At that time, the building was acquired by the Symphony Society for $ 500,000, through a gift from Oscar Johnson Jr.. After spending an additional $ 2 million to update and renovate the theater, the hall re-opened in January 1968 as

1204-681: The institution "from the brink of bankruptcy,” according to an SLSO statement. Taylor also founded the Crawford Taylor Foundation, which made a $ 30 million gift to support the Powell Hall renovation and expansion said Marie-Hélène Bernard, the Symphony’s president and CEO. The Jack C. Taylor Music Center will encompass Powell Hall, plus the 64,000-square-foot expansion including an entrance lobby, education center and backstage wing for performers. The renovation and expansion includes new seats for

1247-611: The library voting to stay in the Union at the beginning of the American Civil War . Another constitutional convention in 1865 abolished slavery. In 1884 Robert S. Brookings began a campaign to build a new fireproof building. The older building was demolished in 1887 and a new cornerstone was laid by Henry Shaw (botanist) . In 1889 the new six-story structure was dedicated on the same site. The new structure had no lecture hall, but did include an elevator. The library replaced candles in

1290-530: The majority of the collections remain open to the public for research purposes through a combination of open stacks, the archival Reading Room research program and the UMSL Digital Library. Instead of allowing access to the library, membership now provides additional borrowing privileges, access to non-public events, invitations to speaker series, and private tours. The library operates under an open-storage solution for much of its collection, meaning that

1333-437: The musicians agreed to salary cuts over that time, and also a reduction of their 52-week contract to 42 weeks. Following the departure of Hans Vonk as music director after the 2001-2002 season, Itzhak Perlman served as music adviser to the orchestra from 2002 to 2004. In December 2003, the symphony's board announced David Robertson as the next music director of the orchestra, effective with the 2005/06 season. In January 2005,

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1376-466: The new home of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Carl Stalling , famous for providing the music to Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes animated series, began his musical career as an organist at the St Louis Theater. Since 1998, Powell Hall has been home to the St. Louis Speakers Series. Currently presented by Maryville University , the St. Louis Speakers Series presents seven events each season, and

1419-553: The orchestra is the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, which was founded in 1977. Its first director was Thomas Peck. The national prestige of the St. Louis Symphony grew most prominently during the music directorship of Leonard Slatkin , from 1979 to 1996. During his tenure, the orchestra made many recordings for the EMI and RCA Victor labels, and toured to Europe and the Far East, as well as concerts at Carnegie Hall . However, this growth in prestige

1462-444: The players' attorney, Leonard Leibowitz, had advised them against filing certain documents as required by law. The National Labor Relations Board agreed with management. After a two-month period of negotiations, the musicians agreed to a ten-week reduction from a 52-week season, and 30% wage reductions. Upon returning to the stage, the musicians enacted a "Vote of No Confidence" on Executive Director Randy Adams. Both parties then reached

1505-692: The purchase and use of this hall by the symphony. The hall seats 2,683. The building is a contributing property of the Midtown Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places . Powell Hall is part of the Grand Center Arts District, St. Louis The building was originally called The St. Louis Theater. It was built in 1925 with 4,100 seats, designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp . The theater spent

1548-485: The situation of severe financial problems with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra finances, which nearly led to the orchestra's bankruptcy in 2001. Roth resigned his position in July 2001, and was succeeded by Randy Adams, a former St. Louis bank executive. Adams embarked on extensive fund-raising efforts in the following years, seeking to enlarge the SLSO's endowment in the process. As part of the budget cuts and cost-saving measures,

1591-469: The stacks with electricity for the first time in 1901. Notable library programs included a telephone service and Book Delivery Service using a Ford Model T established in 1915. The Library received its designated status as a City Landmark in 1973. With the opening of the free St. Louis Public Library in 1893, the Mercantile Library's mission shifted from serving as the primary modern library of

1634-483: The temptations to folly that ever beset unguarded youth in large towns." The library officially opened on April 19, 1846, and became chartered by the State of Missouri that year. At the time, public libraries were not a standard institution. The St. Louis Mercantile Library, with a reading room, meeting rooms, book stacks, and the largest auditorium in the city, became a primary hub of cultural and intellectual interchange in

1677-492: The title of Music Director Designate for the 2018-2019 season. In March 2021, the orchestra announced the extension of Denève's contract as its music director through the 2025-2026 season. In March 2022, the orchestra announced plans for a renovation of Powell Hall, to begin in 2023. During the scheduled renovation period, the orchestra is to give concerts principally at the Touhill Performing Arts Center of

1720-545: The venue undergoes construction, the SLSO said it will embrace the opportunity to engage new audiences with musical experiences throughout the community. The majority of performances will be at Stifel Theatre , Lindenwood University 's J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts, and UMSL 's Touhill Performing Arts Center. The revitalized Powell Hall is scheduled to open in 2025 to coincide with the building's 100th anniversary, according to SLSO. SLSO leaders announced on September 18, 2024 that

1763-580: The year the Board voted to approve an affiliation with the University of Missouri-St. Louis. This several-year long process culminated in 1998, when the Mercantile Library moved to its current location in the Thomas Jefferson Library building on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis and rededicated itself as its current status of a special collections library within the university. The library still maintains its membership model, but

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1806-455: Was not matched by stabilization of long-term finances. In 2000, the SLSO's endowment stood at US$ 28 million. In 2000, the executive director and President of the SLSO at the time, Don Roth, had secured a US$ 40 million challenge grant from the Taylor family (owners of privately held Enterprise Rent-A-Car ) to help the organization's money situation. However, in that same year, he revealed

1849-578: Was originally established as a membership library , and is the oldest extant library west of the Mississippi River . Since 1998 the library has been housed at the University of Missouri-St. Louis as a Special Collections library within the Thomas Jefferson Library . The majority of library materials can be assigned to one of four categories: the General (Core) Collection, the John W. Barriger Railroad Library,

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