September Symphonic Sounds Fill Art Hill As Hundreds Gather for Start of 146th Season
Contrary to popular belief, Labor Day does not signal the end of summer, rather the annual ritual on Art Hill, the SLSO free concert is summer’s swan song. The celebratory event signals the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s season opener. 2025 rings in the Gateway City’s milestone 2025/26 146th season on Wednesday, September 17th. The festivities begin at 7pm. Fireworks will emblazon the skies over Forest Park’s Grand Basin to top of the night.
The SLSO has performed for thousands of people each year. / photo by Justin Barr
Since its inaugural Forest Park concert more than 50 years ago, the SLSO has performed for thousands of people each year as a community celebration of music. The concert will be led by Music Director Stéphane Denève.
The celebration serves as a prelude to the reopening of Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center following a two-year transformational expansion and renovation. Opening weekend concerts at the restored venue are slated for September 26-28.
The Forest Park concert serves as a preview for the orchestra’s 146th season and Denève’s seventh as The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Selections include classical favorites by Ludwig van Beethoven, W.A. Mozart, and Igor Stravinsky. In a nod to a narrative thread of American music throughout the SLSO’s 25/26 season, the program also includes a tribute to American armed forces veterans, Aaron Copland’s iconic Fanfare for the Common Man, and George Gershwin’s Girl Crazy Overture. Denève will be joined by guest vocalist SSgt MeLan K. Smartt—the Regional Band Vocalist at The United States Air Force Band of Mid-America, Scott Air Force Base—for The Star-Spangled Banner and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
The Grand Basin at the foot of Art Hill at Forest Park / Photo by Russell Jackson
Another concert highlight includes two selections from the legendary film composer John Williams, whose music can be heard all season with films in concert (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s StoneTM, Home Alone), a Concert for Kids (Howl at Powell), a special Playlist spotlight, and a cosmic-themed subscription series in March 2026 pairing Williams’ works with those of John Adams and Kevin Puts, masterfully combined by Denève, a close collaborator of the inimitable composer. The festivities end with a show-stopping fireworks display following John Philip Sousa’s patriotic anthem The Stars and Stripes Forever.
Fireworks conclude 2024 concert. / photo by Justin Barr
The Forest Park concert is performed in memory of longtime SLSO supporter Mary Ann Lee and endowed in perpetuity by the MacCarthy Foundation. This concert marks the 57th anniversary of the first Forest Park concert in 1968.
2023 concert. / photo by Brendan Batchelor
Attendees are encouraged to come early, bring chairs and blankets, and enjoy food trucks at the top of Art Hill. Designed to engage families with children, the SLSO’s Education and Community Partnerships team will host a family fun zone at the top of Art Hill from 6:00 to 7:00pm, engaging children through musical activities, including music creation and conducting members of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. SLSO staff and volunteers will hand out glow sticks for children to join Denève in conducting the orchestra.
Attendees are encouraged to come early, bring chairs and blankets. / photo by Virginia Harold
Video by Alex Guiterrez
Local vendors at the concert will include Angie Burger, The Best Wurst, Blues Fired Pizza, Cajun Seduction, Falafel Saha Food Truck, The Fire and Ice Cream Truck, Go Gyro Go, Grace Meat + 3, Hog Call BBQ, Holy Crepe, Honey Bee Tea, The MOObile Smash Burger Truck, Picture Perfect Panini, Ron Ron’s Black Fried Rice, Scoops of Joy, STL BarKeep, Takozz Real Mexican Food, The Popcorn Bar, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, Widdy’s Cheesesteaks, WokoTaco Food Truck. Food and drink vendors will be available starting at 5:00pm.
2024 concert. / photo by Virginia Harold
Denève leads the in works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, W.C. Handy, W.A. Mozart, John Philip Sousa, Igor Stravinsky, and John Williams, with guest vocalist SSgt MeLan K. Smartt
Audiences can sign up to receive updates about the concert, including information about food trucks, parking, and shuttles, at slso.org/forestpark.
After a $146,000 million Renovation and Restoration and Two-Year Hiatus Powell Hall Reopens
The new Powell concert hall. / Photo by Alise O’Brien
Following the opening of the season in Forest Park, Denève leads the SLSO’s first concerts at Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center, September 26-28. To celebrate the reopening of the iconic civic treasure, the SLSO will perform a trio of celebratory fanfares representing the past, present, and future—including the world premiere of James Lee III’s Fanfare for Universal Hope. The program also includes the world premiere of House of Tomorrow by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts—the SLSO’s Composer in Residence during the 25/26 season. The song cycle features acclaimed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben concludes the program. Each of the opening weekend concerts includes special events. Tickets for the concerts and add-on events are on sale now.
Tickets for all 25/26 season concerts are on sale now and can be purchased at slso.org or by calling the SLSO Box Office at 314-534-1700.
The Night’s Festivities
Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 7:00pm CDT
Stéphane Denève, conductor
SSgt MeLan K. Smartt, vocals
John Stafford Smith The Star-Spangled Banner
Arranged by Adam Maness
J. Rosamund Johnson “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Arranged by Hale Smith
Aaron Copland Fanfare for the Common Man
Ludwig van Beethoven Excerpt from Symphony No. 7
W.A. Mozart Le nozze di Figaro Overture
Igor Stravinsky Excerpts from The Firebird Suite (1919 version)
George Gershwin Girl Crazy Overture
Arranged Don Rose
W.C. Handy St. Louis Blues March
Arranged Richard Hayman
Various Armed Forces Salute
Arranged by Hayman/Kessler
John Williams Liberty Fanfare
John Williams Main Title from Star Wars Suite
John Philip Sousa The Stars and Stripes Forever
Fun On Art Hill
Photo by Alex Guiterrez
Fireworks crackle in night sky celebrating the start of the new season. / photo by Russell Jackson
Paddle boats still afloat prior to concert. / photo by Russell Jackson
Fern Taylor and others celebrate the night. / photo by Alex Guiterrez
photo by Alex Guiterrez
About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Rendering of the new Powell Hall / photo courtesy of SLSO
Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 146th year with the 2025/26 season and its seventh with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music. The transformational project that expands and renovates the orchestra's historic home, Powell Hall—designed by Snøhetta and creating the Jack C. Taylor Music Center—will be completed in September 2025. This milestone builds on the institution's momentum as a civic leader in convening individuals, creators, and ideas, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. For more information, visit slso.org.