The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2012-13 season, featuring composers from A (John Adams) to Z (Alexander Zemlinsky) and a wide range of soloists, from members of the orchestra to internationally renowned artists.
The season begins with a four-city European tour, the first led by music director David Robertson, and concludes with the June annual conference of the League of American Orchestras, hosted by the SLSO for the first time in a half-century.
Orchestra president and CEO Fred Bronstein said that the upcoming season is about “balance, creativity, accessibility and artistic growth.” He expects to continue the success of the “Live at Powell Hall” pops series, as well as increasing ticket revenues and attendance at all of the SLSO’s offerings. “I think we’ve really hit a home run with this season’s plans,” he said.
Next year’s season has a connecting Viennese focus, with composers from Mozart and Beethoven to Richard Strauss and Alban Berg. There’s a jazz subtext, audible in both this season’s gala – starring trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center – and “Live,” with trumpeter Chris Botti and sax player Kenny G.
Opening night, Sept. 28, features pianist Emanuel Ax and Respighi’s “Pines of Rome.” The regular subscription concert series ends the weekend of May 9 through 12 with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “Choral.”
In between comes new music, including works by Thomas Adès and Cindy McTee, and an assortment of orchestral favorites: Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, all-Tchaikovsky and all-Mozart evenings and Holst’s “The Planets,” led by conductor laureate Leonard Slatkin.
Other guest conductors include Nicholas McGegan, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Jun Märkl, Gilbert Varga and Sir Andrew Davis. Among the soloists are soprano Christine Brewer, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, violinists Gil Shaham and James Ehnes, and pianists Radu Lupu, Yefim Bronfman and Peter Serkin.
“Live at Powell Hall” will make several trips to the movies, with the orchestra accompanying “The Wizard of Oz.” "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and “The Matrix.” Circus Flora returns with a new Christmas program.
For Robertson, anticipating his eighth season with the orchestra, “It’s particularly exciting to be able to share what the orchestra and I have come to make together in the last few years. There’s just a whole unified approach to way one makes music, a hallmark of what one wants to have in an orchestra of a world-class level.”
For more on the SLSO’s 2012-13 season, see Sunday’s A&E section.
Here's the complete 2012-13 schedule:
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY 2012-2013 SEASON CALENDAR
Friday, September 21, 2012 at 7:30pm LIVE AT POWELL HALL
Ellis Hall, vocals & piano
St. Louis Symphony
SALUTE TO RAY CHARLES
Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 7:30pm LIVE AT POWELL HALL
Kenny G, saxophone
St. Louis Symphony
KENNY G
Friday, September 28, 2012 at 10:30am OPENING WEEKEND
Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 3pm
David Robertson, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
LUTOSŁAWSKI Concerto for Orchestra
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No.2
RESPIGHI Pines of Rome
Friday, October 5, 2012 at 8pm
Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 8pm
David Robertson, conductor
Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano
Women of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director
The St. Louis Children’s Choirs
Barbara Berner, artistic director
MAHLER Symphony No. 3
Friday, October 12, 2012 at 8pm
Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 3 pm
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
Pascal Rogé, piano
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, “Pastorale”
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G
DEBUSSY La Mer
Friday, October 19, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 3pm
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Alison Harney, violin
Andrew Cuneo, Bassoon
BACH Orchestral Suite No. 1
VIVALDI Concerto in F major for Violin, 2 Oboes, Bassoon, 2 Horns and Strings
VIVALDI Bassoon Concerto in A minor
HANDEL Music for the Royal Fireworks
Saturday October 20, 2012 at 7pm RED VELVET BALL SWINGS!
Wynton Marsalis, trumpet
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
St. Louis Symphony
WYNTON MARSALIS Swing Symphony
Friday, October 26, 2012 at 7:00pm LIVE AT POWELL HALL
Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Ward Stare, conductor
St. Louis Symphony
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Friday, November 2, 2012 at 10:30am
Saturday, November 3, 2012 at 8pm
John Storgårds, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BACH / arr. WEBERN Ricercar No. 2 from Musical Offering
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2
Friday, November 9, 2012 at 8pm
Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 3pm
Jun Märkl, conductor
Daniel Lee, cello
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director
SCHOENBERG Friede auf Erden (Peace on Earth)
HAYDN Cello Concerto in D major
MOZART Requiem, K. 626
Friday, November 16, 2012 at 10:30am
Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 3pm
Andrey Boreyko, conductor
Vadim Gluzman, violin
TCHAIKOVSKY Voyevoda
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 1, “Winter Dreams”
Friday, November 23, 2012 at 8 pm
Saturday, November 24, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, November 25 at 3pm
David Robertson, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
J. STRAUSS, JR. Tales from the Vienna Woods
HAYDN Symphony No. 104, “London”
Concert TBA
Friday, November 30, 2012, at 10:30am
Saturday, December 1, 2012, at 8pm
David Robertson, conductor
Kirill Gerstein, piano
R. STRAUSS Don Juan
THOMAS ADÈS In Seven Days (Piano Concerto)
HINDEMITH Mathis der Maler Symphony
R. STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
Friday, December 7, 2012 at 8pm
Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 8pm
Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 3pm
Christopher Warren-Green, conductor
Lydia Teuscher, soprano
Christopher Ainslie, countertenor
Daniel Montenegro, tenor
Matthew Trevino, bass
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director
HANDEL Messiah
Friday, December 14, 2012, at 7pm LIVE AT POWELL HALL
Saturday, December 15, 2012, at 7pm
Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 2pm
St. Louis Symphony
CIRCUS FLORA: “A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES”
Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 7pm A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS
Kevin McBeth, conductor
Take 6, vocals
St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON© Chorus
Kevin McBeth, director
Friday, December 21, 2012 at 2pm HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
Friday, December 21, 2012 at 7pm
Saturday, December 22, 2012 at2pm
Saturday, December 22, 2012 at 7pm
Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 2pm
Holiday Festival Chorus
Kevin McBeth, director
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 7pm LIVE AT POWELL HALL
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 7pm
Richard Kaufman, conductor
Men of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director
St. Louis Symphony
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Monday, December 31, 2012 at 7:30pm NEW YEAR’S EVE
David Robertson, conductor
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 8pm
Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 8pm
Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 3pm
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director
CINDY MCTEE Double Play
STRAVINSKY Symphony of Psalms
HOLST The Planets
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 8pm
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 8pm
Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 3pm
Gilbert Varga, conductor
Peter Serkin, Piano
GLINKA Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture
BARTÒK Piano Concerto No. 3
MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition
Friday, February 1, 2013 at 8pm
Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 8pm
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Markus Groh, piano
SIBELIUS Finlandia
PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5
Friday, February 8, 2013 at 8pm
Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 8pm
Sunday, February 10, 2013 at 3pm
David Robertson, conductor
Radu Lupu, piano
J. STRAUSS, JR. On the Beautiful Blue Danube
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
BRAHMS Symphony No. 2
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 10:30am
Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 8pm
David Robertson, conductor
Orli Shaham, piano
COPLAND Our Town
BERNSTEIN Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety"
JOHN ADAMS City Noir
Friday, February 22, 2013 at 7:30pm BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION
Kevin McBeth, conductor
Wintley Phipps, vocalist
St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® Chorus
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 7:30pm LIVE AT POWELL HALL
Chris Botti, trumpet
St. Louis Symphony
CHRIS BOTTI
Friday, March 1, 2013 at 8pm
Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 8pm
Sir Andrew Davis, conductor
Tasmin Little, violin
DELIUS The Walk to the Paradise Garden
ELGAR Violin Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4
Friday, March 8, 2013 at 10:30am
Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 8pm
David Robertson, conductor
James Ehnes, violin
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn
BERG Violin Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2
Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 8pm
Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 3pm
David Robertson, conductor
Mark Sparks, flute
David Halen, violin
COPLAND Quiet City
CHRISTOPHER ROUSE Flute Concerto
BERNSTEIN Serenade
COPLAND Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo
Friday, April 5 2013, at 7pm LIVE AT POWELL HALL
Saturday, April 6, 2013, at 7pm
Don Davis, conductor
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director
St. Louis Symphony
THE MATRIX
Friday, April 12, 2013 at 10:30am
Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 8pm
Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 3pm
Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin
ROSSINI L’italiana in Algeri Overture
PAGANINI Violin Concerto No. 1
BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
Friday, April 19, 2013 at 8 pm
Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 8pm
Ward Stare, conductor
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director
BRAHMS Gesang der Parzen (Song of the Fates)
WEBERN Im Sommerwind
BRAHMS Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny)
J. STRAUSS, JR. Künstlerleben (Artist’s Life)
R. STRAUSS Der Rosenkavalier Suite
Friday, April 26, 2013 at 10:30am
Friday, April 26, 2013 at 8pm
Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 8pm
Bernard Labadie, conductor
Scott Andrews, clarinet
MOZART Symphony No. 33, K. 319
MOZART Clarinet Concerto, K. 622
MOZART Symphony No. 40, K. 550
Friday, May 3, 2013 at 8pm
Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 8pm
Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 3pm
David Robertson, conductor
Christine Brewer, soprano
Lucas Meachem, baritone
SUPPÉ Overture to Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna
SCHUBERT Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished”
ZEMLINSKY Lyrische Symphonie (Lyric Symphony)
Thursday, May 9, 2013, at 8pm
Friday, May 10, 2013 at 8pm
Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 8pm
Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 3pm
David Robertson, conductor
St Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director
BRUCKNER “Christus factus est”
BERG Act III from Wozzeck
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9
