St. Louis Symphony’s 2026–27 Season Features Major Premieres, Jazz Residency, and Chorus 50th Anniversary

A 147th season framed by new music, returning hall momentum, and an ensemble milestone

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has outlined initial programming for its 147th season, covering the 2026–27 concert year and extending the organization’s first full seasons back in its expanded and renovated Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center. The season plan combines canonical repertoire with multiple contemporary works, including world and U.S. premieres and several co-commissions.

The schedule also carries an institutional anniversary: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, led by director Erin Freeman, reaches its 50th season. Chorus appearances are set across the year, with at least one dedicated anniversary-focused program announced for spring 2027.

New works and premieres: orchestral programming leans into contemporary commissions

Programming released to date includes a weeklong residency in March 2027 by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under Wynton Marsalis. The residency is slated to include premiere performances of Marsalis’ Symphony No. 5, Liberty, a work co-commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Other newly announced contemporary offerings include the premiere of a Violin Concerto by St. Louis-based composer Christopher Stark, the U.S. premiere of Ülo Krigul’s Proteus Pulse, and co-commissions involving new music by Detlev Glanert and Kevin Puts.

• Residency: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (March 10–14, 2027)
• New works announced: Christopher Stark, Ülo Krigul, Detlev Glanert, Kevin Puts
• Commissioning model: a mix of premieres, U.S. premieres, and co-commissions

Core repertoire anchors the season, including a staged-imagined Ravel opera

Alongside premieres, the 2026–27 plan includes a range of standard symphonic works to be conducted by music director Stéphane Denève. Titles announced include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, Respighi’s Pines of Rome, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6.

A centerpiece is Ravel’s one-act opera L’enfant et les sortilèges, scheduled for February 12–13, 2027 as part of a program pairing Ravel with Poulenc. The performances are set to feature the Symphony Chorus and the St. Louis Children’s Choirs.

The announced season spans repertoire and new music while placing multiple choral projects within the orchestra’s main subscription calendar.

Chorus anniversary: March 2027 program to combine Haydn and a contemporary SLSO premiere

The St. Louis Symphony Chorus’ 50th anniversary will be marked with a special set of performances in March 2027. Plans include Joseph Haydn’s Mass for Troubled Times and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra premiere of Gabriella Ortiz’s Revolución diamantina (Glitter Revolution), positioning the anniversary around a juxtaposition of historical choral-orchestral repertoire and a contemporary score.

Ticketing timeline and rollout

Subscription packages for the 147th season are scheduled to go on sale February 18, 2026, with single tickets expected to become available beginning in July 2026. Additional programming announcements are anticipated as the full season calendar is released.