St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra

Founded in 1860, the Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra west of the Mississippi River and continues to meet a need for quality orchestral performances available at little to no cost. Concerts have been offered in a variety of settings in order to provide performance access to a diverse population. The Philharmonic continues to present new or infrequently heard works during its concert season. The Philharmonic also programs works which include full choir, allowing community members to perform with an orchestra which isn't always possible.

The Philharmonic opens its performance opportunities to qualified students who might be considering music performance/education as a career. Performing with professional-level musicians of diverse ages, experience and backgrounds, and receiving direction from a professional conductor are an invaluable experience for the young musician. The Philharmonic's subscription concerts series consists of four classical concerts, a holiday pops concert, and a summer pops concert. Classical concerts will be performed at the Skip Viragh Center for
the Arts, Chaminade College Preparatory School. The holiday and summer pops concerts generally are performed at Skip Viragh Center and Queeny Park - Greensfelder Recreational Center. The classical concerts include both standard works from the orchestral repertoire as well as less frequently heard works. Talented soloists (both local and international) are employed to present important solo works. Each pops concert has a special theme and draws a more general audience. The holiday pops concert features seasonal music. The summer pops concert features theme-based music. The season follows a summer through spring schedule: August (Summer pops), October (Classical I), November (Classical II), December (Holiday pops), March (Classical III), April (Classical IV).

Those who play in the Philharmonic come from many walks of life: educators, medical professionals, corporate professionals, engineers, the service industry, retirees, all with music as a second way of life. The Philharmonic is made up entirely of volunteer musicians. The Philharmonic performances offer the general population the opportunity to hear quality orchestral music performed at a professional level at no cost. The availability of no cost concerts benefits our retired and elderly patrons on a fixed income as well as students and members of the underserved population which normally cannot afford high-priced tickets of other organizations.

The Philharmonic also programs works which include full choir, allowing community members to perform with an orchestra which isn't always possible. The Philharmonic opens its performance opportunities to qualified students who might be considering music performance/education as a career.

Additionally, the Philharmonic has an "Aspiring Soloist" campaign to identify some of the most exciting young talent in our own community and provide an opportunity to perform with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra. The competition is open to young string, wind, brass, and percussion players (high school seniors or younger) within a 100 mile radius of St. Louis. The winner will be a featured soloist with the orchestra on our concert program and receives a cash prize. This is a fantastic outreach program to offer real-world experience for students seeking to continue their music education and be a part of the community arts scene.