St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Music Director Stéphane Denève is so confident in the acoustics of the newly renovated Powell Symphony Hall that he issued a challenge. He invited guests Friday morning to sit in the last row of the furthest balcony tier to experience how sound carries clearly to every seat.
“Even if I whisper like this,” Denève said as he lowered his voice, “you will still be able to hear me clearly.”
For Sherry Sissac, his words carried special meaning. As a fourth grader at the now-closed Arlington Elementary School, she once sat high in the balcony during a special SLSO concert performed during a field trip for straight-A students. The moment left her in awe.
“You can’t even see the seat from here,” Sissac said as she looked way up in the balcony with her hand on her chest. Her voice trembled with emotion. That moment activated Sissac, a Black girl growing up in North St. Louis, in ways she did not have the capacity to imagine.
Decades later, Sissac not only returned for the Friday event — a ribbon-cutting ceremony — she now sits on the board that helped make the $140 million renovation and expansion possible. There is even a seat in Powell Hall with her name on it.
Following the ceremony, she basked in Powell Hall’s upgrades and the newly added Jack C. Taylor Music Center that surrounds it. She felt the same way at 9 years old when she first feasted her eyes upon the opulence of the building, with its signature plush red velvet seats.
“I would tell little Sherry, ‘Not only do you belong here, but this place is yours, too,’” Sissac said.
Her feelings aligned with the words Denève used to greet the audience: “Welcome home.” The SLSO had spent two nomadic seasons performing elsewhere during construction. Its 146th season opens Sept. 26-28 in the revitalized hall.
Veteran St. Louis American photographer Wiley Price also felt the weight of history. Assigned to capture the event, he put down his camera when the orchestra began the fourth movement of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird.” Tears streamed down his face.
He was transported back to the day he accompanied his music teacher and fellow Daniel Boone Elementary classmates to the newly opened Powell Symphony Hall, where he heard “The Firebird” for the first time. As a child, Price was so moved that he went to the library and checked out a vinyl album — the only portable listening option that was available to him in 1968.
While others reflected on Powell Hall’s past, SLSO Board Chair Steve Finerty focused on the future.
“What ChatGPT Enterprise told me is that when you are cutting the ribbon, you are removing a barrier to welcome folks into a happy new space,” he said. “That is exactly what we are doing here today.”
At the ceremony, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 19-25 as St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Week in the city.
The project was designed by the internationally acclaimed firm Snøhetta with local firm Christner Architects as the architect of record. The Jack C. Taylor Music Center includes a renovated Powell Hall and a 64,000-square-foot expansion. Additions include a new Education and Learning Center that provides additional space for the SLSO’s two resident choruses, its Youth Orchestra and a growing portfolio of education and community programs.
“This is more than a building — it’s a promise to our city, our artists, and the future of the St. Louis region to make music more accessible to all,” said Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO.
“Through this transformational expansion and renovation, we elevate St. Louis as a global destination with exceptional artistry, innovation and deep commitment to the community,” Bernard said, “serving as an economic engine and growing our footprint with new jobs and tourism dollars to our region, our city and our state.”
St. Louis American Publisher Dr. Donald M. Suggs praised Bernard for bringing “so much to this great organization over the past 10 years.”
The project was fully funded by SLSO’s ongoing Music For All Campaign. With $173 million and counting, the fundraising initiative has exceeded its initial goal of $155 million.
The upgraded space ushers in a new era, one that Bernard proclaimed as the most transformational moment in the symphony’s history.
“It is a history that has seen the orchestra connect millions to the joy of live symphonic music,” Bernard said. “And our new music center is a testament to the tireless work and vision of many, built by their generosity for the community. We believe that music is a universal language and it belongs to everyone.”
After the program inside Powell Hall, members of the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus gathered at a side door at Grand and Delmar. Before the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra purchased the building and reopened it in 1968, the door was once used as the “colored entrance” during the venue’s past life as St. Louis Theatre.
There, Rev. Anthony Riley of Central Baptist Church led a rededication of the door, transforming the symbol of exclusion into one of hope.
“Once this was a door of brokenness, and now it is a door of belonging,” Riley said. “No longer is this a door of separation, but a door of reconciliation.”
He closed with a prayer, and IN UNISON Director Kevin McBeth instinctively began singing “We Shall Overcome.” The choir and crowd joined in.
“This moment today is one of the most moving experiences I’ve had since I’ve been in St. Louis,” Suggs said. “This is a great occasion. For all of us, and for St. Louis.”