Our Mission

Our Values

• Excellence in all we do, driven by our artistic vision. 
• Pride in our orchestral identity.  
• Service to our community, with education and learning at our core. 
• Responsible stewardship of resources. 
• Collaborative culture of respect, equity, diversity, inclusion, and access.

Our Guiding Principles

• Excellence and uniqueness of the artistic experience.
• Enduring artistic and financial strength.
• Meaningful commitment to and from the community.

Our Commitments 

• Lead with clarity, discipline, and openness to change.
• Nurture an inclusive culture that welcomes diversity, professional development, and collaboration.
• Cultivate an engaged and joyful environment across all teams through listening, honesty, trust, generosity, open-mindedness, empathy, and forgiveness.
• Maintain a shared focus on audience development to create access to music for all.

Our Brand Promise

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s story is woven into America’s artistic and cultural fabric. For more than 140 years, the SLSO has played the musical soundtrack for milestones in the St. Louis region’s history and evolution. It has been a constant source of joy, inspiration, celebration, reflection, comfort, and healing for its audiences. 

Like the community it serves, the SLSO is continually evolving, finding new ways to connect, engage, create, teach, learn, entertain, and shape the orchestral artform in new ways, so that all are welcome to experience the uniquely transformative power of music.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We envision a world in which every life is enriched through the power of music. This world is created when cultural arts institutions acknowledge their specialties and actively seek opportunities to embrace diverse communities, musical traditions, and artistic styles. The SLSO commits to the significant EDI efforts of dismantling barriers to the human expression, engagement, and enjoyment of music.