The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Pulitzer Arts Foundation announce programming for St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer series for 2021/2022, celebrating music of today
The acclaimed, collaborative series returns to live concerts at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, with the world premiere of music by Christopher Stark, along with works by Anna Clyne, Edmund Finnis, Yotam Haber, Ted Hearne, Carolina Heredia, Kate Moore, Annika Socolofsky, Gabriella Smith, and LJ White
Subscriptions on sale now for three-concert series at slso.org
With the Live at the Pulitzer series programming, the SLSO's complete 2021/2022 season sees five world premieres and 45 works added to SLSO repertoire, including music by 29 composers of today
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(November 8, 2021, St. Louis, MO) – The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, announced the details for its 2021/2022 St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer concert series. The celebrated series, now in its 17th season, presents chamber music of the 20th and 21st centuries, performed by SLSO musicians at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation (3716 Washington Blvd., St. Louis).
This season, the Live at the Pulitzer series marks the first SLSO performances of 11 works, including the world premiere of St. Louis-based composer Christopher Stark's 2nd Nature, an immersive work for solo violin, electronics, and video. Concerts feature a wide range of styles and instrumentations from solo performances to experiential concerts, and often include audio, visual, and interactive elements that engage audiences in new ways.
Curated in collaboration with SLSO Creative Partner and triple-Grammy-winning flutist, speaker, and writer Tim Munro, Live at the Pulitzer presents music by bold, daring, and adventurous composers. Composers included in the series include Anna Clyne, Edmund Finnis, Yotam Haber, Ted Hearne, Carolina Heredia, Kate Moore, Annika Socolofsky, Gabriella Smith, Christopher Stark, and LJ White. The series introduces most of these composers to SLSO audiences for the first time. The SLSO has performed works by Anna Clyne on classical concerts on several occasions, including on the opening weekend of the 21/22 season, with Music Director Stéphane Denève leading the first SLSO performances of her cello concerto, DANCE, with choreography. Composer and conductor John Adams leads the SLSO in Smith's Tumblebird Contrails in January 2022. The March 2022 Live at the Pulitzer concerts are programmed entirely with pieces by composers with ties to Missouri.
With today's announcement, concerts in the SLSO's 2021/2022 season—the orchestra's 142nd— include the first SLSO performances of 45 different works, including 11 in the Live at the Pulitzer series. Thirty-six of those works are by 29 composers of today. The SLSO gives the world premiere performances of five pieces by composers including Stefan Freund, Stacy Garrop, Nathalie Joachim, Jessie Montgomery, and Christopher Stark. Music Director Stéphane Denève remains committed to discovering and performing works by living artists that will enter and become mainstays of the orchestral repertoire.
Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO, said, "After a season of digital performances, we are thrilled to continue our extraordinary partnership with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation with in-person concerts. This collaboration stretches musical boundaries with programming that connects listeners to composers of today while exploring the intersection of music and art. The Live at the Pulitzer series remains a core part of the SLSO's musical portfolio, reflecting the deep commitment to composers and music of today held by Music Director Stéphane Denève and the entire organization."
Each year since Live at the Pulitzer launched in 2004, the SLSO has programmed a series of concerts that complement current exhibitions on view at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. The 21/22 season was planned in conjunction with remarkable exhibitions: Hannah Wilke: Art for Life's Sake (through January 16, 2022) and Assembly Required (March 4-July 31, 2022). The series has become a highlight of the St. Louis concert scene and enjoys deeply engaged, capacity audiences. At the Live at the Pulitzer series concerts, the Tadao Ando-designed building – one of the finest examples of contemporary architecture in the United States – provides an intimate setting for the innovative works, all played within the museum galleries. The 17th Live at the Pulitzer season kicked off in September 2021 with free performances of John Luther Adams' songbirdsongs, performed by SLSO flutists and percussionists in the Pulitzer Arts Foundation's outdoor garden space, Park-Like, to a capacity crowd.
Subscriptions for the Live at the Pulitzer series are on sale now at slso.org. Single tickets for each concert go on sale November 15. Subscriptions tickets to the three-concert series are $19.50 each. Individual tickets are $23. Student tickets are $10 each.
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra requires all audience members to be fully vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test to attend all events at Powell Hall and SLSO events at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. All patrons are required to wear masks while inside the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. For additional information, visit slso.org/pulitzer or pulitzerarts.org.
2021/2022 LIVE AT THE PULITZER CONCERTS
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Pulitzer Arts Foundation present the following concerts in its 2021/2022 St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer series. All concerts take place at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation: 3716 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63108.
Carrot Revolution
Tuesday, November 30, 2021, 7:30pm CT
Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 7:30pm CT
Xiaoxiao Qiang, violin
Eva Kozma, violin
Shannon Williams, viola
Jennifer Humphreys, cello
Kate MOORE Whoever You Are Come Forth (First SLSO performances)
Ted HEARNE "Overlay" from String Quartet No. 1, Exposure (First SLSO performances)
Edmund FINNIS Brother (First SLSO performances)
Gabriella SMITH Carrot Revolution (First SLSO performances)
Anna CLYNE "Rest these hands" from The Violin (First SLSO performances)
Two wild string quartets, by Ted Hearne and Gabriella Smith, revel in the music they adore. Three quiet works act like prayers: Anna Clyne pays homage to her late mother's words in "Rest these hands," Edmund Finnis paints an intimate portrait of a relationship in Brother, and Kate Moore seeks resilience in Whoever You Are Come Forth.
Second Nature
Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 7:30pm CT
Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 7:30pm CT
Janet Carpenter, violin
Asako Kuboki, violin
Chris Tantillo, viola
Yin Xiong, cello
Shawn Weil, violin
Zlatko Cosic, video artist
Yotam HABER break_break_break (First SLSO performances)
LJ WHITE Fly, Into the Light... (First SLSO performances)
Carolina HEREDIA Añoranzas (First SLSO performances)
Yotam HABER From the Book (First SLSO performances)
Christopher STARK 2nd Nature (World premiere)
Christopher Stark's 2nd Nature uses violin, electronics, and video to venture deep into the natural world. Two string quartets by Yotam Haber offer musical responses: to an ancient Jewish melody in From the Book, and to South Africa's rap-rave scene in break_break_break. LJ White weaves a gentle tapestry from violin and electronics, while Carolina Heredia explores our conflicted feelings about home.
Don't say a word
Wednesday, May 18, 2022, 7:30pm CDT
Andrea Kaplan, flute
Tzuying Huang, clarinet
Melody Lee, violin
Bjorn Ranheim, cello
Alan Stewart, percussion
Nina Ferrigno, piano
Annika SOCOLOFSKY Don't say a word (First SLSO performances)
Additional repertoire announced at a later date.
Composer and avant-folk vocalist Annika Socolofsky is a rising force in the musical world. Don't say a word is her collection of "feminist rager-lullabies," songs that update old lullabies, teaching radical new lessons. The cycle, performed by Socolofsky with a virtuoso ensemble from the SLSO, is beautiful, passionate, and filled with rage.
EXHIBITION DESCRIPTIONS
The 21/22 St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer series was planned in conjunction with a remarkable lineup of exhibitions at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation.
Hannah Wilke: Art for Life's Sake - On view now through January 16, 2022
American artist Hannah Wilke (1940–93) created innovative and provocative art to affirm life. Her work embraces the vitality and vulnerability of the human body as essential to experiencing life and connecting with each other. She explored this subject in sculpture, photography, video, drawing, and performance. Wilke used her art to challenge gender inequality and empower all of us to realize a more sensuous connection to life and a more liberated society.
Hannah Wilke: Art for Life's Sake is the first major presentation of Wilke's groundbreaking work in over a decade. This career-spanning exhibition encompasses the full arc of Wilke's practice from the 1960s to her untimely death in 1993. It features some of the artist's most iconic works in addition to some that have rarely been shown. This selection of nearly 120 works demonstrates Wilke's versatility and innovative approach to materials. The exhibition offers new perspectives on this influential artist, revealing her to be a trailblazer who was as invested in advancing the position of women in society as she was in developing a unique artistic practice.
Assembly Required - On view March 4-July 31, 2022
Assembly Required features eight artists whose work invites active participation. Attendees may build, shape, and use these artworks, collaboratively or alone. The artists were selected based on a shared belief that public action is vital for transforming society.
Created between the 1960s and the present, the artworks respond to distinct social and political moments, from unrest in the United States during the Vietnam War to Peru's military dictatorship. The artists offer unique perspectives on social change, addressing the need for optimism and hope in the face of global tensions.
Throughout this immersive exhibition, members of the public will interact with the artworks and each other while sharing new experiences. Ultimately, Assembly Required poses questions about how art allows us to imagine new ways of being in the world. Assembly Required includes work by Francis Alÿs, Rasheed Araeen, Siah Armajani, Lygia Clark, Hélio Oiticica, Yoko Ono, Lygia Pape, and Franz Erhard Walther.
About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Celebrated as a leading American orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 142nd year with the 2021/2022 season and its third with Music Director Stéphane Denève. The SLSO serves the St. Louis region through its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations, honoring its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.
The core of the SLSO's artistic foundation is its dynamic partnership with Stéphane Denève. Denève's energetic musicianship, visionary storytelling, and collaborative spirit have created stronger connections with local and visiting artists, as well as advanced the SLSO's role as a leader in music education. The SLSO musical family also includes two resident choruses: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, founded in 1976, performs choral-orchestral music from the Baroque era to today; and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, founded in 1994, focuses on the music of African American and African traditions.
In addition to its concerts at historic Powell Hall, which has been the SLSO's home for more than 50 years, the orchestra is an integral part of the vibrant St. Louis community. Orchestra musicians share dozens of education and community performances throughout the region each year at medical facilities, places of worship, community centers, and schools. The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, founded by Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin in 1970, is the region's premiere training orchestra for high school and college students. The SLSO is proud to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its education programs in 2021.
For more than 15 years, the St. Louis Symphony: Live at the Pulitzer series has highlighted composers and music of today through innovative performances in collaboration with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. The SLSO has also served as the resident orchestra for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for more than 40 years and enjoys a long history of robust and enduring artistic collaborations with individuals and organizations locally and around the world.
The Grammy® Award-winning SLSO's impact is expanding with a growing digital presence that helps make music more accessible to all, realized through weekly Saturday night concert broadcasts on St. Louis Public Radio, acclaimed recordings, and regular tours domestically and abroad. This expanding content portfolio includes digital concerts filmed at Powell Hall on the SLSO's high-definition camera equipment; virtual events for patrons, families, and educators; and a robust online education platform that features curriculum materials, interactive programs, activities, and learning opportunities for all ages.
Since the arrival of Marie-Hélène Bernard as President and CEO in 2015, the SLSO has aligned its mission to make music more accessible, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. Building on its momentum, the SLSO serves as a convener of individuals, creators, and ideas, and is committed to building community through compelling and inclusive musical experiences. As it continues its longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, the SLSO embraces its strengths as a responsive, nimble organization, while investing in partnerships locally and elevating its presence globally. For more information, visit slso.org.
About the Pulitzer Arts Foundation
The Pulitzer Arts Foundation provides dynamic experiences with contemporary and historic art presented in dialogue with its celebrated building, designed by Tadao Ando. Since its founding in 2001, the museum has organized a range of exhibitions featuring art from around the world, exploring a diverse array of ideas and inspiring new perspectives. Highlights have included the exhibitions Hannah Wilke: Art for Life's Sake (2021–22); Ruth Asawa: Life's Work (2018–19); Blue Black, a group show curated by artist Glenn Ligon (2017); Medardo Rosso: Experiments in Light and Form (2016–17); raumlaborberlin: 4562 Enright Avenue (2016); Reflections of the Buddha (2011–12); Urban Alchemy / Gordon Matta-Clark (2009–10); and Brancusi and Serra in Dialogue (2005). These exhibitions are complemented by programs that bring together leading figures from the fields of art, architecture, design, urban planning, and others. The Pulitzer is a place for contemplation and exchange that brings art and people together.
The Pulitzer campus is located in the Grand Center Arts District of St. Louis, Missouri, and includes the museum, the Park-Like garden, and the Spring Church. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday, 10am–5pm, with evening hours until 8pm on Friday. Admission is always free. For more information, visit pulitzerarts.org.
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