St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Biography
In 1881 the St Louis Choral Society (founded in 1880) gave concerts with orchestra, conducted by Joseph Otten. That year the St Louis Musical Union gave its first concert with August Waldauer as conductor. It was absorbed by the Choral Society in 1890, adopting the name Saint Louis Choral Symphony Society. Otten was succeeded by Alfred Ernst in 1894 and Max Zach in 1907. Under Zach the name was changed to the Saint Louis Symphony Society; he improved and enlarged the orchestra and introduced many American and contemporary works. After Zach’s death in 1921, Rudolf Ganz was conductor until 1927. Guest conductors led the orchestra until 1931, when Vladimir Golschmann began his tenure. Subsequent conductors have been Edouard Van Remoortel (1958–62), Eleazar Carvalho (1963–8), Walter Susskind (1968–75), Jerzy Semkow (1975–9), Leonard Slatkin (1979–96) and Hans Vonk (from 1996). Raymond Leppard was principal guest conductor from 1984 to 1987. The orchestra has had its own auditorium, Powell Symphony Hall (cap. 2689), since 1968. In 1973 the season was expanded to 52 weeks.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Jean Martinon papers
The papers of composer/conductor Jean Martinon consist of materials created by Martinon himself (including published and unpublished manuscript scores and arrangements of compositions written between 1935 and 1975), and biographical and other materials produced or collected by the Jean Martinon Society and the Association Jean Martinon.