Have you ever needed a break from the stress that college life can bring you? How does a relaxing evening at the Powell Symphony Hall listening to the wonderful works of Beethoven sound? The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1880 and is the country’s second oldest symphony orchestra.

The SLSO has also received six Grammy awards and 56 Grammy nominations. The symphony orchestra travels all over the world to play and even has their own recording label.

The Powell Symphony Hall is located only two blocks from SLU’s campus, on Grand Boulevard. The hall actually started out as a movie theater and is named after a shoe manufacturing executive’s widow who made the Symphony Society beneficiary of a $1 million charitable trust.

This is the symphony’s 123rd season and will include all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies, with a range of internationally acclaimed guest conductors. The symphony currently employs 92 full-time musicians and 140 chorus members. The symphony has also added Itzhak Perlman, an acclaimed violinist, as the music adviser for the next two seasons.

The St. Louis Symphony also prides itself as an integral part of the community. The Community Partnership Program ranges from schools to churches to parks and to community organizations. The program helps to build awareness in our community and educate individuals to the relevance and importance music plays in our lives. The St. Louis Youth Symphony was developed out of this program, to allow the youth of St. Louis to show off their talent.

Another great program that the SLSO offers is Sound Check St. Louis. This program was developed to reach out to the college population of St. Louis and offer them discounted tickets. Area college students, ages 17 to 30, can purchase a ticket to any upcoming performance and receive the best available seat for only $10. This enables students to enjoy the musical stylings of the orchestra for a very reasonable price.

All a student needs to obtain a ticket is a free membership card that can be requested at www.soundcheckstlouis.org, or they can call 286-4479.

Upcoming Performances

From the Heart: March 1 and 2

Young People’s Concert “African American Sounds’: March 4 and 11

Closer Than They Seem: March 7 and 8

Comfort or Arousal: March 14 and 16

For more shows and times, visit www.slso.org.