A Whopping 1.1-Million Dollars Raised in Just One Night at St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Gala featuring Yo-Yo Ma

On Friday, May 3, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced that it raised $1.135 million for its artistic, education, and community programs at its gala event and concert featuring the internationally acclaimed musician and philanthropist Yo-Yo Ma. Gala guests enjoyed an evening at Stifel Theatre including dinner, drinks, and dancing with live music, all in support of the SLSO as it concludes its 144th season. The highlight of the gala was a sold-out concert, which included Ma’s performance of Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Claude Debussy’s La Mer, conducted by SLSO Music Director Stéphane Denève. Gala co-chairs were Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, and Penny Pennington and Mike Fidler.

Friday's St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Gala featured the famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Gala Highlights in Pictures

SLSO gala at Stifel Theater had a sold out crowd / photo by Virginia Harold

Full house at Stifel Theatre / photo by Virginia Harold.

Stéphane Denève conducts cellist Yo-Yo Ma / photo by Virginia Harold

Vioinists Xiaoxiao Qiang and Jessie Chen / photo by Virginia Harold.

Jo Ann Taylor Kindle / photo by Virginia Harold.

Stéphane Denève, Penny Pennington / photo by Virginia Harold

Mel Pashea, Janice Seele / photo by Virginia Harold.

Thomas Bloom and Katie Bloom / photo by Virginia Harold.

Frank Yin and Grace Yin / photo by Virginia Harold.

Brian Woods, Stephanie Childress / photo by Suzy Gorman.

Christina Di Pauli, Steve Mackin, Kelly Mackin / photo by Virginia Harold.

Elizabeth Mannen Berges, James Berges / photo by Suzy Gorman.

Stanley Browne, Arlene Browne / photo by Virginia Harold.

Julie Thayer, Victoria Knudtson / photo by Virginia Harold.

Kedra Tolson and Karen Morrison / photo by Virginia Harold.

Leonard Slatkin, Cindy McTee / photo by Virginia Harold.

Linda Finerty, Steve Finerty, Marie-Hélène Bernard / photo by Virginia Harold.

Mel Pashea, Mike Wolff / photo by Virginia Harold.

Stéphane Denève, Isabelle Montupet, Jean-Paul Montupet / photo by Virginia Harold.

The gala is the SLSO’s largest fundraising event of the year, enabling the institution to make music accessible to all through a combination of concerts and events, media broadcasts, and community and education programs, which reached more than one million people in the 2022/2023 season. The SLSO’s programming engages music lovers, educators, and students far beyond St. Louis, impacting people in 49 states and 9 countries in the 22/23 season.

Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO, said, “Our community proved once again that St. Louis has one of the most dedicated, engaged, and generous arts audiences in the country. We are deeply grateful for the support of our donors, whose generosity sustains our commitment to making music accessible to all. We are also thankful for the leadership of gala co-chairs Jo Ann Taylor Kindle and Penny Pennington and Mike Fidler, whose incredible energy and passion made this a banner night for the SLSO.”

The successful gala followed the April 17 launch of the community phase of the Music for All Campaign, a fundraising effort that supports the ongoing transformational expansion and renovation of the SLSO’s historic home at Powell Hall. The project shapes the SLSO’s future, providing much-needed updates to Powell Hall, and improves the artist and audience experience through a 64,000-square-foot expansion. To date, Music for All has raised nearly $147 million towards a $155 million goal.

About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Powell Hall expansion is expected to be completed in 2025.

Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 144th year with the 2023/2024 season and its fifth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.

The transformational expansion and renovation of its historic home, Powell Hall, slated to be completed in 2025, builds on the institution’s momentum as a civic leader in convening individuals, creators, and ideas, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. Committed to building community through compelling and inclusive musical experiences, the SLSO continues its longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, embracing its strengths as a responsive, nimble organization, while investing in partnerships locally and elevating its presence globally. For more information, visit slso.org.