Annie Marshall remembers attending St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concerts at Powell Hall as a child—the orchestra performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Now, she can still recall the music and its associations with the characters in the story: the bird, the wolf, the cat, the grandfather.
For Marshall, who has attended countless concerts since then, these are more than performances—they are shared experiences for all in attendance, and for St. Louis as a whole.
“I think the joy and beauty the SLSO brings to the greater community is indescribable,” she said. “I know my life would be diminished without this wonderful institution. Powell Hall is the most beautiful space in St. Louis. To go there, it just feels electric and special when I walk in the door.”
When Powell Hall reopens in 2025 following a transformational expansion and renovation, the familiar beauty of the original building—listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2001—will remain. Audiences will enjoy more space to gather when a new lobby opens its doors, providing much-needed amenities and more space for the community, and preservation work in the auditorium will maintain the elegant atmosphere that makes Powell Hall an icon.
For Marshall, the project will enhance the shared experience of symphonic music, making the SLSO’s range of programming more accessible.
“A lot of music happens in that space,” she said. “There’s gospel, there’s Bach, and everything in between. The variety elevates the whole shared experience, and I’m so looking forward to the renovated space, which will support all of that and more.”