Not everyone is lucky enough to love what they do, but St. Louis Symphony Chorus director Amy Kaiser is one of the really lucky ones. When we spoke, ahead of her final concert this weekend, she kept coming back to one idea: directing a chorus is a joy. (Indeed, she says that after 53 years, she doesn’t understand why anyone doesn’t want to be a choral director.) That joy is apparent in her work, and the final chance to see the chorus under her direction sounds like a program to remember. Audiences have two chances to catch From The Sea to The Stars, on April 30 and May 1. The performances will feature a newly commissioned work, Stéphane Denève conducting some personal favorites, and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus’ voices lifted in celebration of the sea and the heavens. And if your music tastes swing toward the more contemporary, then don’t worry: This week’s recommendations also include a free festival with bands performing on “Music Row” and brand-new “modern femme grime” that we can’t stop playing. As always, thanks for subscribing, and feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts, ideas, and questions. Until next time!
Rick Battram, Wildwood, MO. “Grandma’s Gratitude.” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 25”x33”
Gather the family for a visit to Art St. Louis to take in this new exhibition celebrating the many forms that parenthood can take. Collage, digital media, painting, plaster, sculpture, and more are all on display in this juried exhibition, featuring 49 artists from across the region. “Admittedly the theme of Parenthood could be described in numerous ways,” writes David Dolak in his juror statement. “This show exposes the audience to the spectrum of deep personal connection available within that theme. Images of nuclear parenthood are juxtaposed against more abstract or unique responses to that concept. I urge the audience, as well as the artists, to take time and consider the sum of the responses within this exhibition.”
This Friday, a new block party will take over Washington Avenue between Tucker and 14th Street. City Social, presented by Greater St. Louis, Inc., will feature three festival zones: Art Alley, Music Row, and Kickback Corner. Browse work by local artists, grab food and drinks from area restaurants, and settle in by the main stage to hear sets from Bullseye Womprats and Downtime at this free downtown fest.
After being delayed by the COVID-19 omicron surge this past winter, local “modern femme grime” band No Antics debuted at Music Record Shop’s Record Store Day festivities on April 23. The band’s first two singles, “Grocery” and “Withdrawals,” will have you singing along with vocalist Molly Giessing, whose return to town from Nashville has turned into a big win for St. Louis. Catch videos for both singles on the band’s YouTube channel, and keep an eye out for more new music this summer.
A father and son find common ground through their love of baseball in this new memoir from bestselling author Wade Rouse. Growing up queer in the Ozarks, Rouse struggled to connect to with his strait-laced, engineer father, Ted. St. Louis Cardinals baseball bridged the gap between them, and when Ted’s health took a turn for the worse, it was time spent watching the Cardinals’ 2015 postseason run that brought them closer than Wade ever thought they’d be. Written for Rouse’s father, the Cards, and “every sports fan…who believes in hope, forgiveness, and a win tomorrow,” Magic Season is a touching tribute to the relationship between father and son.
Explore art from the 19th century to today, relax in the Coffee Bar, and immerse yourself in special exhibitions featuring a multisensory experience by Nicole Miller, work by Wash. U. grad student artists, and comics-inspired prints and videos by Chitra Ganesh.
An exit interview with St. Louis Symphony Chorus director Amy Kaiser
Ahead of her final concert with the SLSO, Kaiser talks memories, music, and what she loved about life with the chorus.
This weekend, after 27 years, Amy Kaiser will direct her final performances with the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. The concert, From The Sea to The Stars, caps off a 53-year career directing choruses of all kinds, from small groups of volunteer singers to the SLSO’s 120 vocalists. The April 30 and May 1 concerts will open with the first SLSO performances of the full orchestral version of Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst, followed by choral-orchestral works by Claude Debussy and Ralph Vaughan Williams. We caught up with Kaiser just after her last full choral rehearsal to talk about the performance, her departure, and what comes next.
On her final concert, From The Sea to The Stars: It’s a very exciting way to end the season. It’s not quite the end of the season, but for me, it’s the end of my season with the chorus. I was going to retire after last year, but really I needed to come back and bring the chorus back together. And I feel so grateful that I could have this and the Mozart Requiem to do this season.
On her hopes for the future of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus: I hope that this wonderful programming will continue with the support of the music director, Stéphane Denève, and the artistic administration led by Erik Finley. I think what they’re doing for this search next year is a wonderful way to demonstrate their commitment to choral repertoire… So yes, that is my hope, and it’s already fulfilled. I just hope that continues, because I want to hear it.
On her 53-year career working with choral singers: I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t want to be a choral director, because it is so much fun. It is such joyful and varied work. I have never been bored in 53 years of doing this—with volunteer singers, professional singers, small choruses, large choruses, music of all kinds, new music, old music. It’s absolutely a wonderful thing to do.
What will you find at the Laumeier Art Fair? Local and national artists, live music, and food and drinks, all set against the beautiful backdrop of the park!
Here’s your chance! One lucky entrant will win a $5,000 check to put toward their next trip. Feeling lucky? Enter now!
What do you think about this newsletter? Share your thoughts, and let us know about an event or topic you'd like us to cover by replying to this email or using the button below. (Please use “Culture Newsletter” in the subject line.) We look forward to hearing from you!
ENJOYING THIS NEWSLETTER? SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE YOU KNOW.
CLICK TO INSTANTLY SUBSCRIBE TO OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS.
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1200&upscale=true&name=WWTA-DSC07711_o2%20(1).jpg)
