The Score | Powell Hall at 50

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is celebrating 50 years at Powell Hall this month with multiple events. Built in 1925 as a vaudeville theater and movie house, the St. Louis Theatre was purchased by the St. Louis Symphony Society and repurposed into a concert hall, opening January 1968 as the orchestra’s first permanent home. The hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. A free open house on January 20 includes an overview of the St. Louis Theatre, Powell Hall, and Grand Center Arts District by historian Andrew Wanko; an instrument playground; and an open rehearsal of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra led by Music Director Gemma New. A free “Powell Hall at 50” exhibit opens at the St. Louis Public Library in January.