Holiday celebrations are a mere few weeks away and between the holiday parties, planned trips, semester-end term papers, and feasts upon feasts (Christmas ham and fudge, anyone?), you still need to find time to get a memorable gift for the special people in your life.
But fear not, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is here to help. The SLSO is a one-stop shop for the music lover in your life – with gift ideas that bring the Ho-Ho-W(HO)le notes all year long.
Here are some of our 2018 top gift picks:
For the serious listener:
Avid listeners of the SLSO recording catalogue will recognize violinist Leila Josefowicz as the musician who received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for her work with the SLSO on John Adams’ Scheherazade.2. In 2018, Josefowicz teamed up with the SLSO for another recording – this time of Adams’ Violin Concerto, released by Nonesuch. Violinist.com, the leading online publication for violin players, named the SLSO recording with Josefowicz to its 2018 top picks for gifts.
“It has a really dancelike feeling,” Josefowicz said of the piece, “so the violin line is often incredibly syncopated with everything else going on in the orchestra … Basically, it's supposed to make you groove."
Available at the SLSO Boutique and online.
For a lovely date night:
Instead of opening a package on Christmas Day, give your special someone an experience they won’t soon forget: a serenade by the SLSO. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a date night at the SLSO features a program of sublime beauty perfect for a date night. Music Director Designate Stéphane Denève conducts an evening of music by Mozart, Brahms, and Vaughan Williams, including the latter’s Serenade to Music. With plenty of options for dining in the area, this is one special night not to miss this year.
To learn more about the February 8-10 program, click here.
For your significant other:
You can never wrong with jewelry for a gift, right? In the SLSO Boutique located just off Powell Hall’s Wightman Grand Foyer, a charming, music-themed gift awaits: a pair of treble clef earrings. These David Howell & Company dangling “G clef” earrings make a lovely surprise. As the printing press became more popular, evidence of a printed G clef dates to the 17th century. Today, it’s much more than a musical annotation: it’s on t-shirts, used in graphics, and, yes, made into jewelry.
The earrings are made of solid brass, electro-plated with non-tarnishing silver finish. The ear wires are hypo-allergenic.
To learn more about the SLSO Boutique, click here.
For the jazz aficionado:
The SLSO’s recording of American composer George Gershwin’s classic, Rhapsody in Blue, continues to receive high praise. Released earlier in 2018 by Myrios Classics, the SLSO teamed up with renowned pianist Kirill Gerstein to record the perennial jazzy favorite, along with Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. The album, The Gershwin Moment, was selected as Philadelphia radio station WRTI’s Classical Album of the Week in November and 90.9 WGUC (Cincinnati) album of note in October.
The album also features power vocalist Storm Large on “Summertime” as well as other jazz-classical fusion numbers by Earl Wild played by Gerstein.
Available at the SLSO Boutique and online.
For the entire family:
Studies show exposure to music at a young age influences intellectual, personal, and social development, as well as boosts creativity. Attending concerts with children is also an opportunity for families to forge new and perhaps unexpected bonds through music. The SLSO offers two Family Concerts in the spring 2019, a perfect gift for families looking for a unique experience.
The February 17, 2019, concert brings to life the beloved fairy tale, Cinderella. And your favorite zoo animals come to life in a March 24, 2019, concert titled Carnival of the Animals. Both concerts are 45 minutes long and tickets start at $8 for children.
To learn more about SLSO Family Concerts and to purchase tickets, click here.