Diversity Statement

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is committed to diversity among its musicians, within its administrative staff and within the community it serves.

The St. Louis Symphony is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  It is our policy that an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, disability, age or national origin are not and will not be considered in any personnel or management decisions.

The St. Louis Symphony first hired an African-American player in 1968.  

The St. Louis Symphony was the first major orchestra in the U.S. to have a woman in the principal trumpet position in 1973.

Auditions at the St. Louis Symphony are “blind”.  This means that the audition judges sit behind curtains and the candidates are not seen or presented by name.

Information for all open St. Louis Symphony administrative staff positions are posted on our website (www.stlsymphony.org).  Open position announcements are also emailed to all staff and orchestra members and referrals are encouraged.

When external advertisement of positions is needed, the St. Louis Symphony utilizes a variety of sources including employment websites, local newspapers, local universities and industry-specific websites or publications.  Consideration of how to best reach the candidates who will meet the qualifications of each position is given when determining where positions will be posted.

All candidates for open positions are considered based upon their qualifications, employment history and relevant experience.

The St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® Program

The St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® program, founded in 1993, now comprises 38 partner churches in the African-American community in metro St. Louis, including metro East. IN UNISON® events seek to display the connections between gospel, jazz, and classical music, making the music accessible to all. Orchestra musicians visit member churches offering recitals, and worship service music, and church school education events.

St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® program church members are eligible for tuition discounts or scholarships to area music camps, music scholarships for students studying music in college, and other benefits.

An exciting outcome of this program has been the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® Chorus. Created in 1994 to further involve IN UNISON® Church members, the Chorus now comprises 120 members from throughout the community. The Chorus performs as part of the Symphony’s annual Black History Month Celebration, as well as in Gospel Christmas concerts, and community concerts in various locations around St. Louis.

In September 2003 the St. Louis Symphony launched a series of concerts each year for the entire St. Louis community called “Stained Glass Concerts” which explore a dynamic range of repertoire celebrating the community's culture. The concerts take place in area churches and bring together IN UNISON® church members from throughout the area with other community citizens.

Music Without Boundaries

Thanks to funding from the MetLife Foundation, the Music Without Boundaries program uses the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON® program model to establish partnerships with new citizens and their representatives in developing ethnic communities. Events and performances are designed with partnering organizations such as the International Institute and the South City Bosnian Services Collaborative.

Upcoming Events

For a complete list of community concerts, please visit our Community Events Listing page.

The St. Louis Symphony’s Community Partnership Program receives generous support from The Ford Foundation, Monsanto Fund, E. Desmond Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative, MetLife Foundation, The Wachovia Foundation, the Booksource, the Dana Brown Charitable Trust, Target, Macy’s, and AT&T Foundation.