St. Louis Blues and SLSO Announce National Anthem Audition Winners

Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Blues announced the winners of a National Anthem audition event. Each of the nine winners will perform the anthem at a Blues game during the 2017-2018 season. The audition was part of an ongoing partnership between the SLSO and Blues.

The winners competed against hundreds of contestants from the St. Louis region. The auditions were held at Powell Hall on August 26. Vocal soloists, ensembles, and instrumentalists were part of the competition. The judges were Blues National Anthem Singer Charles Glenn, SLSO Principal Cellist Daniel Lee, and St. Louis Symphony Chorus Director Amy Kaiser.

The winners are Alex Armstrong, James Bertels, Rebecca Drury, Scott Kennebeck, Joseph Niemeyer, The River Kittens, Saxissimo, Abigail Stahlschmidt, and Montel Moore, who is also a St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus member.

Dates for their performances have yet to be determined.

Founded in 1880 and now in its 138th season, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country and widely considered one of the world's finest. Under the leadership of Music Director David Robertson, currently in his 13th season, the SLSO has achieved artistic excellence, educational impact and community connection while meeting its mission statement: enriching people's lives through the power of music. The SLSO presents a full season of classical programs and Live at Powell Hall concerts and hundreds of free education and community programs each year. Media partners include St. Louis Public Radio, 90.7 -KWMU, which broadcasts the SLSO's Saturday night subscription concerts live + The Nine Network, which regularly features SLSO performances on its Night at the Symphony program. In addition, the SLSO is known for its Grammy Award-winning recordings, Carnegie Hall appearances, national and international tours, innovative programming and extensive community engagement initiatives. Visit slso.org for more.