History
For more than six decades, the St. Louis Civic Orchestra has been an important part of the metropolitan community. Strong leadership, talented and hard-working musicians, and the music-loving concertgoers have led us on this journey.
The orchestra began its rich musical history as an outgrowth of a string trio consisting of Mrs. Willett C. Magruder, Mrs. John H. Leach, and Mrs. Duane Wade, who played "just for fun" in Mrs. Magruder's home. Other musicians soon joined the trio, and under the direction of Rex Clark and Jerome Rosen, they gave their first concert at the Grace Church Parish House on April 20, 1949.
Two days later, there was a second performance that was given at Kirkwood High School. On April 26, the members established a formal organization and adopted the name Kirkwood Symphony Orchestra. By 1951, the orchestra, under the able leadership of Laurent Torno as its conductor, had a roster of thirty-one musicians and was sponsored by thirty-one businesses (as well as many residents) in Kirkwood.
From 2002-2006, the orchestra became the Clayton Symphony Orchestra, with an affiliation with the School District of Clayton. The concerts were at the Clayton High School Auditorium.
Throughout the history of the orchestra, there have been a number of excellent conductors and soloists. During those years, the orchestra has performed at a variety of locations, including several west county churches, St. Louis Community College at Meramec Theater, "on the road" in the metro east, and summer pops concerts at the Kirkwood Park Amphitheater.
Now the SLCO is over 65 members strong. The William D. Purser Center at Logan College serves as our fabulous new home. We eagerly look forward to continuing our active part in the cultural and educational St. Louis community for many more years.