A Worthwhile Musical Adventure 🎵

After finishing my academic conference in St. Louis today, I hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided to risk missing my flight to attend the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concert. It turned out to be absolutely worth it! ✨ The symphony hall is located near St. Louis University. It’s quite new, and the atmosphere inside felt very similar to the Atlanta Symphony Hall. 🚗 On the way there, my Uber driver mentioned that the area was on the "border of safety" and that going further north might be risky. Fortunately, the surroundings of the hall felt perfectly fine. Purchasing tickets in person avoided any extra fees, and the price was very reasonable—a pleasant surprise for a last-minute decision! 💖 I didn’t expect the conductor, Stéphane Denève, to begin by sharing insights about each piece. The first half opened with Maslenitsa, a vibrant and delightful composition that pulled me right in. 🎶 This was followed by the Khachaturian Piano Concerto performed by Thibaudet and the orchestra. The second乐章 featured the ethereal sound of a musical saw—my first time hearing this unique instrument! 🎹 The highlight after intermission was the complete version of Stravinsky’s Firebird. I had assumed it would be a suite, but it turned out to be the full work! 🎻 To enhance the experience, the orchestra projected illustrations and story explanations on a screen, which beautifully complemented the music and deepened the fairy-tale atmosphere. 🔥 By chance, my seat neighbor was also attending an academic conference—a guy from Bergen, Norway. During the break, we chatted about conductor Edward Gardner. What a small world! 👏 Tonight reminded me once again that sometimes, wonderful artistic experiences are worth taking a little risk for. #MusicHealsTheSoul #StLouisSymphony #ClassicalMusicNight #FullFirebird #KhachaturianPianoConcerto #MusicalSawExperience #WorthTheRisk