Springfield Symphony Orchestra to open 'Swan Lake' for first concert with St. Louis Ballet

Greta Cross, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is opening its first concert with the St. Louis Ballet on Saturday and will tour for the first time outside of the Ozarks region next week.

"Fairy Tale Romance" opens on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. The concert will feature the full Springfield Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Ballet performing "Swan Lake."

Unlike traditional ballets with a full orchestra, where the orchestra is located in the pit, below the stage, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra will perform on the stage, behind the dancers.

Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the late 1870s, "Swan Lake" tells the story of Princess Odette, who is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer, Von Rothbart.

"The way I've been saying it is, it's not a ballet, it's the ballet, 'Swan Lake' is the ballet," Springfield Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor Kyle Pickett said.

Springfield Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor Kyle Pickett conducts the orchestra during a performance. The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is opening "Swan Lake" with the St. Louis Ballet on Saturday, April 22, 2023. This concert will be the orchestra's first collaboration with a full ballet.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor Kyle Pickett conducts the orchestra during a performance. The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is opening "Swan Lake" with the St. Louis Ballet on Saturday, April 22, 2023. This concert will be the orchestra's first collaboration with a full ballet.

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra's collaboration with the St. Louis Ballet began two years ago, when a handful of St. Louis Ballet dancers performed in the orchestra's concert of "The Nutcracker" in December 2021.

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is traveling to St. Louis for a three-day performance run of "Swan Lake" next week. Pickett said this is the orchestra's first tour outside of the Ozarks region.

In St. Louis, "Swan Lake" opens on Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. at Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. Concerts are also Saturday, April 29 at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 30 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets to "Fairy Tale Romance" in Springfield are available on the Missouri State University Tix website at bit.ly/3ZlU3it. Mezzanine tickets remain available for $50. Pickett said the concert will be just over two hours with two acts and an intermission.

Tickets to "Swan Lake" in St. Louis are available on the St. Louis Ballet website at stlouisballet.org/swanlake. Tickets range between $36-84.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield Symphony Orchestra opens 'Swan Lake' with St. Louis Ballet