Handel’s Messiah: Joyful Praise

Item details

Date

Friday, Dec 12, 2025 7:30PM

Name

Handel’s Messiah - Joyful Praise

Description

📍 This concert takes place at Powell Hall
🕒 2 hours, 45 minutes (including intermission)

Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Sherezade Panthaki, soprano
Sara Couden, contralto (SLSO debut)
John Matthew Myers, tenor
Philippe Sly, bass-baritone
St. Louis Symphony Chorus | Erin Freeman, director

George Frideric Handel Messiah

Handel’s Messiah draws us in time and time again. The storytelling and uplifting messages are captivating, and the intimate arias juxtaposed with exuberant choruses are irresistible. But maybe it is the grandeur of the oratorio that impresses most. Discover which of these strikes a chord as Nicholas McGegan, one of the world’s foremost experts on Handel’s music, conducts the SLSO and St. Louis Symphony Chorus in this beloved holiday tradition.

A few things to know:

• “When it comes to conveying the vital spark in Handel’s music, Mr. McGegan has few peers,” a review from The New York Times raved about conductor Nicholas McGegan’s unparalleled expertise in Baroque music.
• Forever an audience favorite and important holiday musical centerpiece, Handel’s Messiah has been an SLSO holiday tradition for decades. We are delighted to bring this special event to the revitalized Powell Hall.
• While Messiah is now a winter holiday tradition, tied closely with the rituals of the Christmas season, its first performance took place instead in the month of April to celebrate Easter; Handel himself conducted the premiere in Dublin, Ireland in 1742.

Tickets are currently available for subscribers. Curated Series and Compose Your Own subscriptions are on sale now.