Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Semkow

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second oldest professional orchestra in the U.S.; only the New York Philharmonic was established earlier. Though its history has been turbulent at times, the quality and prestige of the St. Louis Symphony has shown through in performances and recordings, for which it has been nominated for 60 Grammy Awards, with nine wins. The SLSO was founded in 1880 as the St. Louis Choral Society by its first music director, Joseph Otten. It originally focused on choral works, and in 1881-1882, was accompanied by a small orchestra. In 1890, the St. L...