The Gateway Festival Orchestra of St. Louis was established in 1964 by William Schatzkamer, then Professor of Music at Washington University, three members of the St. Louis Symphony (Alexander Lydzinski, Henry Loew and Jerome Rosen) and community leaders Kenneth Billups, Lily Kaufman and Martin Lanznar. At that time, the season of the St. Louis Symphony lasted only six months, leaving the summer devoid of symphony concerts and St. Louis Symphony musicians in need of musical employment. With support from the two locals of the American Federation of Musicians, the Gateway Festival Orchestra was created to provide free summer concerts performed by an orchestra of 50 professional musicians playing great music from the symphonic repertoire.
The first season of the Gateway Festival Orchestra was held on the levee of the Mississippi River, near where the Gateway Arch was being built. Its 50 musicians came from Local 2 of the American Federation of Musicians and included eleven black musicians from Local 197. Since 1970, the Gateway Festival Orchestra has performed in the open-air shell of the lovely, grassy Brookings Quadrangle on the campus of Washington University.
Each of the summer concerts includes a major symphonic work and two or three smaller works. The informal atmosphere and free admission encourages family attendance.
The Gateway Festival Orchestra is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring quality symphonic and chamber music to the St. Louis community-- especially to children, young people, the elderly and the disadvantaged.
Our orchestra is dependent upon gifts from individual contributors, large corporations, foundations, and regular support from the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council and the Arts and Education Council. The orchestra concerts are supported in part by the Music Performance Fund.
| James Richards Music Director and Conductor |
Jo Allen | Carolyn Hoyer |
| Raymond Taylor President |
Dwayne Bosman | Twinda Murry |
| Cathleen Woelbling-Paul Vice-President |
Marie Brown | Janet Scott |
| Michael Blackwood Secretary |
Marie Cuccia-Brand | Pauline Smith |
| Deberah Haferkamp Treasurer |
Ruth Diamond (Emeritus) | Sue Stubbs |
| Ivy Allen Past-President |
Suzanne Harlamert | Sue Taylor |