The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) was founded in 1880, making it the second oldest symphony in the United States after the New York Philharmonic. The Saint Louis Symphony is a major symphony, recording on its own label, Arch Media and having received six Grammy Awards and fifty-six Grammy nominations. The symphony has an extensive educational program with members participating in some 350 free performances a year in educational settings. Also associated with the symphony are the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus and the Saint Louis Youth Symphony. Powell Symphony Hall is the orchestra's home.

The symphony also has a partnership with 25 local African-American churches called IN UNISON. The IN UNISON choir, drawn from church members, performs with the symphony as well as on its own programs. The symphony performs an annual Carnegie Hall concert and makes regular overseas tours.

The position of music director for the orchestra is currently vacant. Itzhak Perlman is temporarily the symphony's music advisor while David Amado and Scott Parkman are associate conductors. David Robertson will take over as music director in September 2005. Past music directors were:

• Joseph Otten, (1880 - 1894)
• Alfred Ernst, (1894 - 1907)
• Max Zach, (1907 - 1921)
• Rudolph Ganz, (1921 - 1927)
• Vladimir Golschmann, (1931 - 1958)
• Edouard van Remoortel, (1958 - 1962)
• Eleazar de Carvalho, 1963 - 1968
• Walter Susskind, (1968 - 1975)
• Jerzy Semkow, (1975 - 1979)
• Leonard Slatkin, (1979 - 1996)
• Hans Vonk, (1996 - 2002)