University City Symphony: Mozart Meets Charlie Parker. Wow.

UPDATE. An optional dinner has been added after the concert with the members and leadership of the orchestra and soloists at Maggie O'Brien's location in Sunset Hills, just minutes from the concert location. Please complete or revise your RSVP to answer the question whether or not you will join us for dinner. Please join us if you can. The orchestra has gone to great lengths in hopes of joining us. Thank you.

Let's enjoy an afternoon of expressive contrasts and timeless beauty with the University City Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Leon Burke.

This is a FREE program (but tickets are required, see below) inside the beautiful Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in historic downtown Kirkwood. Plenty of free parking in the adjacent lot if you come early.

This inspired musical program bridges classical elegance and jazz innovation in this incredible range of pieces:

• It opens with Mozart’s radiant Piano Concerto No. 21, performed by Junhong Jiang, winner of the Artist Presentation Society competition.
• Bartók’s poignant Concerto for Viola follows, featuring Marcello Jimenez of Paraguay in one of the composer’s most moving works.
• The concert concludes with legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker’s iconic Bird with Strings, featuring St. Louis's premier saxophonist Kendrick Smith in a lush fusion of jazz and orchestral sound.

Violist Marcelo Jiménez of Paraguay will be the soloist Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in his debut with the UCSO. He is the Principal Viola for the Asunción City Symphony Orchestra Paraguay, an orchestra for which Maestro Burke guest conducts annually.

Tickets are entirely free but are required for this concert. It is recommended that you order them in advance (this concert may 'sell' out). Order your free tickets.

The energetic and fun Conductor Leon Burke will discuss the music program ahead of the concert, starting at 2:15 in the performance hall. These are always an entertaining introduction to the music and then it allows some time for some socializing during a break before the concert. Don't miss it.

Here's a fun Channel 4 segment about this concert.
https://www.firstalert4.com/video/2026/02/10/university-city-symphony-orchestra-featuring-kendrick-smith/