Dear friends,

There’s no possible way to look back on 2020 without recognizing the devastating toll that COVID-19 has taken on our world. From the staggering death toll world-wide, to the myriad of ways both big and small it has infiltrated our lives, it is indeed impossible to overlook, and there is much to mourn.

But in times of darkness, the light shines brighter. And during this tumultuous time, we have become acutely aware of the things that this virus has not, can not, will not extinguish...

GRATITUDE
The blessings of health, employment, family, and community, are among the most important, and previously taken-for-granted aspects of my life. As the world seemingly spirals around us, we look to those who anchor us, to the people and things who have always been there, or who have shown up for the first time in this darkness, shining a light for us to see the way forward. For these people, I am eternally grateful. And for the ability to be able to shine that light for others, I feel immensely honored -- my sincerest hope is that the St. Louis Concert Series can bring you a bit of that joy and light this year, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to make music, and bring people together in a safe way to make music to uplift our collective spirits!

LOVE
Love of people, and of our communities both insular and global has become centermost for us a society. Nothing teaches us how connected we all are like a global pandemic! While this time of quiet solitude
could also turn into isolation for many, we endeavor to break free of that isolation by using the technology available to us to connect with people far and wide, and to bring our loved ones together -- from across the street, the state, the country, the world, or the political aisle. For the first time in the series' fifteen year history, we have the ability to live-stream our concerts to every corner of the globe. We hope that this musical journey across the world reminds us all of how interconnected we all are -- by music, our shared humanity, and love.

HOPE
Perhaps most important of all is the idea of hope to sustain us all through these dark times. Hope for the new year, for the future, for a return to "normalcy", for a new and improved way forward; hope for us as a community, a nation, a society to be kinder to each other. Hope for our children, and our children's children. Hope is often synonymous with waiting, and that's what we do in this season of Advent. We wait, we watch, we listen, and we hope for Him who comes, the brightest light, the gift of love for all the world. It is our hope that this concert reminds us all that there is much to hope for, much to be thankful for, and that this music fills your heart with love this season.

With Gratitude, Hope, Love, and Music,

Colleen Daly Eberhardt
Artistic Director
St. Louis Concert Series