Meet Stéphane Denève, Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Celebrated international conductor Stéphane Denève helms the second-oldest professional symphony in the United States, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Denève, who knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue music professionally, was educated in Paris, where he was steeped in the city’s rich classical music scene. When asked how the city of Paris influenced his artistic sensibility, he credits his critical years of artistic formation to the fertile musical ground of the City of Light. 

Was there a specific moment you had when you were young when you knew you wanted to become a conductor? 

I knew very early. I played the trumpet and the piano. I’m a very social person, so I wanted to make music with more people. Conducting became the dream. When I was 13 years old, there was a conducting class, and the director there accepted me into the program – even if I was too young at the time. The day of my 14th birthday, I did a tiny concert, and I got the bug. I thought: This is so amazing to make music with your arm! To see the palette of color that’s possible, and to experience the magic that the orchestra is. Then, at 16, I created my own orchestra. 

Do you have any pre-concert rituals? 

No, not anymore. I used to have little concentration ritual and I do little movements. And a long time ago, when I was doing opera, I would always drink a coffee right before the performance. I stopped drinking coffee fully in 2000, which is rare for a French person. There was a beautiful moment [that helped me prepare for performances]; it was when I was an assistant to British conductor Colin Davis. Colin was fabulous, and such a warm, easy-going person. I asked him, “How are you so relaxed?” And Colin said, “Life is music, and music is in life.” It resonated with me. I thought: That’s true. You just breathe, and breathing can give you the concentration needed for a performance. I don’t get stage fright.

Is there anything you do within conducting that is specific to French culture?

There is one ritual specific to France. In English, we say, “Break a leg” before a performance. In France, we say, “Merde.” It’s because in the 19th century, when a play had a lot of success, there were a lot of horse-drawn carriages that came to the performance. So, if you had a big audience, you had a lot of horses [and horse manure, or “merde”]. The stage crew in St. Louis, they know this, and they will say, “Merde” to me. And with French artists, they will say, “Merde.” 

Who are some of your favorite composers – classical and contemporary?

I have a lot of affection for Debussy. Bach. John Williams – we are friends, we did a recording together. And I conducted for his 90th birthday. Yo-Yo Ma was there, and it was at the Kennedy Center. Guillaume Connesson is the best French composer today. He is fabulous. James Macmillan in the UK. Jennifer Higdon. Maison Bates. There are a lot of geniuses living today. We are very lucky.  

You attended the Conservatoire de Paris. Can you speak about your experience studying there and how it shaped your career? 

It was a unique opportunity to conduct a lot there because we were able to conduct the professional orchestra. When I was in Paris, I was able to attend a lot of orchestras, concerts, and rehearsals. The conservatoire had free tickets. You had to queue, which I did basically every day, and I would go every night. For years, I really went every night to see shows. It shaped my ears and my taste. I have a lot of amazing musical friendships because of that time.  

What kind of influence did the city of Paris have on your artistic sensibility? 

Paris? Well, everything! That’s really where my critical years of formation happened. I was also a pianist of the orchestra of Paris. I played piano for so many rehearsals. I loved the opera there in Paris; I started my career more as an opera conductor. I did 10 productions at the Paris Opera, which is a lot. I love ballet [in Paris]; I was really immersed in all the arts. I really feel that being in Paris and learning with all these people, [it was like] I could really be part of this musical history.  

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra recently underwent a renovation. What kind of fresh energy does this bring to the space and the orchestra?

It exceeds expectations, truly. There’s this beautiful new lobby, a spiral staircase, and backstage areas for all the musicians. It’s all so beautiful and so modern. It intertwines the old with the new. But for me, the thing I like most is that we have a new concert hall, the ELC, a learning center. I love how it has been used recently for different functions. It has wonderful acoustics. The main hall has always been an asset. We’re very lucky to have had the hall since 1958.  

You first conducted in the U.S. over 25 years ago, with your debut at the Santa Fe Opera. What kind of differences do you notice, if any, between American audiences and European ones?

Well, American audiences cheer very strongly and loudly, but it’s very short. I would come back onstage maybe twice – the usual ballet when we have a bow. And in Europe, people applaud quite longer in clapping rhythm. Here, you have cheering, and people get up on their feet. I love to perform for American audiences because this country has a culture of really being able to feel equality, and so you can speak with people very easily. People engage very easily here in the U.S., especially in St. Louis. People easily share their love, their passion; I’ve felt very welcomed by this community.  

What excites you most about this current season of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra?

I cannot choose between my children, and each program is like a child, and it’s a lot of work.  

This season is like a bang because there are so many huge projects and an amazing artistic lineup. There’s the New Year’s Eve concert, and the audience looks so good and dressed up – it’s fun and festive. We have a two-week Mozart festival. We have films set to music, like Home Alone in concert and The Wizard of Oz. 

It’s my mission here that everybody feels welcome. I hope everyone feels welcome and does not feel intimidated or scared. I hope they know there is a repertoire for them at this world-class institution. It’s a very exciting season.