2022/2023 Season-End Newsletter
YOUR IMPACT IN FOCUS
On the Cover:
United by music, we lift the human spirit.
In April, cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe joined conductor Lawrence Renes and the orchestra for performances of his captivating work, Four Spirits, a Seattle Symphony co-commission. Fusing African and Western influences, Abel sang and vocalized in addition to playing the cello, engaging both the orchestra and audience in doing the same to create a chorus of a thousand voices.
Meet Ilana!
Your support helps the Symphony attract talented musicians.
Earlier this year, the Seattle Symphony welcomed Ilana Zaks as the newest member of the first violins. Ilana grew up in Boston and began playing the violin at the age of 3. Among her musical passions is curating performances that feature works by underrepresented and living composers. Here Ilana shares a little more about herself.
What’s your favorite part about being a member of the Seattle Symphony so far?
“Being surrounded by so many talented and wonderfully kind colleagues on and off the stage. There is so much hard work and passion that goes into putting on the performances every week. It’s also incredible to be able to rehearse and perform in Benaroya Hall!”
What inspired you to pursue music professionally?
“I’m a fourth-generation violinist and I always knew I wanted to be a professional musician. I love the discipline, structure and creative challenges, and the process of letting go onstage and connecting with the music, my colleagues and audiences.”
Is there anything you can’t wait to do in Seattle?
“I’m excited to explore the lakes and beaches! This will be my first West Coast summer, and I hope to enjoy as much time outside in the sun as possible.”
Your generous support enables the Seattle Symphony to welcome talented musicians like Ilana to the orchestra — thank you!
Abel Selaocoe’s performances and commission were generously underwritten by The Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis Living Music Program.Youth + Art + You = Impact
This spring, the Seattle Symphony presented the Dear Humanity Youth Art Festival & Concert, showcasing student-created works addressing climate change’s impact. The freeadmission festival was centered around the world premiere of Dear Humanity for Youth Chorus and Orchestra, a student-led composition created through the Community Youth Chorus program.
The week-long event featured visual art, dance, spoken word, a one-act play, and video and musical performances, culminating in the Dear Humanity concert
Nicole Hume was part of the chorus and participated in a panel conversation prior to the premiere.
Raff’s Picks
“For the first time, I had been given a voice to speak my concerns about our planet,” she said.
With your support, the Symphony is able to provide spaces where students can explore their potential, gain confidence and learn new skills.
Thank you for helping create growth opportunities for students!
The Dear Humanity Youth Art Festival was generously sponsored by Susan M. Coughlin and John K. Lauber.
Delta Air Lines proudly supports the Seattle Symphony’s Community Partnerships for Youth and Education.
Vice President of Artistic Planning Raff Wilson shares hidden gems from the upcoming season.
SEPTEMBER 21 & 22, 2023 RAISE THE CURTAIN
“When we started talking about the anniversaries of the orchestra and Benaroya Hall next season, we looked up what we had done for each ‘first’ concert. We’re pairing music from our very first concert in 1903 with the music that opened Benaroya Hall in 1998.”
MARCH 7 & 9, 2024 BACH ST. JOHN PASSION
“Next is a surprising Seattle Symphony premiere. J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion, which turns 300 in 2024, is a piece the orchestra has never performed. Conductor Bernard Labadie brings an all-star cast together for what will be a truly great musical experience.”
SEPTEMBER 28 & 29, 2023 SILVER ANNIVERSARY GALA CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF BENAROYA HALL
September 28 | Gala
Featuring dinner by Canlis
Featuring Lang Lang and the Seattle Symphony
APRIL
25, 27 &
28, 2024 ANTARCTIC SYMPHONY
Through your support the Symphony is spotlighting the creativity of youth in our community. Visit
“The story of Captain Robert Scott of the Antarctic, told through his writings, Herbert Ponting’s images from 1912 and music by Ralph Vaughan Williams. It is a showpiece moment for the Watjen Concert Organ, and the texts and visuals are inspiring.”
September 29 | Concert & Party
GALA
explore all
bringing in the
seattlesymphony.org to
your support is
2023/2024 season.
SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORG/
Artist in Residence Angelique Poteat moderates a panel of Community Youth Chorus participants.
Lang Lang
A fond farewell to five wonderful musicians!
Thank you to our retiring musicians for sharing their talents through the decades.
This season, the Seattle Symphony is honored to celebrate the musical contributions of five members of the orchestra upon their retirement.
Bruce and Mariel Bailey have over 100 years in the orchestra between them. Bruce joined the Symphony’s cello section in 1963 and Mariel has
been a member of the first violins since the 1978/1979 season. A Symphony love story, the couple met in the orchestra.
“It was wonderful to perform in the orchestra together and see him across the stage,” shares Mariel. “In all the years, we only sat next to each other
once, when the cellos moved next to the first violins for a special Beethoven arrangement.”
The couple shares countless memories of their time in the Symphony. “A favorite memory is playing Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird with Gerard Schwarz, the first piece performed by the orchestra in Benaroya Hall,” says Mariel. “The sound was amazing, the place inspiring. We are indeed fortunate here in Seattle to enjoy such a fine concert space.”
Susan Gulkis Assadi, the orchestra’s PONCHO Principal Viola, who spent more than three decades in the orchestra, remembers the opening of Benaroya Hall fondly as well. “I was so excited to play in the new concert hall with its remarkable acoustics and warm atmosphere –– what a thrill! And hearing the incredible Watjen Concert Organ for the first time, I almost fell off my chair!”
Cecilia Poellein Buss, Susan Gulkis Assadi and David Lawrence Ritt toast their retirement following the June 15 concert.
Bruce and Mariel Bailey backstage following a favorite 1950s-themed Seattle Pops concert in 2009.
“I feel proud to have had the honor of sitting in the middle of the Seattle Symphony for 31 seasons, surrounded by my talented colleagues playing my favorite symphonies.”
After 38 years, Cecilia Poellein Buss is retiring from the first violin section. Of her time in the Symphony, Cecilia remembers most fondly the many conductors and soloists she’s shared the stage with, and the music they’ve created. “I am very grateful and proud to have been a part of this organization and I look forward to seeing where the orchestra will go — and how it will grow — in the future!”
Trombone David Lawrence Ritt started his tenure with the Symphony in the 1981/1982 season. Throughout his time on stage, David has cherished the connection the orchestra has with its audience remembering how their absence struck him during the pandemic. “Streaming concerts from the stage, with no live audience, felt and sounded completely different — the strange feeling of finishing a piece, then bowing to an empty and silent hall. It really brought home to me what an audience does for the orchestra and the performance.”
Reflecting on the many ups and downs during his years with the orchestra, David concludes, “The Symphony is the thriving organization it is today because of our audience’s support and generosity.”
Thank you to Bruce, Mariel, Susan, Cecilia and David for all the memories and music over the years.
And thanks to you for supporting every musician in the Seattle Symphony. In Susan’s words, “your many contributions have made a profound impact on our orchestra, enabling us to create transformative musical experiences and bring the joy of orchestral music to countless lives.”
Make a gift in honor of retiring musicians! Show your appreciation to these extraordinary musicians by making a gift in their honor today. Your support keeps the music playing! SEATTLE SYMPHONY.ORG/ DONATE | 206.215.4832
Susan Gulkis Assadi and fellow viola player Timothy Hale reminisce together.
Associate Principal Flute Jeffrey Barker acknowledges Cecilia Poellein Buss’ 38 years in the orchestra.
Principal Tuba John DiCesare shares a hug with David Lawrence Ritt.
Strategic Plan Update: Connect
The Seattle Symphony’s 2022–2027 strategic plan includes three guiding principles: innovate, connect, and invigorate. In this update, we’ll use our “connect” lens to highlight a few of the ways we’re working to deepen our relationship with the diverse community we exist within and provide a welcoming space for everyone.
Benefiting Our Community
During the 2022/2023 season, the Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall have brought nearly $2 million in public benefits to the heart of downtown Seattle.
13,000 free tickets
Expanding Music Education
16,000 discounted tickets
87
education & community activities
Link Up, one of the Seattle Symphony’s marquee education programs, returned in person this season, welcoming students back to Benaroya Hall for an engaging and interactive educational experience. With your continued investment, the Symphony aims to reach 6,000 students in 2024.
4,235 students from 49 schools
(47% Title 1)
across 5 counties
The Seattle Symphony’s 2022/2023 fiscal year ends on Thursday, August 31. Please make a gift today to help end this season on strong financial footing. Your support keeps the music playing!
| 206.215.4832
SEATTLE SYMPHONY.ORG/ DONATE
Support your Symphony by August 31!
Students join the orchestra for the culminating concerts of Link Up this spring.