2023/2024 Spring Impact Report Newsletter

Photo: Carlin Ma

Focus on Community & Education

Each season, the Seattle Symphony presents a series of free Community Concerts at Benaroya Hall and in local schools and performance venues. This initiative aims to introduce the orchestra to those who might otherwise be unable to share in the joy of live symphonic music. Removing barriers and expanding our reach are central to the Symphony’s mission and our future. Through your support, the orchestra is bringing our community together and building impactful connections.

Key to Change musicians perform alongside members of the Seattle Symphony.

Photo: Carlin Ma

Side by Side with Young Musicians

The 2023/2024 season’s series of Community Concerts opened with a side-by-side performance with young musicians from Key to Change at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center. Key to Change is one of three local music education organizations that the Seattle Symphony is working in partnership with to increase opportunities for young people in underserved areas across the Puget Sound region. The orchestra’s community partnerships for youth and education also include Kids in Concert and the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra’s MY Southeast ensembles.

“The Symphony believes that we are stronger when we work together,” said President & CEO Krishna Thiagarajan, when the partnerships were announced, “and we are excited to see how our collaboration leads to more and better musical training for young musicians in our community.”

The Side-by-Side Concert with Key to Change was an opportunity for these young musicians to rehearse and perform alongside the professional musicians of the Seattle Symphony. Unique mentorship experiences like these featuring Key to Change participants would not be possible without the generosity of people like you. As a Seattle Symphony supporter, you help the orchestra provide meaningful opportunities for young people to grow and take their musicianship to the next level.

From Workshop to Main Stage

The Seattle Symphony’s annual Celebrate Asia brings together the vibrant Asian communities that contribute to the cultural richness of our region. This season’s event also included a nod to the exciting future of symphonic music that your support is helping to foster. The concert opened with Chuseok Overture for Orchestra by Korean American composer August Baik, who is a recent graduate of the Symphony’s MerrimanRoss Family Young Composers Workshop. The piece was written during the 2023 Young Composers Workshop while August was still in high school. First performed at the workshop’s culminating concert in May 2023, August’s piece was so well received that it was selected for this season’s Celebrate Asia concert.

“I wanted to write a celebratory piece,” August shared in a Q&A prior to his overture’s premiere. “I wanted to commemorate the young composers here and of the past, as well as the amazing Symphony musicians that you’re going to hear.”

The journey of August’s piece from workshop to main stage premiere truly is cause for celebration and a testament to all those who helped him along the way, including you, our dedicated family of supporters.

You can learn more about August’s story and the 30th anniversary Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop in a documentary streaming now at seattlesymphonyplus.org.

Upcoming Community

Concerts

Join us at an upcoming Community Concert to see the impact of your support in action. These performances are free and open to the public — thanks to your generosity! Advanced RSVP is encouraged.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19, AT 7:30PM Potlatch Symphony

S. MARK TAPER FOUNDATION AUDITORIUM

BENAROYA HALL

TUESDAY, MAY 14, AT 7:30PM

Community Concert in West Seattle

CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, AT 6 & 7:30PM

Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop Concert

OCTAVE 9: RAISBECK MUSIC CENTER

BENAROYA HALL

Krishna Thiagarajan’s position is generously underwritten as the Leslie Jackson Chihuly President & CEO.

Noah Geller’s position is generously underwritten as the David & Amy Fulton Concertmaster.

Celebrate Asia is generously sponsored by Yoshi and Naomi Minegishi.

The Arakawa Foundation proudly supports the Seattle Symphony’s Community Partnerships for Youth and Education. Additional support is provided by Delta Air Lines.

The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop is generously underwritten by Pamela Merriman, Sonja Ross, and Kelley Ross, with additional support from Patricia M. Davis, Ann Holbrook, and Michel and Christine Suignard.

The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, Marco Argenti, ArtsFund, the Merriman-Ross Family, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.

I want to support this orchestra that contributes so much to my life and help make sure that it thrives in the future.

Michelle Carlill began playing the cello while in medical school and loves to watch the orchestra perform. Attending since the 1980s, she’s now a regular at concerts and sits in the second row in front of the cello section to get a close-up view.

Visit us online to learn more about how you can make the Seattle Symphony a part of your legacy too. seattlesymphony.org/legacy

Michelle Carlill with Assistant Principal Cello Nathan Chan.

Photo: Carlin Ma

Welcome, Eric Schweikert!

In February, the Seattle Symphony welcomed our new Principal Timpani Eric Schweikert into the orchestra. Eric has a notable career as a performer, touring musician and instructor. We invited Eric to share a little more about himself to introduce you to our newest orchestra member.

“Participating in a group effort that produces something so amazing is truly miraculous.”

How does it feel to be joining the Seattle Symphony?

Winning the Principal Timpani audition and becoming a member of the Seattle Symphony was one of the most gratifying moments of my life. I immediately called my wife. It was an overwhelming experience.

How did you get your start in music?

My father taught horn and was later a member of the Chicago Symphony. Going to concerts was a way of life for our family. It wasn’t until I was 12 that I got interested in percussion while attending music camp. I enjoyed watching the

percussionists do their thing. It looked so fun, I thought “Hey, I want to give that a try!” I started lessons a few months later and I never looked back.

What is your favorite part about being a professional musician?

Participating in a group effort that produces something so amazing is truly miraculous. I have been fortunate to be able to pursue music until it eventually brought me to the professional world, to where I am today. Along the way, I have met and become connected to some of the most incredible individuals one could ever hope to meet.

Why the timpani?

I was always drawn to the lower and middle voices of the orchestra. My first instrument in grade school was the cello, but I had my eye on the bass. The timpani marry two elements I love: the bass tones combined with a percussion instrument.

What are you looking forward to doing in the Pacific Northwest?

I can’t wait to get the boots on and spend some time enjoying Mt. Rainier and the Olympic and Cascades National Park areas. Standing in some water with a fly rod in my hand and scaring some fish with my horrible casting skills is something I’m looking forward to. Although I don’t think the fish will be happy about it! There’s so much to do in Seattle, it’s almost impossible to count. Restaurants? Where to begin!

It’s through your generosity that we can welcome outstanding musicians like Eric to the orchestra. Keep an eye (and ear) out for Eric in the percussion section this season and thank you for supporting all the musicians of your Seattle Symphony!

Your Support Creates Unforgettable Musical Experiences

Every week offers something new to discover at Benaroya Hall. The generosity of people like you allows the orchestra to present a diverse array of performances, helping attract new audiences and grow our Seattle Symphony family. Your philanthropic support provides 50 percent of the funding needed to produce each concert. You are sustaining the orchestra as we rebuild our audience. Thank you!

In November, Lauri Porra brought audiences to their feet with his Entropia Concerto for Electric Bass, performed alongside conductor and wife Dalia Stasevska. Paired with the concerto was Lauri’s Cabins & Hideouts, a musical meditation that transformed Benaroya Hall’s Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center into an ethereal Finnish lakeside retreat.

As the new year began, Joe Hisaishi, best known for his Studio Ghibli film scores, returned to Benaroya Hall. The composer and conductor opened with a presentation of his Music Future

program in the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, a celebration of his love of minimalist compositions. Capping his weeklong residency were three sold-out concerts in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium.

Also in January, the Seattle Symphony celebrated the music of Angelo Badalamenti and Twin Peaks. Narrated by Kyle MacLachlan, who played the iconic Agent Dale Cooper in the groundbreaking series created by David Lynch, the concert was followed by a themed party in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby, complete with a Twin Peaks-inspired dream pop band.

From groundbreaking soloists to beloved soundtracks and world premiere compositions, the Seattle Symphony is expanding our programming for today’s audiences and fostering the audiences of tomorrow. Thank you for supporting the dynamic soundtrack of Seattle and for continuing to listen boldly!

Joe Hisaishi’s performances were generously underwritten by Yuka Shimizu, along with Jeanne Berwick and James Degel.