Seattle Symphony

The Quick and Easy:

What: the Seattle Symphony
When: Sept.13th through June 27th
Where: Benaroya Hall

Since its first performance on December 29, 1903, Seattle Symphony has brought the music of the beloved masters and lesser-known contemporary composers to the Puget Sound area. The Symphony’s mission is two-fold, focusing on performance as well as community engagement and education. The season runs from September to July and contains over 200 performances each year.

Current music director Gerard Schwarz, who has held the position since 1985, has led the Symphony to new prominence with his efforts to promote new composers and premiere works. Under his direction, the Symphony won Northwest Regional Emmy Awards in 2007 and 2008 for its two television specials, Seattle Symphony From Benaroya Hall and Seattle Symphony From Benaroya Hall: Brahms, Kernis, and Kodály. This season the Symphony will host guest conductors, three visiting orchestras, and a multitude of distinguished soloists. World-renowned conductor and pianist Sir André Previn will lead two concerts in November featuring the music of Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Gershwin, and Beethoven.

The 2008-2009 season marks the 10th anniversary of Benaroya Hall, which opened as the Symphony’s home on September 12, 1998. With two performance venues, the 2,500-seat S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium and the 540-seat Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall hosts a variety of soloists and chamber groups in addition to the Symphony. The main auditorium is known for its excellent acoustics and also features the 4,490-pipe Watjen Concert Organ.

In addition to concerts, Seattle Symphony offers many programs designed to educate and engage the Seattle community. Soundbridge Seattle Symphony Music Discovery Center, which opened in 2001, has exhibits and daily activities geared toward young children. The Class Act education programs promote music in area schools. Select Sunday matinees have pre-concert lectures by the conductor about the featured composers and works.

The Seattle Symphony offers subscriptions tailored for different ages and interests, including Seattle Pops, Popular Classics, and the family-oriented Discover Music! series. Subscribers receive a discount over single ticket prices as well as a 20% discount on additional tickets outside the series.

Season Highlights:

Complete Beethoven String Quartets (throughout the season, begins 10/15)
Six chamber groups from around the world will perform Beethoven’s 16 string quartets over the course of the season.

Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik (10/23-10/25)
Ignat Solzhenitsyn conducts this evening of Classical-era favorites featuring works by Mozart and Haydn.

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (1/2-1/4/09)
The Seattle Symphony Chorale and soloists join the Seattle Symphony in this audience favorite.

Itzhak Perlman in Recital (2/25/09)
The world-renowned violinist is known for his solo work on film scores such as Schindler’s List and Hero.

Holst’s The Planets (6/25-6/27/09)
This orchestral suite features a large orchestra as well as two offstage women’s choruses.