I am thrilled to share with you my second season as Music Director of the Seattle Symphony. This season is a celebration of great artists and exciting sounds. Hilary Hahn, Emanuel Ax, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman and many others will set the stage of Benaroya Hall on fire. Alongside them, we’ll also have the chance to hear the talented musicians of the Seattle Symphony as soloists, including flutist Demarre McGill, cellist Efe Baltacıgil, violinists Elisa Barston and Emma McGrath, and percussionist Michael Werner. There’s also a great roster of guest conductors, from Estonian Maestro Neeme Järvi, to the electrifying Andrey Boreyko, and the elegant Thomas Søndergård making his Seattle debut. And I’m particularly proud to have invited four of the most exciting young pianists in the world to perform the complete Rachmaninov Piano Concertos. I’ll be leading Brahms and Mahler symphonies for the first time in Seattle, as well as conducting the New Year performances of Beethoven’s Ninth. But this season is not only about listening to the classics we love — it’s also an invitation to Listen Boldly! I’m looking forward to sharing my love for two of the last century’s greatest masterpieces — Britten’s heartbreaking War Requiem and Messiaen’s extravagantly sensual Turangalîla Symphony. These will be two of the “don’t miss” events of the season! Meanwhile, we’re excited to welcome world-famous composerconductor John Adams to lead the Orchestra in one of his most breathtaking works. We’ll also continue to explore thrilling new musical voices: we have a world premiere from the Alaska-based composer John Luther Adams and we celebrate Seattle’s unique musical legacy with the second year of Sonic Evolution. And, we’re introducing a new series, [untitled], which will feature our own musicians performing contemporary music in the Samuel and Althea Stroum Grand Lobby. I'm also delighted to conduct the fifth annual Celebrate Asia concert. With many of my beloved French composers, Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Ravel, Berlioz and Dutilleux, on these programs, I can’t wait for the 2012–2013 season to be here! Join us at Benaroya Hall!
Ludovic Morlot Music Director
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