1819 Season-End Newsletter

YOUR IMPACT IN FOCUS

Ludovic Morlot takes a final bow as music director in June 2019.

THANK YOU FOR EIGHT YEARS OF HISTORY-MAKING MUSIC Together, you, Ludovic and the orchestra have unleashed the power of music to inspire our community!

June marked the end of Music Director Ludovic Morlot’s tenure, with thousands of people joining Ludovic and the orchestra in his final weeks. It was a wonderful celebration of the musical journey you have helped make possible. Ludovic expressed his gratitude for your part in his eight years in Seattle, saying, “I am proud to have helped write this chapter in the history of our Seattle Symphony, and I am so thankful to you for believing in me, supporting this orchestra and helping to create a positive impact in our community.”

Under Ludovic’s leadership the milestones are clear. The Symphony has received international recognition with five Grammy Awards and was named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. The orchestra performed at Carnegie Hall in 2014 to great acclaim and has regularly made waves with world premieres and innovative programming both on stage and through the orchestra’s education and community work.

Along with the many highlights, we’ll cherish the everyday moments. The air of excitement and energy at orchestra performances is palpable. With each concert, our community comes together to share music, and each person finds something of their own in the experience — inspiration, belonging, discovery, comfort.

Capping the month of June was the wonderful news that Ludovic will continue with the orchestra in a new position, the Judith Fong Conductor Emeritus. This new role honors Ludovic’s exceptional contributions and achievements in Seattle. As Conductor Emeritus, Ludovic will remain a part of the Symphony family, returning for regular guest conducting engagements and working with the orchestra on future recordings and tours. Save the date for Spring 2021, when we’ll next welcome Ludovic to the podium at Benaroya Hall!

“I am so thankful to you for supporting this orchestra and helping to create a positive impact in our community.”

– Ludovic Morlot The Symphony’s transformation under Ludovic’s leadership and these countless, meaningful moments are a direct result of your generosity. As a supporter you have been with Ludovic and the orchestra on stage making our music possible for these past eight years, and your ongoing support will allow the orchestra to continue growing and giving back to our community for years to come.

Thank you for supporting your Symphony and live symphonic music in Seattle!

Read more about Ludovic Morlot’s legacy at seattlesymphony.org/ludovic-legacy.

End Ludovic’s final season on a high note!

Make your gift by August 31 and you’ll help fully fund this season of music that we all enjoyed.

SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORG/DONATE 206.215.4832

Photo: Brandon Patoc

Season Newsletter

Principal Horn Jeffrey Fair introduces the horn to youngsters at a First Concerts performance.

Photo: Carlin Ma

exploration of the instruments of the orchestra filled with dancing, singing and smiles! Tiny Tots Concerts continue to be one of our most popular family offerings. Your support makes these experiences possible.

MUSICIANS, YOUTH AND COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER You make it possible for Symphony musicians to share music in new and meaningful ways!

On Mother’s Day musicians performed lullabies written by families during the Lullaby Project Celebration. Since 2013 the Seattle Symphony has partnered with Mary’s Place, which shelters families experiencing homelessness, to present the annual Lullaby Project. Symphony musicians and students from Seattle Pacific University’s Music Therapy program work with parents and children to create personal lullabies that express their love and capture their family story.

Each year, your investment in the Symphony makes it possible for musicians to bring the joy of music to children and families, and give back to our community through programs such as these. Thank you for believing in the power of music and for making a difference in our community by supporting your Seattle Symphony!

Learn more at seattlesymphony.org/families-learning.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

Seattle Symphony orchestra members are most visible in their work on stage at Benaroya Hall, making music that lifts our hearts. Less visible is the significant work that they do behind the scenes with youth, families and community members.

We look forward to welcoming three new musicians and two conductors to the Symphony family in the upcoming 2019–2020 season.

Thanks to your generosity, Seattle Symphony musicians are able to immerse themselves as hosts, collaborators, teachers, mentors and featured artists in a wide range of programs, from First Concerts to Side-by-Side performances with community ensembles.

Eduardo Rios joins the orchestra as First Assistant Concertmaster. Eduardo was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and his musical talent took him to concert stages and festivals around the world as a young musician. Eduardo is the 2015 Sphinx Competition Winner and comes to Seattle from Los Angeles where he was a Resident Fellow with the LA Phil.

The popular Tiny Tots Concerts, designed for our youngest music lovers, moved to a new format this year, bringing orchestra musicians to the fore. Hosted by John Turman of the horn section, these concerts take families on a season-long

Join us for these solo performances

by Seattle Symphony musicians!

October 17, 19 & 20 NOAH GELLER, David & Amy Fulton Concertmaster Karl Amadeus Hartmann Concerto funèbre The program concludes with Mozart’s famous Requiem.

November 14–16 EFE BALTACIGIL, Marks Family Foundation Principal Cello Angelique Poteat Cello Concerto (World Premiere) The program also includes works by Britten and Rachmaninov.

December 28–29 & January 3–5 ELISA BARSTON, Principal Second Violin Piazzolla The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires Vivaldi The Four Seasons Learn more and reserve your seat at seattlesymphony.org or call the Ticket Office at 206.215.4747.

Luke Fieweger is joining us as Associate Principal Bassoon.

Prior to coming to Seattle, Luke earned a degree in neurobiology from Harvard while also studying music at the New England Conservatory. His chamber music experience includes performances with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Will Langlie-Miletich joins the bass section. Will has been part of the Symphony family for years. He is from Seattle and played side by side with the orchestra when he was a member of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, studied with Principal Bass Jordan Anderson, and participated in the Symphony’s Merriman Family Young Composers Workshop.

Lee Mills joins us as the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor and Lina Gonzalez-Granados as Conducting Fellow. They will be working closely with the orchestra and Thomas Dausgaard, conducting a broad array of programs in the coming year.

Be sure to keep an eye (and ear!) out for these fantastic new artists at Benaroya Hall next season. Your support and commitment make it possible for us to attract and retain outstanding musicians.

Thank you for supporting the musicians of your Seattle Symphony!

MUSIC DIRECTOR THOMAS DAUSGAARD COMES HOME Join your Symphony as we begin a new era with Thomas Dausgaard!

This fall we invite you to join us in welcoming Thomas Dausgaard to the stage as Music Director. Thomas begins his tenure in September with a thrilling opening night performance featuring world-renowned pianist Daniil Trifonov­— but his first concerts may feel more like a homecoming than an introduction.

For Thomas, Seattle has long been a home away from his native Denmark. Thomas’ close relationship with the Symphony began in 2003, when Seattle audiences got their first glimpse of his creativity and dynamism through performances of Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony.

Serving as Principal Guest Conductor since 2014, Thomas and the orchestra have achieved international acclaim for their recordings of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony and Nielsen’s Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4. And in 2015 Thomas led the Symphony’s month-long festival celebrating Jean Sibelius with performances of all seven of his symphonies, plus the Violin Concerto and Finlandia.

Thomas’ first season will be filled with highlights, including a celebration marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. This three-week festival features performances of all nine symphonies alongside new works created, inspired or performed by community members. For Thomas, bringing the community into the creative process is vital. “It is my dream for our musicians and our audiences to feel a joint ownership of this orchestra, reveling in our performances and the joy and richness of classical music and the voices of today,” says Thomas, adding, “I am always drawn to an element of context, so rethinking how to celebrate the humanist ideals of Beethoven in a way which meaningfully involves communities in Seattle is incredibly stimulating, like creating a completely new context.”

“This season is an invitation into my world, an invitation to share some of the music which changed my life — music close to my heart and which has played a continuous role in my musical life.”

Join us for programs this fall with Music Director Thomas Dausgaard!

September 14: Opening Night Concert & Gala Nielsen Maskerade Overture Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 4 featuring Daniil Trifonov R. Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra In addition to the Opening Night Concert you can join Thomas at the Gala dinner celebration following the performance. Learn more at seattlesymphony.org/gala.

September 19, 20 & 21 Wennäkoski Flounce Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring Yefim Bronfman Mahler Symphony No. 1 October 10 & 12 Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 Neuwirth Aello - ballet mécanomorphe (U.S. Premiere) Mozart Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter” November 21 & 23 Scriabin The Poem of Ecstasy Stravinsky The Rite of Spring Explore Thomas Dausgaard’s upcoming concerts at seattlesymphony.org/thomas and reserve your seat!

became source material used in major works for orchestra.

In the upcoming season, Thomas will bring this curiosity and exploration to Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy. “Discovering Stravinsky’s possible inspiration from folk music, has been just hair-raisingly fascinating and fun,” says Thomas. “We explore ecstasy by two Russian composers partly living at the same time, but each exploring into the extreme their own — and very different — musical languages. Both works have drawn me to them like a magnet.”

With his deep passion for the music and longstanding connection to the Seattle Symphony community, we are drawn to Thomas like a magnet as well.

Please welcome back to Seattle our friend, Thomas Dausgaard, in his new role as music director, as Thomas welcomes us all into his musical world, “music-making with the Seattle Symphony is a supreme joy. I love Seattle and I can’t wait to get started!”

Thomas Dausgaard conducts a performance of Nielsen’s Third Symphony with the Seattle Symphony in 2017.

Thomas’ creative process grows from his desire to share the context of the music and the stories behind it. In Seattle, Thomas has made a point of exploring the “roots of inspiration” for composers, adding live performances of folk music that

Photo: Carlin Ma

– Thomas Dausgaard

Thanks to you, this season …

­287,816

people enjoyed live performances by the orchestra

350

hours of live music were performed in the Seattle region

20,518

people were served through family programs

70

contemporary works were performed in the inaugural season of Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center

10,291

elementary students played recorder with the orchestra during Link Up: The Orchestra Moves

20

wonderful years of community and live performances in Benaroya Hall were celebrated

1,427

furloughed government employees and their families attended Symphony concerts for free during the federal government shutdown in January 2019

8

years of music-making with Ludovic Morlot left us all transformed

651

free concert tickets were provided to young people through Family Connections

3

side-by-side concerts were performed with the University of Washington Orchestra, Ballard Civic Orchestra and Ballard High School Orchestra

491

different musical works were performed by the orchestra

1

Gramophone Orchestra of the Year award showed what’s possible with your support!

Support your Symphony before August 31!

The Seattle Symphony’s 2018–2019 fiscal year comes to an end on Saturday, August 31.

Please make your gift today to help fully fund the season and support the music and musicians you love.

Your investment in the Seattle Symphony brings our community together to enjoy live symphonic music. Thank you!

SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORG/DONATE | 206.215.4832