2021/2022 Season-End Newsletter

2021/2022 Season-End Newsletter

YOUR IMPACT IN FOCUS Side-by-side with your community!

The return of free Community Concerts and Side-by-Sides was made possible by your support.

As a Seattle Symphony donor your support has played an invaluable role in the return of live music. Several community and education programs that were put on hold during the pandemic have also resumed this season. Because of your generosity the orchestra is once again sharing the power of live music with new audiences and inspiring the next generation of musicians through free Community Concerts and Side-by-Side Concerts.

Later in May the orchestra presented a second free Community Concert led by Douglas F. King Associate Conductor Lee Mills. The event featured music from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Hannah Kendall, Astor Piazzolla and Carlos Simon, along with a performance of Johannes Brahms’ virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 1 by Henry From, a winner of the Symphony’s 2022 Young Artist Auditions program.

In March the orchestra was joined on stage by the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra for a side-by-side performance that featured Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. During Side-by-Side Concerts, members of the Seattle Symphony and young musicians are seated together in each section of the orchestra, offering a unique opportunity for mentorship and real-time collaboration. The orchestra was delighted to restart Side-by-Side Concerts this season with more planned for the 2022/2023 season.

With the return of in-person performances this season, the Seattle Symphony is delighted to once again present free Community Concerts at Benaroya Hall and beyond. Your generous support makes this possible. Together we are increasing access to symphonic performances and bringing people together to create connections in and between communities.

The Seattle Symphony also resumed our free Community Concerts series this spring. 2021/2022 Composer in Residence Reena Esmail hosted the first of these Community Concerts, titled Ram Tori Maya. The performance featured a Seattle Symphony string quartet sharing the stage with students of Swaranjali School of Music, which teaches the tradition of Hindustani classical music to students in the Puget Sound region. The program, which capped Reena’s season-long collaboration with the orchestra, was a musical exploration of pieces arranged or composed by Reena, along with a selection of Indian works.

With your steadfast support, the musicians look forward to continuing to offer free access to music and inspiring education programs in the 2022/2023 season. Along with your philanthropic investment, new and expanded partnerships with fellow nonprofits Key to Change, Kids in Concert, and the Music Youth Southeast ensemble of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra will increase the reach of these impactful initiatives in the years ahead.

Thank you for supporting your Seattle Symphony and the music, programs and partnerships that bring our community together and inspire young artists.

PHOTOS: (left to right) Composer in Residence Reena Esmail welcomes the audience to Ram Tori Maya; members of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra share the stage with the Seattle Symphony during a Side-by-Side Concert; Young Artist Henry From takes a bow following his performance with the Symphony.

Reena Esmail’s residency is generously supported by Parul and Gary Houlahan.

You help create enriching musical experiences.

With your support the orchestra shares the stories and inspiration behind great music.

Video and multimedia presentations can be a meaningful supplement to the concerts on stage. Through the support of donors like you, each Seattle Symphony season presents unique opportunities to deepen our understanding of the music.

In June the orchestra performed Olivier Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles… (From the Canyons to the Stars…), a naturalistic work inspired by the composer’s tour of Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park and other monuments of the American West. The Symphony’s program included a collaboration with filmmaker Deborah O’Grady. Having retraced Messiaen’s footsteps through nature, Deborah created captivating video projections. Audiences were able to see the spectacular landscapes that inspired Messiaen’s masterpiece.

Earlier this season the orchestra marked the 80th Anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of thousands of innocent Japanese Americans during the Second World War. These concerts included performances of Improvisations on EO9066 by Seattle-born composer, multi-instrumentalist Kaoru Ishibashi, who performs under the moniker Kishi Bashi. His work reflects on the personal costs and legacy of the Japanese American incarceration. In the piece, live performance is paired with archival footage and video of the composer performing improvisations on location at the sites of internment camps across the country.

“Pictures of Executive Order 9066,” a collaboration between award-winning filmmaker J.J. Gerber and Ishibashi, was presented alongside the concerts.

Created especially for Benaroya Hall’s Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, the exhibit included photography by Dorothea Lange and oral histories supplied

by Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

In the 2022/2023 season, Octave 9 will once again be transformed, this time to illustrate the inspiration behind Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion. The Academy Award-winning composer brings his acclaimed work to Seattle this November 10 and 12. The idea for Buddha Passion grew from Tan Dun’s first visit to the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China. There he encountered Buddhist murals dating back well over a thousand years. Buddha Passion presents the previous lives and passage into nirvana of the Buddha as depicted in these majestic cave paintings.

Kishi Bashi performing during his Improvisations on EO9066.

Coinciding with the orchestra’s performances of Buddha Passion, the Symphony is partnering with the Dunhuang Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the study of the Mogao Caves, Buddhism, and the Silk Road. Together we will present an immersive, 360-degree experience in Octave 9. Designed by Greg Downing of Hyperacuity and Eric Hanson of Blueplanet VR, the experience will showcase stunning imagery and groundbreaking discoveries of Dunhuang. The exhibition will invite the community to better understand the historical importance of Dunhuang and its pivotal role as inspiration for Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion.

Your generosity makes it possible for audiences to dive deeper into the music. Thank you for making impactful experiences like this possible!

To learn more about the upcoming performances of Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion and the 2022/2023 season, visit seattlesymphony.org.

Masterworks Series Sponsor: Delta Air Lines Performances of Tan Dun: Buddha Passion are generously underwritten by Jeff and Rita Xiong.

The Mogao Caves: An Immersive Experience is generously sponsored by Mimi Gardner Gates and the Dunhuang Foundation.

Mogao Cave 158. Tang Dynasty, 618-907.

Courtesy of Blueplanet VR, Hyperacuity, and the Dunhuang Foundation.

A very fond farewell.

Please join us in thanking these musicians for sharing their talents with us all.

This year we celebrate the retirements of two longtime members of the orchestra. Michael Miropolsky joined the orchestra in the 1991/1992 season and was the first musician to hold the position of John & Carmen Delo Associate Principal Second Violin.

Judy Washburn Kriewall joined the Seattle Symphony in 1979 and will be retiring at the end of this season, after 43 years of service as a member of the orchestra’s flute section.

“It has been a true joy to work with such excellent fellow musicians,” “I started playing the violin at the said Judy, of her time with the age of seven in orchestra. “I will faraway Kyrgyzstan. making “The music joins us miss From the very first music with them day, I knew I wanted all together as one.” and sharing the – Judy Washburn Kriewall experience with to be a professional,” said Michael. “I have our audiences. so many good memories of my time with the Seattle Symphony.

The music joins us all together as one.”

During my time we’ve played concerts in schools in Seattle and “Those who support the Symphony’s music-making can be across Eastern Washington. Interacting with kids of all ages very proud of their contribution to the life of Seattle,” said Judy. enriched my personal experience — and it was great fun!”

“Many thanks to all who support this great art form, enriching Of connections that he made, Michael shared, “I am especially the community!” grateful to have met John, and the late Carmen, Delo, who Thank you to Judy and Michael for all the memories and endowed my chair. I so appreciate all our Symphony donors, music over the years. And thanks to you for supporting every without whose support the orchestra would not be able to exist musician in the Seattle Symphony! and continue sharing the great gift of music with our community.”

Together we’ll fill Benaroya Hall again!

Your donations continue to play a critical role in sustaining the Symphony’s recovery.

Total Ticket Sales Season Ticket Sale Volume & by Contributions 450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000

Share your love of the Seattle Symphony!

150,000 100,000 50,000 0

Thanks to your generous support, federal relief, new revenue from streaming audiences, and expense reductions, the Symphony has been able to continue creating music for our community despite these challenges. Increased philanthropy will remain paramount to sustaining the recovery over the next three to five years. We are incredibly grateful for your impactful contributions!

2017/2018

2018/2019

2019/2020

2020/2021

2021/2022

2021/2022 total projected as of June 30, 2022.

The pandemic period has had a profound impact on the Seattle Symphony’s ability to engage with audiences in person. Ticket sales plummeted starting in March 2020, and although audiences are now growing again, there is a long road ahead to reach a full recovery. We expect to conclude the 2021/2022 season with just under 200,000 tickets sold — less than half of what was typical before the pandemic.

Early access to single tickets will be available during Subscriber & Donor Advantage Days from July 23–29.

We hope you’ll join us often in the months ahead and invite your friends too!

Support the orchestra and help our audience grow by enjoying a concert with your friends, family and colleagues.

Enter promo code SHAREMUSIC before selecting your seats to receive 40% OFF the purchase of two or more tickets to Masterworks and Pops series performances occurring through November 2022.

seattlesymphony.org | 206.215.4747

Introducing Sunny Xuecong Xia!

Your support makes it possible for the orchestra to welcome talented artists to our Symphony family.

Earlier this spring the Seattle Symphony announced the appointment of Sunny Xuecong Xia as the Douglas F. King Assistant Conductor, beginning in September 2022. In her new role Sunny will contribute to the Symphony’s Education & Community Engagement programs and conduct the Family Concerts series, which is returning to in-person performances in the 2022/2023 season. In addition to her scheduled performances, Sunny will also serve as cover conductor for guest conductors throughout the season. Sunny brings a zeal and passion for contemporary music that will complement the Symphony’s history of bringing new music to our audiences.

Here Sunny shares a little more about herself.

How did you get your start in music?

I started on the violin when I was six and piano a few years later. Music has always been with me. I saw my very first symphonic concert when I was seventeen — it was Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 conducted by Zubin Mehta. I immediately fell in love with the music and knew, even then, that conducting was something I wanted to pursue.

What do you enjoy most about conducting and making music with an orchestra?

The study of conducting has made me a more “complete” musician. A good conductor tells stories through music in a way that’s sincere, compelling, all-embracing, and collaborative. When art is presented with absolute integrity, commitment, and vulnerability, we as artists touch people’s lives and perhaps make a small, positive change in the world. This is what’s powerful about music to me. Imagine all of the musicians’ talents combined towards this common goal — this is what makes the conductor’s job so incredibly meaningful.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role?

I am so looking forward to connecting with Seattle’s diverse audience as well as working with talented young artists through our excellent education and community programs. I have no doubt I will feel right at home. There was an incredible sense of warmth and openness from the moment I stepped into my audition. My time with the Symphony and its wonderful people will be something to cherish.

“We as artists touch people’s lives ...”

What was the moment like when you first received your appointment?

It’s a great privilege and immense responsibility to be joining the Seattle Symphony as Assistant Conductor. When I was offered the position, it felt like a dream come true. I am honored to be selected among esteemed colleagues and look forward to joining the Symphony family.

Is there anything you can’t wait to see or do in Seattle?

I love hiking, kayaking and being in nature — I can’t wait to explore the Pacific Northwest and make it my home!

It’s through the generosity of people like you that the orchestra is able to attract and retain outstanding artists like Sunny.

Thank you for helping to welcome her to our community and for supporting your Seattle Symphony!

Support your Symphony by August 31!

The Seattle Symphony’s 2021/2022 fiscal year ends on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

Please make a gift today to help ensure a bright future for the music you love and the musicians who bring it to life. Thank you!

seattlesymphony.org/donate | 206.215.4832