LUDOVIC MORLOT AND THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY’S 2017–2018 SEASON
INCLUDES SEMI-STAGED PRODUCTIONS, SEVEN WORLD PREMIERES INCLUDING JOHN LUTHER ADAMS’ BECOME DESERT, COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE ALEXANDRA GARDNER, A CALIFORNIA TOUR, AND A CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING ITS COMMUNITY INCLUDING THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
Become Desert World Premiere – On the heels of Become Ocean, one of the most successful new works in recent American musical history with a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winning recording featuring the Seattle Symphony, the orchestra has commissioned a second major orchestral work from John Luther Adams, Become Desert, to premiere in Seattle in March 2018. Ludovic Morlot will also conduct Become Desert in back-to-back concerts alongside Become Ocean at the University of California Berkeley in March 2018.
Commissions – In addition to John Luther Adams’ Become Desert, the Seattle Symphony will give the world premieres of David Lang’s symphony without a hero and Andrew Norman’s Cello Concerto with cellist Johannes Moser. An as-yet unnamed new work will be premiered in June 2018, by Alexandra Gardner who has been named the 2017–2018 Composer in Residence. See more information below on her additional work with the Seattle Symphony this season, including in-depth projects with young composers and LGBTQIA youth who are experiencing homelessness.
Living composers – The [untitled] concert series includes vital and exciting contemporary works by John Adams, Thomas Adès, Mason Bates, Vladimir Nikolaev, Alexander Raskatov, Steve Reich and a world premiere by Chris Rogerson performed in an informal, late-night setting.
Stravinsky’s Persephone – In April 2018 Ludovic Morlot will lead a multi-disciplinary production of Stravinsky’s Persephone, with sets and puppetry co-commissioned with the Oregon Symphony from renowned film and theater designer Michael Curry. These inventive performances will feature tenor Kenneth Tarver, dancer Anna Marra, Northwest Boychoir and the Seattle Symphony Chorale. Persephone will be performed as part of an all-Stravinsky program including Song of the Volga Boatmen, Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments with pianist Marc-André Hamelin, and Les noces with the Dmitry Pokrovsky Ensemble and pianists Hamelin, Cristina Valdés, Jessica Choe and Li-Tan Hsu.
Berlioz Focus – The music of Hector Berlioz has had a profound influence on Ludovic Morlot, which is reflected in a deeper exploration of Berlioz’s works this fall. Reflecting the artistic influence of fellow Frenchman Hector Berlioz, Morlot will conduct Berlioz’s Requiem, Symphonie fantastique and Les nuits d’été. The Death of Cleopatra will also be performed, conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero.
Leonard Bernstein Centennial – The Leonard Bernstein centennial will be celebrated around the world in 2018. At the Seattle Symphony, Ludovic Morlot will lead the orchestra and soloists in a semi-staged version of Bernstein’s Wonderful Town as well as Overture to Candide and Prelude, Fugue and Riffs featuring Principal Clarinet Benjamin Lulich in June 2018.
Prokofiev Concerto Festival – Associate Conductor Pablo Rus Broseta leads a two-concert festival featuring rising star pianists Nathan Lee, Charlie Albright and Conrad Tao, and violinists Sophie Lee and William Hagen in January 2018.
Thomas Dausgaard – Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Dausgaard will conduct two Delta Air Lines Masterworks Season programs including Sibelius’ monumental choral symphony Kullervo and an all-Brahms program including Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 and 10, Liebeslieder Waltzes, and Symphony No. 2.
Spring Tour – Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony will embark on a California Tour in March 2018, including a two-day residency at University of California Berkeley with performances of John Luther Adams’ Become Ocean and Become Desert. The orchestra will be joined on tour by guest pianist and 2017–2018 Featured Artist Jeremy Denk who will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor.” The tour will also include Sibelius’ Oceanides and Symphony No. 2, and Britten’s Four Sea Interludes, with stops at McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts in Palm Desert and Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
The Vivaldi Project – Conductor, countertenor and violinist Dmitry Sinkovsky leads a Vivaldi takeover of all three programs on the Baroque & Wine series. Repertoire includes Gloria and The Four Seasons with Sinkovsky as leader and violin soloist, and Vivaldi and Handel arias featuring Sinkovsky’s countertenor voice.
Seattle Shakespeare Festival – Karina Canellakis makes her Seattle Symphony conducting debut in May 2018 with Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2 as part of Seattle’s city-wide Shakespeare Festival in 2017–2018.
Major works – Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” Orff’s Carmina burana, Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3, “Organ,” Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished,” Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2 and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2.
Great Artists – Soloists include violinists Joshua Bell, Vilde Frang, Augustin Hadelich and Gidon Kremer; pianists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Marc-André Hamelin, Kirill Gerstein and Daniil Trifonov; soprano Renée Fleming and tenor Ian Bostridge.
Serving and Partnering with the Local Community Through Community Connections and Education Programs in Public Schools and Universities
The Seattle Symphony’s comprehensive Community Connections program for nonprofit organizations provides access for a wide range of communities to attend Symphony performances for free, attend pre-concert workshops and participate in in-depth creative projects. The Seattle Symphony currently partners with more than 70 local nonprofits across six sectors including youth, cultural, health services, social services, seniors, and active military and veterans. Projects include customized pre-concert events, music-making workshops, creative projects and community concerts.
Last season, the Seattle Symphony gave away approximately 1,800 concert tickets to over 70 local nonprofits. In addition, in-depth special projects such as the Lullaby Project and prison visits further enhance the Orchestra’s presence and work in the community.
In 2016, the Symphony launched Simple Gifts, a multi-year initiative in response to city and county declarations of a State of Emergency for the homelessness crisis. With an expansion of the Symphony’s current partnerships serving those experiencing homelessness, the program shares the inspiration of music to spark joy, alleviate trauma and connect individuals with their creativity. While in residency with the Seattle Symphony, composer Alexandra Gardner will create a new community composition with LGBTQIA youth and allies who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness. Additionally, she’ll direct the Merriman Family Young Composers Workshop leading 10 students in a 12-week program that culminates in a public performance of their new works, performed by Seattle Symphony musicians.
Major corporate, foundation, and government support for the Seattle Symphony is provided by 4Culture,Anne and Gordon Getty Foundation, ArtsFund, The Boeing Company, Classical KING FM 98.1, Delta Air Lines, John Graham Foundation, Laird Norton Wealth Management, League of American Orchestras, MCM, Microsoft, National Endowment for the Arts, Nesholm Family Foundation, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and The Wallace Foundation.
Mahler Resurrection Symphony is generously sponsored by the Nesholm Family Foundation.
Berlioz Requiem is generously underwritten by Barney and Rebecca Ebsworth, in memory of Muriel Mueller.
Copland Symphony No. 3 is generously underwritten by Peter Russo and Kit Bakke.
Become Desert is commissioned by the Seattle Symphony with the generous support of Dale and Leslie Chihuly.
symphony without a hero is commissioned by the Seattle Symphony with the generous support of the Lynn and Brian Grant Family.
The world premiere by Andrew Norman is commissioned by the Seattle Symphony with the generous support of Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting.
The Baroque & Wine series is sponsored by The Four Seasons Hotel Seattle.
Artists generously supported through the Seattle Symphony’s Guest Artists Circle:
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet underwritten by James and Sherry Raisbeck.
Joshua Bell underwritten by Paul Leach and Susan Winokur.
Thomas Dausgaard underwritten by Mel and Leena Sturman.
Jeremy Denk underwritten by Dr. Susan Detweiler in memory of Dr. Alexander Clowes.
Vilde Frang underwritten by Ilene and Elwood Hertzog.
Kirill Gerstein underwritten by an anonymous donor.
Augustin Hadelich underwritten by Bob and Clodagh Ash.
Marc-André Hamelin underwritten by Muriel Van Housen and Tom McQuaid.
Gidon Kremer underwritten by Stephen Whyte.
Daniil Trifonov underwritten by Charles and Maria Schweizer.
Kazuki Yamada underwritten by the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation.
Musicians generously supported through the Seattle Symphony’s Principal Musicians Circle:
Efe Baltacıgil underwritten by Patricia and Jon Rosen.
The Seattle Symphony thanks its entire family of sponsors and donors, whose gifts help make each and every performance a reality.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY
The Seattle Symphony is one of America's leading symphony orchestras and is internationally acclaimed for its innovative programming and extensive recording history. Under the leadership of Music Director Ludovic Morlot since September 2011, the Symphony is heard from September through July by more than 500,000 people through live performances and radio broadcasts. It performs in one of the finest modern concert halls in the world — the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall — in downtown Seattle. Its extensive education and community engagement programs reach over 65,000 children and adults each year. The Seattle Symphony has a deep commitment to new music, commissioning many works by living composers each season. The orchestra has made nearly 150 recordings and has received three Grammy Awards, 23 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades. In 2014 the Symphony launched its in-house recording label, Seattle Symphony Media.
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