WHITNEY MONGÉ RELEASES LIVE ALBUM: WHITNEY MONGÉ LIVE WITH THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY
WORLDWIDE DIGITAL RELEASE
ON AUGUST 27, 2021
Seattle, WA — Seattle-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Whitney Mongé presents a collection of live recordings with the Seattle Symphony and Douglas F. King Associate Conductor Lee Mills, to be released on August 27, 2021. Originally recorded in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall on October 2, 2020, the album features 12 of Mongé’s original songs orchestrated by award-winning composer Andrew Joslyn and performed by the Grammy Award-winning Seattle Symphony.
Amid the shift to virtual performances due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Seattle Symphony utilized its new streaming service, Seattle Symphony Live, to bring the innovative Essential Series to listeners during the orchestra’s 2020–2021 season. The series, featuring cross-genre collaboration with local artists, brought Mongé and the Symphony together for the concert that led to this exciting release.
Leading up to the live recording, Mongé worked closely with composer Andrew Joslyn to create new orchestrations of her original compositions. The result produced a unique blend of Mongé’s blues-inspired artistry and the Symphony’s robust orchestral sound.
“I am so excited to present folks another opportunity to hear this incredible collaboration,” said Mongé. “I believe our livestreamed concert truly was a testament to the strength and resilience of Seattle’s music community, encouraging us to continue forward even in times of uncertainty. I am still flabbergasted at how beautifully each song turned out. I get teary eyed listening back, and I’m so honored by the magical scores from Andrew Joslyn and the performance from the Seattle Symphony conducted by Lee Mills. To me, the goal of my music is to evoke emotion, to encourage people to reflect, to be present. I think we accomplished this on that night in Benaroya Hall, and I am confident we captured that same experience in this album.”
“Whitney Mongé’s songwriting is simultaneously intimate and powerful, often speaking to deep-seated emotions that are difficult to express,” said Mills. “Andrew Joslyn was able to capture this contrast of intimacy and power in his arrangements of the pieces for the Seattle Symphony. I couldn’t have asked for a more fulfilling project during the pandemic.”
The album, titled Whitney Mongé Live with the Seattle Symphony, is set to be released on all major streaming platforms on August 27, 2021; iTunes pre-orders to be available August 22, 2021. Select songs will be available on a limited-edition vinyl album, which is anticipated to be released at year’s end; vinyl pre-orders to be available August 18, 2021.
To obtain a review copy of the release, photos or liner notes, please contact Dinah Lu at press@seattlesymphony.org.
RECORDING DETAILS
WHITNEY MONGÉ
WHITNEY MONGÉ LIVE WITH THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY
Whitney Mongé vocals & guitar
Lee Mills conductor
Seattle Symphony
Worldwide Release Date
August 27, 2021
Mixed and Mastered by Martin Feveyear
Recorded and Engineered by Dmitriy Lipay
Whitney Mongé Live with the Seattle Symphony is available for digital download on August 27, 2021. Originally recorded in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall on October 2, 2020, the album features 12 of Mongé’s original songs orchestrated by award-winning composer Andrew Joslyn and performed by the Seattle Symphony with Douglas F. King Associate Conductor Lee Mills.
WHITNEY MONGÉ LIVE WITH THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY
Total Timing: 51:31 // Catalog Number: WWM-06 // Producer: Whitney Mongé // Label: Independent
Recorded in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, Benaroya Hall, Seattle, Washington.
Whitney Mongé Live with the Seattle Symphony was recorded live in concert October 2, 2020.
The performances of Whitney Mongé Live with the Seattle Symphony were presented as part of the 2020–2021 season’s Essential Series.
2020–2021 Essential Series Title Sponsor: The John & Ginny Meisenbach Foundation.
Digital downloads are available through iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp, and Tidal. Recordings can be streamed through Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube Music.
WHITNEY MONGÉ | VOCALS & GUITAR
Roots Music singer-songwriter & guitarist, Whitney Mongé has become a staple in the Seattle music scene over the years. Moving from her hometown of Spokane, WA in '07, she learned to capture the power of authenticity while honing her skills as a street performer in Pike Place Market. Since busking she has transcended to local legend status, playing major stages in the PNW, touring Europe in 2018 and releasing three EPs: Steadfast (2014), Stone (2017) and Carry On (2018), showcasing her powerful songwriting, soulful vocals and bluesy guitar playing. From radio play to regional television spotlights, Whitney has supported several national touring acts (Ziggy Marley, KT Tunstall, Alice Smith) and is featured in the award winning film, Find Your Way: a Busker’s Documentary (2014) starring Chris Bellew of The Presidents Of The United States Of America and world renowned violinist, Joshua Bell. Mongé also holds a Governor seat on the Pacific Northwest GRAMMY Chapter Board, and a huge advocate for independent, working musicians. Currently her newest album titled: Whitney Mongé Live with the Seattle Symphony featuring the Grammy Award winning orchestra is set to be released on August 27th, 2021 on all major streaming platforms and available on limited edition vinyl.
ANDREW JOSLYN | COMPOSER & ARRANGER
Andrew Joslyn, composer, orchestrator and violinist is an award-winning musical polymath whose passion for collaboration has led him to work with a remarkably diverse group of world-class artists, touring the world, performing, co-writing and arranging music on over 400 songs throughout his career. Along the way he has amassed an extensive list of writing, orchestrating, recording and touring credits that include Macklemore, Kesha, Judy Collins, Leslie Odom Jr., Kygo, ODESZA, K Flay, Chase Rice, Tom Chaplin (Keane), Michael Bolton, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), the Seattle Symphony and many others. He currently runs his own production studio in Seattle, has scored several feature-length films, and writes music for artists, labels, podcasts, music licensing houses and commercials. He is also a national trustee for the PNW chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammys) and a local advocate for music and the arts in the Puget Sound region.
LEE MILLS | CONDUCTOR
Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony and winner of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award in 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021, Lee Mills is internationally recognized as a passionate, multifaceted, and energetic conductor. In his previous position as Resident Conductor of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, he led performances hailed as having a “sonority of unequalled liveliness and quality” (movimento.com), working alongside such artists as Simone Porter, Conrad Tao, Eliane Coelho and the Smetana Trio. Mills has also previously led the National Symphony Orchestra (U.S.), Los Angeles Philharmonic, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, through his project Vibe Sinfônica, in partnership with nightlife producer The Week Group in São Paulo, Mills has brought classical music to thousands of new listeners.
The League of American Orchestras selected Mills for the 2018 Bruno Walter National Conductors Preview, and in 2017, Mills was selected as a semifinalist in both the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition and the Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liège International Opera Conducting Competition. Mills received the BSO-Peabody Institute Conducting Fellowship in 2011. He was a conducting fellow at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen during the summers of 2012 and 2013. He received his Graduate Performance Diploma and Artist’s Diploma in Orchestral Conducting at the Peabody Institute and graduated from Whitman College.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY
Led by Music Director Thomas Dausgaard, the Seattle Symphony unleashes the power of music, brings people together and lifts the human spirit. Recognized as one of the “most vital American orchestras” (NPR), the Seattle Symphony is internationally acclaimed for its inventive programming, community-minded initiatives and superb recordings on the Seattle Symphony Media label. With a strong commitment to new music and a legacy of over 150 recordings, the orchestra has garnered five Grammy Awards, 26 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and was named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. The Symphony performs in Benaroya Hall in the heart of downtown Seattle from September through July, reaching over 730,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts.
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