NOTICE OF GUEST CONDUCTOR CHANGE: PETER OUNDJIAN TO REPLACE NATHALIE STUTZMANN IN STRAVINSKY & BRAHMS CONCERTS
OUNDJIAN WILL JOIN THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY AND CHORALE FOR THE APRIL 28 & 30 PERFORMANCES
SEATTLE, WA – Guest conductor Peter Oundjian will replace Nathalie Stutzmann to lead the Stravinsky & Brahms program at the April 28 and 30 concerts. Unfortunately, Stutzmann is unable to make the performances due to illness. The Stravinsky & Brahms program features two vast works, Brahms’ exceptional German Requiem and Funeral Song, Stravinsky’s recently rediscovered elegy for Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
The Symphony is thrilled to be joined by the powerful sounds of the Seattle Symphony Chorale, as well as two critically acclaimed guest artists, soprano Soraya Mafi and baritone Alexander Dobson, for Brahms’ famous German Requiem. This piece is still recognized as one of the greatest Romantic choral works of the 19th century. Brahms used an unconventional selection of texts from the Lutheran Bible in this Requiem, creating a unique and beautiful offering of hope and comfort that differs from similar works written during his time, most of which that were sorrowful and written for the dead. German Requiem coupled together with Stravinsky’s Funeral Song builds a program full of reflection and solace.
Health And Safety
The Seattle Symphony is requiring all visitors to provide proof of vaccination (or present a negative COVID-19 test) with photo ID, and wear masks at all times while in Benaroya Hall, except in designated refreshment areas. This is in addition to numerous safety measures, including a hospital-grade air filtration system, increased cleaning and more. For additional information about how the Symphony is working to ensure a safe return to live music, please visit the Safety Page. Additionally, the Seattle Symphony is implementing a flexible exchange and return policy through the end of the year
PETER OUNDJIAN | CONDUCTOR
Recognized as a masterful and dynamic presence in the conducting world, Peter Oundjian has developed a multi-faceted portfolio as a conductor, violinist, professor and artistic advisor. He has been celebrated for his musicality, an eye towards collaboration, innovative programming, leadership and training with students and an engaging personality. Now carrying the title of Conductor Emeritus, Oundjian’s fourteen-year tenure as Music Director of the Toronto Symphony served as a major creative force for the city of Toronto, garnering a Grammy nomination in 2018 and a Juno award for Vaughan Williams’ Orchestral Works in 2019. From 2012–2018, Oundjian served as Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra during which time he implemented the kind of collaborative programming that has become a staple of his directorship.
Highlights of past seasons include appearances with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Detroit, Atlanta, Saint Louis, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Oundjian has been a visiting professor at Yale University’s School of Music since 1981, and in 2013 was awarded the school’s Sanford Medal for Distinguished Service to Music. A dedicated educator, Oundjian conducted the Yale and Juilliard Symphony Orchestras and the New World Symphony during the 2018/2019 season.
SORAYA MAFI | SOPRANO
Winner of the Susan Chilcott Award 2016, Lancashire-born soprano Soraya Mafi has performed with Seattle Opera (Flora, The Turn of the Screw), Opéra national du Rhin, Opéra National de Lorraine and Opéra Royal Versailles (Cintia, La Divisione del Mondo). Concert performances include Mozart concert arias with The Academy of Ancient Music, Mozart Mass in C Minor at Westminster Hall with The Southbank Sinfonia and Mozart Requiem at King's Place with Hugo Ticciaiti. She has also appeared on recordings with Classical Opera as Fortuna in Mozart’s Il Sogno Di Scipione (nominated for a Gramaphone Award), the BBC Concert Orchestra as Teresa in Gilbert’s The Mountebanks (“Album of the Week”, Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times) and the Malcolm Martineau as part of the recital disc series ‘Decades’ (Gramaphone Editor’s Choice, October 2018).
Soraya is winner of the Maggie Teyte Award 2014, The Peter Hulse Orchestral Song Award 2015, The Sybill Tutton Award (Help Musicians UK) and The Elsie Thurston Prize. Soraya won 2nd place at the 2015 Kathleen Ferrier Awards and is supported by a Bruce Tollis Fellowship at ENO. Soraya received a distinction from The Royal College of Music International Opera school under the tutelage of Janis Kelly and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Sandra Dugdale.
ALEXANDER DOBSON | BARITONE
British-Canadian baritone Alexander Dobson has been praised for his musical and dramatic artistry on both opera and concert stages. Dobson was acclaimed as “The Pilot” in Soundstreams’ production of Airline Icarus, a new opera by Brian Current. The recording of Airline Icarus was the winner of the JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year in 2015. Concert performances of note include Walton’s Belshazzar's Feast with Toronto Symphony and Sir Andrew Davis, Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfayer with Orchestre Métropolitain, Faure Requiem with the Windsor Symphony, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the combined National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre Métropolitain.
Alexander graduated from the University of Toronto Opera Division and the Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario with Honors. He is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes including from the International Voice Competition of Paris (including the Edward Marshall Association Award for Outstanding Baritone), the Jeunesses Musicales National Competition, the Marilyn Horne Competition (Music Academy of the West), and the Jacqueline Desmarais Competition.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY CHORALE
Over its past four decades, the Chorale has grown in artistry and stature, establishing itself as a highly respected ensemble. Critics have described the Chorale’s work as “beautiful, prayerful, expressive,” “superb” and “robust,” and have praised it for its “impressive clarity and precision.” The Chorale’s 120 volunteer members, who are teachers, doctors, attorneys, musicians, students, bankers and professionals from all fields, bring not only musical excellence, but a sheer love of music and performance to their endeavor. Directed by Joseph Crnko, Associate Conductor for Choral Activities, the Chorale performs with the Seattle Symphony both onstage and in recorded performances.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY
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, 27 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 750,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts, and through the Seattle Symphony Live streaming service, the orchestra’s concerts reach audiences at home and around the world.
###
STRAVINSKY & BRAHMS
MASTERWORKS SERIES
Thursday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 30, at 8 p.m.
Peter Oundjian conductor
Soraya Mafi soprano
Alexander Dobson baritone
Seattle Symphony Chorale
Stravinsky Funeral Song
Brahms German Requiem
Sponsorships:
2021–2022 Masterworks Season Sponsor: Delta Air Lines
Peter Oundjian’s performances are generously sponsored by John Delo and Elizabeth Stokes.