NOTICE OF CONDUCTOR CHANGE: PETER OUNDJIAN TO REPLACE MARIN ALSOP IN SEATTLE SYMPHONY’S JUNE 20 & 22 PERFORMANCES

CONCERT FEATURES SUPERSTAR VIOLINIST JOSHUA BELL PERFORMING THE WEST COAST PREMIERE OF THE ELEMENTS, WRITTEN FOR BELL BY FIVE OF TODAY’S LEADING COMPOSERS

Seattle, WA – World renowned conductor Peter Oundjian will conduct the Seattle Symphony in the Joshua Bell Plays Elements Concerto program on June 20 & 22 at Benaroya Hall. Regretfully, Marin Alsop is unable to perform, as she starts her new Music Directorship with the Polish National Radio Symphony. The Symphony is delighted for Oundjian to return to Benaroya Hall for the second time this season to conduct the orchestra in a concert featuring superstar violinist Joshua Bell and The Elements, a brand-new concerto.

On June 20 & 22, the Seattle Symphony is joined by Joshua Bell to perform the West Coast premiere of The Elements by composers Kevin Puts (“Earth” and “Earth Reprise and Finale”), Edgar Meyer (“Water”), Jake Heggie (“Fire”), Jennifer Higdon (“Air”) and Jessie Montgomery (“Space”). Commissioned by Bell, the concerto was created during the early stages of the pandemic and consists of five movements, each highlighting a different element in our world. The performance rounds out with Brahms’ sunny Symphony No. 2, a piece fitting for the conclusion of the 2023/2024 season and the beginning of summer.

Ticket Information

For more information on tickets for Joshua Bell Plays Elements Concerto, please visit seattlesymphony.org or contact the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office. The Seattle Symphony Ticket Office is located in Benaroya Hall, at the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street. The Ticket Office can be reached by phone at 206.215.4747 during the following times: Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

PETER OUNDJIAN | CONDUCTOR

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. Currently Principal Conductor of the Colorado Symphony in addition to Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival, Oundjian is also Conductor Emeritus of the Toronto Symphony, where he served as Music Director for 14 years. From 2012–2018, Oundjian was Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, he has appeared with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Iceland Symphony, and with the Detroit, Atlanta, Milwaukee and New Zealand symphony orchestras, among others. He’s been a visiting professor at Yale University’s School of Music since 1981, regularly conducts the Yale, Juilliard, Curtis and New World symphony orchestras, and after opening the 2023/2024 season in Denver, Oundjian will return to Seattle, Dallas, Toronto and Sarasota, culminating with a Carnegie Hall concert in the spring with students from Toronto’s Royal Conservatory.

JOSHUA BELL | VIOLIN 

With a career spanning more than 30 years as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and conductor, Joshua Bell is one of the most celebrated violinists of his era. An exclusive Sony Classical artist, Bell has recorded more than 40 CDs garnering Grammy, Mercury, Gramophone and Echo Klassik awards and is the recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize. Seeking opportunities to increase violin repertoire, Bell has premiered new works by John Corigliano, Aaron Jay Kernis, Nicholas Maw, Edgar Meyer, Behzad Ranjbaran and Jay Greenberg.  He also performs and has recorded his own cadenzas to most of the major violin concertos.

Bell has collaborated with numerous artists outside the classical arena and performed on television shows including the Grammy Awards, numerous Live from Lincoln Center specials and on movie soundtracks including the Oscar-winning film, The Red Violin.  He has been embraced by a wide television audience with appearances ranging from The Tonight Show, Tavis Smiley, Charlie Rose, and CBS Sunday Morning to Sesame Street. Bell performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius violin and uses a late 18th century French bow by François Tourte.

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+ streaming service, the orchestra’s concerts reach audiences at home and around the world.

BENAROYA HALL 

Benaroya Hall, the home of the Seattle Symphony, is located in downtown Seattle and surrounded by numerous restaurants, retail stores and parking facilities. Opened in 1998, Benaroya Hall is the most-visited performing arts venue in Seattle. It has received numerous awards, including a 2001 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award for outstanding architecture. Benaroya Hall has three versatile performance venues, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall and Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, all renowned for their pristine acoustics, luxurious design and prime location. For additional information, including rental information, event listings and public tour schedules, please visit benaroyahall.org. 

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JOSHUA BELL PLAYS ELEMENTS CONCERTO
MASTERWORKS SERIES 
Thursday, June 20, at 7:30 p.m. 
Saturday, June 22, at 8 p.m.

Peter Oundjian conductor
Joshua Bell violin

Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, Edgar Meyer, Jessie Montgomery, Kevin Puts The Elements Suite for Violin & Orchestra (Commissioned by Joshua Bell)
Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 2

Performances of Elements Concerto are generously underwritten by the Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis Living Music Program.