THE 2023/2024 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE SEATTLE SPEAKER SERIES PREMIERES ITS 26TH SEASON AT BENAROYA HALL

THE 2023/2024 SERIES INCLUDES SIX PRESENTATIONS, TAKING PLACE FROM OCTOBER 2023 THROUGH JUNE 2024, AND COINCIDING WITH BENAROYA HALL’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY 

Seattle, WA — Continuing its tradition of presenting a wide array of performances, concerts, events and lectures, Benaroya Hall and the Seattle Symphony announce the 2023/2024 National Geographic Live Seattle Speaker Series, featuring six presentations running from October 2023 to June 2024. The National Geographic Live Seattle Speaker Series features behind-the-scenes stories from National Geographic's photographers, scientists, filmmakers and adventurers live on stage at Benaroya Hall, accompanied by iconic National Geographic footage and unforgettable imagery. The series also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Benaroya Hall. 

To kick off the National Geographic Live Seattle Speaker Series on October 1, The Beginning of Us follows paleoanthropologist Lee Berger, who returns to Benaroya Hall to share a monumental find — a new hominid species that made tools, art and even buried its dead. Then starting on January 22, 2024, Life On Thin Ice takes audiences on a journey to the Arctic north with photographer Kiliii Yüyan, the first Indigenous National Geographic Explorer to speak at the National Geographic Seattle Speaker Series. Yüyan’s presentation will illustrate the native peoples and their remarkable relationship to a frigid land and its animals. Starting February 25, Hunt for Sleeping Giants finds geothermal scientist Andrés Ruzo exploring the fiery portals to Earth’s core and revealing how smoking peaks have shaped civilizations across the globe, from Iceland to the deep Amazon.

Beginning March 10, 2024, the series continues with Wild Cats Revealed, in which photographer and filmmaker Sandesh Kadur shares captivating images and video, giving attendees an up-close look at the world of wild cats like never seen before. Then on May 12, The Untold Story of Sharks, with shark researcher Dr. Jess Cramp, will take audiences on a journey through the National Geographic archives to share Dr. Cramp’s work on the frontier of shark research and conservation. And finally, starting June 23, join wildlife biologist Doug Smith for Wild Wolves of Yellowstone, a behind-the-scenes look at his decades-long quest to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. 

The National Geographic Live speaker series is presented by Benaroya Hall and the Seattle Symphony. The orchestra does not perform in these programs. 

Ticket Information 

For more information on purchasing tickets for the National Geographic Live Seattle Speaker Series, please visit benaroyahall.org/natgeo. Subscriptions are currently on sale and single tickets will go on sale July 29, 2023. The Seattle Symphony Ticket Office is located in Benaroya Hall, at 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.

BENAROYA HALL

Benaroya Hall, the home of the Seattle Symphony, is located in downtown Seattle. The hall is renowned for its pristine acoustics, luxurious design and prime location. It has two auditoria: S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium and Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. Opened in 1998, the complex celebrates the vital role of performance events, sustains commercial life on one avenue, and offers a public space, in the form of a terraced garden, along another.

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National Geographic Live Series Program Schedule 

The Beginning of Us 
Sunday, October 1, at 2 p.m.  
Monday, October 2, at 7:30 p.m. 
Tuesday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m.

Lee Berger paleoanthropologist

Life on Thin Ice
Monday, January 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m.

Kiliii Yüyan photographer

Hunt for Sleeping Giants
Sunday, February 25, at 2 p.m.
Monday, February 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m.

Andrés Ruzo geothermal scientist

Wild Cats Revealed
Sunday, March 10, at 2 p.m.
Monday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m.

Sandesh Kadur photographer and filmmaker

The Untold Story of Sharks
Sunday, May 12, at 2 p.m.
Monday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m. 
Tuesday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Jess Cramp shark researcher

Wild Wolves of Yellowstone
Sunday, June 23, at 2 p.m.
Monday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m.

Doug Smith wildlife biologist