THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF POTLATCH SYMPHONY 2020, ON APRIL 19 AT BENAROYA HALL

THE POTLATCH SYMPHONY 2020 COMMUNITY CONCERT UNITES AND INSPIRES WITH MESSAGES OF HEALING AND UNDERSTANDING

Seattle, WA — On April 19, join the Seattle Symphony for Potlatch Symphony 2020, a free Community Concert that includes the world premiere performance of Potlatch Symphony 2020, conducted by Douglas F. King Associate Conductor Sunny Xia and featuring violinist Swil Kanim and narrator and Indigenous flutist Paul Chiyokten Wagner (Wsaanich / W̱SÁNEĆ).

Born from a long-term collaboration between the Seattle Symphony and local western Washington tribes, this landmark project celebrates the rich tapestry of our region’s land and ancestral history through the power of music. The program includes works from four living composers: Max Dawes, Swil Kanim, Paul Chiyokten Wagner and Janice Giteck as well as a side-by-side performance featuring the young musicians of Kids in Concert. Notably, Dawes is a budding local composer studying at Cornish College of the Arts; he is a Suquamish tribe member and a graduate of Kids in Concert.

At the heart of the concert program is the world premiere of Potlatch Symphony 2020, which tells a mesmerizing tale of “Two Sisters,” led by Chiyokten, who will narrate and accompany himself on the flute, joined in parts by Swil Kanim on violin. As the story goes, two young Indigenous sisters are unknown to each other and represent two worlds, one where the ancient teachings have been lost. The symphony takes audiences through the sisters’ journey of separation, becoming reunited and ultimately working together to bring the ancient wisdom and knowledge back to their people.

Initiated by the Seattle Symphony’s Education & Community Engagement team in 2012, the Potlatch Symphony project has been in progress for over 10 years, and was originally intended to deepen connections between the Seattle Symphony and local western Washington tribes. During this time, the Symphony hosted a series of cultural exchanges, where both Symphony and Indigenous musicians came together to perform and share music. The Symphony also invited Janice Giteck — a local composer with a strong reputation for her compositions who had also previously worked with Indigenous artists — to join the project as Composer in Residence, infusing the collaboration with her unique vision.

Giteck’s original Potlatch Symphony was performed twice as part of the Seattle Symphony’s Day of Music event in Benaroya Hall on September 22, 2013. The public performances of Potlatch Symphony by the orchestra occurred, appropriately, in Benaroya Hall, reflecting not only the significance of cross-cultural music-making but cognizance of the concert hall’s location near the site of a pre-contact Duwamish village, which the Symphony recognizes with a land acknowledgment before each concert.

Potlatch Symphony 2020 is an outgrowth of the original work, emerging with a renewed purpose: to bridge cultures and deliver a message of healing and understanding. In addition to this world premiere performance, the Seattle Symphony will be joined by our Community Partner, Kids in Concert, for a side-by-side performance, further enriching the experience for audiences of all ages.

Ticket Information  

For more information on tickets, visit or contact the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office. 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. seattlesymphony.org or contact the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office.

SUNNY XIA | CONDUCTOR

Recognized for her innate musicality, compelling presence and technical precision, conductor Sunny Xia’s ability to forge an immediate and captivating connection with orchestras and audiences alike has led to engagements around the country. Xia began her position as the Assistant Conductor of the Seattle Symphony in September 2022 and was promoted to the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor at the start of the 2023/2024 season. In the 2021/2022 season, Xia was selected as Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, where she made her festival debut leading the world premiere of Marc Migó Cortés’ Dumka in July 2022. She led a production of La bohème with the Chandler Opera Company to great success and served as Assistant Conductor of the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra. A dynamic advocate for contemporary music, Xia led the Seattle Symphony in works by composers Katy Abbott, Chen Yi, Quinn Mason, Angelique Poteat, Gabriella Smith and Tan Dun in the 2022/2023 season.

SWIL KANIM | VIOLIN

Swil Kanim is a U.S. Army Veteran, storyteller, actor and classically trained violinist who grew up in Washington State. For many years he has traveled up and down the West Coast, playing violin and telling stories at schools, community events and festivals. He plays his own compositions, which incorporate classical influences but are infused with his own life and musical influences. Swil Kanim has been a featured performer at the American Indian Film Awards in San Francisco since 2003. The recipient of many awards and honors, Swil Kanim performed at the West Coast American Indian Music Awards in 2008, where he was presented with both the classical and traditional instrument awards. That same year he was invited to perform for the Dalai Lama at Key Arena in Seattle for the Seeds of Compassion event. He passionately encourages and inspires people of all walks of life to Honor their vision and follow their passion.

PAUL CHIYOKTEN WAGNER | NARRATOR & INDIGENOUS FLUTE

Paul Chiyokten Wagner is a member of the Saanich Nation tribe, which is located on  Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada. As a traditional Coast Salish storyteller and flutist, he brings us on a wonderful, profound and humorous journey to the world of mermaids, leprechauns, grandmother cedar trees and marauding giant ogresses in traditional story, song and Native American flute music of his Coast Salish territory. Journey of the Spirit won the JPF National Music Award's “Best Native American Album” in 2009. Chiyokten is also the founder of Protectors of the Salish Sea, actively standing up for the tree, plant and animal peoples as well as our human peoples of Mother Earth and the livable future for all children.

JANICE GITECK | COMPOSER

Janice Giteck is a composer of music for concert, multi-media, dance and theater. Her work is most celebrated for its visceral connection to social issues and is inspired by a variety of musical traditions. Gitecká original Potlatch Symphony was commissioned by the Seattle Symphony and is the result of a two-year residency with the Symphony and Native American Tribes in the greater Seattle area (2013–2015). She was the first woman commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony, with conductor Edo de Waart, for 1981’s TREE. She held a Meet the Composer residency (1998–2000) in Seattle that produced two major works: Tikkun-Mending for tenor and orchestra; and Navigating the Light for soprano, jazz alto and chamber orchestra. Among her other concert music commissions: 2004’s Ishi (Yahi for 'man'), premiered by the Seattle Chamber Players; 2005’s She Who Dances Through the Sky, premiered by the Esoterics, an a capella ensemble; Snow Mandala for Jane Harty in 2007; and Where Can You Live Safely Then? In Surrender and Ricercare (Dream Upon Arrival) for the Saint Helens String Quartet in 2004 and 2012, respectively. Giteck has also scored the music for six award-winning feature documentaries, including Emiko Omori's Rabbit in the Moon and Katie Jenning’s Teachings of the Tree People.

MAX DAWES | CONDUCTOR & COMPOSER

Maxwell Dawes is a musician and composer from the Suquamish tribe. He is interested in the sounds of the Pacific Northwest and representing them musically. He takes great inspiration from culture, nature, and play. He is currently studying composition at Cornish College of the Arts and intends to make a life out of creating music full time.

KIDS IN CONCERT

Kids In Concert is a free, after-school music education organization for students ages 6–18 in North Kitsap County. KIC is an El Sistema-inspired program that offers students the opportunity to learn an orchestral instrument, participate in musical ensembles and contribute to the lives of others, with the ultimate goal of leveling the playing field for all of our kids. KIC’s program is available to students most school days and serves more than 80 students. While music is at the heart of KIC’s mission, students also participate in the Healthy and Whole program that has been adapted from years of work with the Suquamish tribe, teaching emotional and social learning and providing tools for healthy communication and emotional regulation. At KIC every child has limitless possibilities and the ability to strive for excellence. “Trust the young” informs every aspect of the work.

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 won 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, the 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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POTLATCH SYMPHONY

COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Friday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.

Sunny Xia conductor
Swil Kanim violin
Paul Chiyokten Wagner narrator & Indigenous flute
Max Dawes conductor & composer
Kids in Concert
Seattle Symphony
Janice Giteck composer

Max Dawes Creation
Swil Kanim Father Distant Daughter
Prokofiev Troika from Lieutenant Kijé, Op. 60
Piazzolla Libertango
Paul Chiyokten Wagner Kwaanuk
Janice Giteck Potlatch Symphony 2020 (World Premiere)

Sunny Xia’s position is generously underwritten as the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor.

The Arakawa Foundation proudly supports the Seattle Symphony's Community Partnerships for Youth and Education. Additional support is provided by Delta Air Lines.

The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, Marco Argenti, ArtsFund, the Merriman-Ross Family, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.

Potlatch Symphony is presented as part of the Seattle Symphony’s New Music WORKS initiative, which is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. New Music WORKS features commissions, concerts and educational activities that use composition as a catalyst for collaboration and engagement in music.