THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY PRESENTS THE MERRIMAN-ROSS FAMILY YOUNG COMPOSERS WORKSHOP CONCERTS ON JUNE 2 IN OCTAVE 9: RAISBECK MUSIC CENTER
THIS SEASON'S WORKSHOP INTRODUCES A UNIQUE FUSION OF ELECTRONIC SOUNDS AND LIVE SYMPHONY INSTRUMENTS
Participants collaborating together and with Seattle Symphony Clarinet Eric Jacobs during one of the workshop sessions in Benaroya Hall’s Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center. Photo by Alison Ward/Seattle Symphony.
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Symphony presents the 2023/2024 Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop Concerts on Sunday, June 2 at 5:30pm and 7:30pm in Benaroya Hall’s Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center. These performances are free to attend and are guided by the expertise of Workshop Director Marcin Pączkowski, an acclaimed composer and electronic music specialist. Reservations are recommended; walk-ups are also welcomed. Due to limited capacity, all seating is first come, first served.
The concert program features new works by this year’s workshop participants: Mickey Fontaine, Ellie Wu, Bradley Chen, Anaeka Ganesh, Aiden Ramirez, Jeanne Park, Brannon Warn-Johnston and Vee Valdez. The students’ works will be performed by four Seattle Symphony musicians: Violin Ilana Zaks, Clarinet Eric Jacobs, Percussion Jonathan Wisner and Associate Principal Bassoon Luke Fieweger.
During the 15-week course, students had the opportunity to learn how to compose music that integrated electronics with live musicians. They explored and utilized the technological opportunities specific to Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, collaborating closely with Seattle Symphony musicians to compose electroacoustic works. Additionally, for the first time, the workshop centered around developing the students’ electroacoustic techniques, encouraging them to explore new sonic possibilities. Electroacoustic music encompasses sounds generated, recorded and transformed using computer software or electronic instruments.
The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop is facilitated by the Seattle Symphony’s Education & Community Engagement department, which accepts applications to the program on an annual basis. The Seattle Symphony encourages youths ages 18 years and younger to apply for the chance to work on all aspects of composing, which includes completing a composition to be performed by musicians of the Seattle Symphony.
THE MERRIMAN-ROSS FAMILY YOUNG COMPOSERS WORKSHOP
The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop has a long history involving many prestigious names in music composition, providing local students the opportunity to connect with exceptional expertise in this field. The program began in 1992 under the direction of Rebecca & Jack Benaroya Conductor Laureate Gerard Schwarz, who was the Harriet Overton Stimson Music Director of the Seattle Symphony from 1985 to 2011, and former Composer in Residence Bright Sheng. It was originally named in honor of David Diamond, recognized as one of America’s greatest composers and the Symphony’s longtime Honorary Composer in Residence. This Education & Community Engagement program represents a rare opportunity for young composers to push the boundaries of traditional composition and to explore new musical landscapes. The Seattle Symphony is proud to support the next generation of composers as they embark on this journey of musical discovery and innovation.
MARCIN PĄCZKOWSKI | WORKSHOP DIRECTOR
Marcin Pączkowski [pawnch-`koavz-kee] is a composer, conductor, digital artist and performer, working with both traditional and electronic media. As a composer, he is focused on developing new ways of creating and performing computer music. His pieces involving real-time gestural control using accelerometers have been performed in the United States, Poland, Canada and South Korea. As the Music Director of Evergreen Community Orchestra, he presents concerts of diverse repertoire to local communities. He is also involved in performing new music and has led premieres of numerous works in Poland and the United States.
He has received grants and commissions from the Seattle Symphony, eScience Institute, Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Polish Institute of Music and Dance. He received his Ph.D. in Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) from the University of Washington and holds Master's degrees from the Academy of Music in Kraków, Poland, and from the University of Washington.
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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The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop is generously underwritten by Pamela Merriman, Sonja Ross, and Kelley Ross.
Additional support for The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop is provided by Patricia M. Davis, Ann Holbrook, and Michel and Christine Suignard.
The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, the Arakawa Foundation, Marco Argenti, ArtsFund, Delta Air Lines, the Merriman-Ross Family, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.
The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop Concert 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.