THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY’S FAMILY CONCERTS, TINY TOTS PERFORMANCES AND COMMUNITY CONCERTS RETURN FOR THE 2024/2025 SEASON

THIS SEASON’S PROGRAMS SHOWCASE CULTURES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Symphony announces its full suite of Family Concerts, Tiny Tots performances and Community Concerts for the 2024/2025 season, featuring programming by nearly a dozen living composers and encompassing a diversity of cultures. Families with children ages 6 to 12 can explore the world of symphonic music with the Seattle Symphony’s Family Concerts Series featuring Seattle Symphony Douglas F. King Associate Conductor Sunny Xia. For the Symphony’s youngest audiences, ages 5 and under, the Tiny Tots Series returns with five vibrant performances, which will continue to be offered on Fridays as well as Saturdays.

The Symphony presents these educational and enriching family-friendly performances in support of the musical development of the region’s youngest listeners. Expanding its community engagement, the Seattle Symphony also presents several free Community Concerts at Benaroya Hall and throughout the Puget Sound region, aiming to increase access to symphonic performances while bringing people together and sparking more connections in and between communities.

Tiny Tots Series

Hosted by Seattle Symphony Horn John Turman and featuring Seattle Symphony ensembles from different orchestra sections, Tiny Tots is geared toward families with children from birth to 5 years of age, perfect for burgeoning music lovers. Seattle Symphony musicians share their favorite stories, songs and musical games in a series that introduces these young listeners to the instruments of the orchestra. The fun, interactive concerts are approximately 30 minutes and attendees are encouraged to arrive early for pre-concert activities that include a xylophone orchestra, reading station, a percussion play area and a concert-specific craft in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby. Activities begin 30 minutes prior to every performance and are free with ticket purchase.

October 11 & 12: Join the string family as they play through all four seasons — spring, summer, autumn and winter — in The Strings: Rain or Shine.
December 6 & 7: Make memories together with The Percussion: Jingle Bell Bash as the percussion family plays classic sing-alongs and your favorite holiday music.
January 24 & 25: Take a journey with the brass family as they make their musical way across the universe in The Brass: Interstellar Adventures.
April 4 & 5: Travel along with the harmonious wind family to discover different and exciting modes of transportation in The Winds: Planes, Trains & Musical Games.
May 16 & 17: Tiny Orchestra: Symphonic Celebrations brings all the families of the orchestra together to present the full symphony experience.

Family Concerts Series

From timeless musical stories to holiday favorites, Family Concerts delight and spark the imagination of children and families throughout the year. Geared toward families with children ages 6–12, Family Concerts focus on the diversity of symphonic music while featuring world premieres as well as Symphony firsts. Families are invited to arrive one hour early to participate in pre-concert adventures in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby; craft activities and instrument exploration are free with ticket purchase.

October 19: The Family Concerts Series opens with a celebration of Mexican traditions, music and composers at Día de Muertos. Learn more about the Seattle Symphony’s Día de Muertos Family Concert in this video.
December 14: The Snowman revives the beloved holiday tradition of this classic children’s film, accompanied live by the Seattle Symphony, and will include some of your other holiday favorite sing-alongs!
March 22: Prepare the whole family for A Trip to Outer Space. From the moon to the solar system, this Family Concert will transport your child’s imagination to a galaxy far, far away!
May 3: Join us for Songs and Dances of India, a Celebrate Asia Project. Experience a vibrant musical journey as the orchestra performs a diverse program of music from India. Enjoy works by contemporary composer, including former Seattle Symphony Composer in Residence Reena Esmail, alongside classic Bollywood songs.

Community Concerts

Community Concerts feature chamber music, Side-by-Side Concerts with community orchestras and full orchestra performances, and are always free for any community member to attend.

October 23: The Seattle Symphony visits Renton to perform with students of the Key to Change studio. The program features Mozart alongside William Grant Still’s 1948 Wood Notes, inspired by the landscapes of the American South and filled with warm melodies and rich textures.
February 13: The Seattle Symphony will share the stage with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra for an evening of exciting side-by-side performances!
March 7: The Seattle Symphony is excited to partner with the Lushootseed Research Center to present Skagit Elder Vi taqᵂšəblu Hilbert’s commissioned work by Bruce Ruddell, The Healing Heart of the First People of This Land paired with a screening of The Healing Heart of the Lushootseed. The documentary recounts how Hilbert brought a seemingly disparate group of people together to create a symphonic work aiming to “heal the heart of the world” after the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
May 27:  Celebrate the music of Southeast Asia with the Seattle Symphony’s Community Concert in Burien with the Mount Rainer High School Orchestra.

Ticket Information 

For more information on tickets for Family Concerts, Tiny Tots and Community Concerts, please visit seattlesymphony.org or contact the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office. The 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.

SUNNY XIA | CONDUCTOR

Recognized for her innate musicality, compelling presence and technical precision, conductor Sunny Xuecong 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 has served as the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor since 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 has led the Seattle Symphony in works by a variety of living composers including Katy Abbott, Chen Yi, Quinn Mason, Angelique Poteat, Gabriella Smith and Tan Dun.

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 STRINGS: RAIN OR SHINE

TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, October 11, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, October 12, at 9:30, 10:30 & 11:30 a.m.

John Turman host
Seattle Symphony string quartet

DÍA DE MUERTOS

FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, October 19, at 11 a.m.

Sunny Xia conductor
Rachel Jung violin – 2025 Young Artist
Seattle Symphony

Prieto Dios Nunca Muere
Moncayo Huapango
Bruch Finale: Allegro energico from Violin Concerto No. 1
Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2 for Orchestra
Gabriela Ortiz Kauyumari
Rosas Sobre las Olas

COMMUNITY CONCERT IN RENTON

COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Wednesday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center

6:15p.m. Pre-Concert Recital with the Key to Change students only

Sunny Xia conductor
Eden Pawlos violin – Key to Change Student
Key to Change Studio
Seattle Symphony

Mozart Allegro from Violin Concerto No. 3
Still Wood Notes

THE PERCUSSION: JINGLE BELL BASH

TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, December 6, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 7, at 9:30, 10:30 & 11:30 a.m.

John Turman host
Seattle Symphony percussion quartet

THE SNOWMAN

FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, December 14, at 11 a.m.

Sunny Xia conductor
Lin Tokura violin – 2025 Young Artist
Seattle Symphony

Quinn Mason Christmas Eve Festivities
Vivaldi L’inverno (Winter) from Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons)
Pierpont “Jingle Bells”
Leontovych “Carol Of The Bells”
Wyle & Pola It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Traditional (Christmas) “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”
Howard Blake The Snowman
Anderson Sleigh Ride

THE BRASS: INTERSTELLAR ADVENTURES

TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, January 24, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, January 25, at 9:30, 10:30 & 11:30 a.m.

John Turman host
Seattle Symphony brass quintet

SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH SEATTLE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Thursday, February 13, at 7:30 p.m.
S. Mark Taper Auditorium, Benaroya Hall

Sunny Xia conductor
Juan Felipe Molano conductor
Kim Roy conductor
Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra Ensembles
Seattle Symphony

THE HEALING HEART OF THE FIRST PEOPLE OF THIS LAND

COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Friday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m.
S. Mark Taper Auditorium, Benaroya Hall

Sunny Xia conductor
Seattle Symphony

The Healing Heart of the Lushootseed Documentary screening
Bruce Ruddell The Healing Heart of the First People of This Land

A TRIP TO OUTER SPACE

FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, March 22, at 11 a.m.

Sunny Xia conductor
Jason Nam piano – 2025 Young Artist
Seattle Symphony

Jessie Montgomery Starburst
Haydn Piano Concerto in D Major
Dai Wei The Dancing Moonlight
Dorothy Chang Northern Star
Holst Mars, the Bringer of War
Holst Mercury from The Planets
Holst Jupiter from The Planets
John Williams Main Title from Star Wars

THE WINDS: PLANES, TRAINS & MUSICAL GAMES

TINY TOTS SERIES 
Friday, April 4, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 5, at 9:30, 10:30 & 11:30 a.m.

John Turman host
Seattle Symphony wind quintet

SONGS AND DANCES OF INDIA
A CELEBRATE ASIA PROJECT

FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, May 3, at 11 a.m.

Vinay Parameswaran conductor
Seattle Symphony

Various Bollywood Uptempo Medley
Reena Esmail Ram Tori Maya
Various Bollywood Romantic Medley

TINY ORCHESTRA: SYMPHONIC CELEBRATIONS

TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, May 16, at 10:30 a.m. 
Saturday, May 17, at 9:30, 10:30 & 11:30 a.m.

John Turman host
Seattle Symphony string quartet

COMMUNITY CONCERT IN BURIEN

COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Tuesday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Highline Performing Arts Center

Sunny Xia conductor
Ashley La conductor
Mount Rainer School Orchestra
Mount Rainier High School Tinikling Dance Group
Seattle Symphony