THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES TWO RECIPIENTS OF ITS COMMUNITY STAGES FUND (CSF)

IN CELEBRATION OF THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY, THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY PRESENTS A COMMUNITY CONCERT FEATURING PAST AND PRESENT CSF GRANT RECIPIENTS

Seattle, WA — Marking its fifth anniversary, the Seattle Symphony is thrilled to announce two new recipients of its Community Stages Fund (CSF). Jessi (George) Harvey has been awarded an Octave 9 Residency and Puckduction has received a CSF grant.

To celebrate five years of the CSF, the Symphony will bring together past and present CSF grant recipients for a special event with Seattle Symphony musicians on Friday, April 10, at 7:30 pm — the Community Stages Fund: Fifth Anniversary Celebration. The event will showcase a vibrant lineup of past and present recipients, including Puget Sound Co., Chamber Music Marysville, The Rhapsody Project, Yoga Behind Bars, Speak With Purpose, Camp Jitterbug (Evergreen Rhythm), Sharon Nyree Williams, Key to Change, Puckduction, ARC Dance Company and Resounding Love Center for the Arts. Hear directly from these organizations and artists about why the CSF is so important in this video.

“We are excited to be marking the fifth season of our Community Stages Fund program by celebrating the many awardees that have performed on the stages of Benaroya Hall in a free joint concert with Seattle Symphony musicians,” said Seattle Symphony Senior Director of Education & Community Engagement Jérémy Jolley. “The energy of the many communities and their stories, embodied by these artists and organizations, defines the rich cultural fabric of our region.”

Photo credit: Sonya Harris

Jessi (George) Harvey is a Montana-born, Puget Sound-based freelance composer and teacher. Harvey’s works are rooted in a passion for bringing together scientific and musical audiences, integrating social curiosity, humor and a love of knowledge. Performing across North and South America as well as Europe with the piece, by the nature of our conversation, and winning first place at the 2020 Darkwater Womxn in Music Festival, Harvey’s music has been described by Seattle Magazine as “full of surprises and consistently attention holding.” Commissions, residencies, and festival and conference features have included the Robb Commission, the Denver Botanic Gardens Landline Residency, New Music Gathering and Círculo Colombiano de Música Contemporánea, with projects being supported by 4Culture, the Prop Foundation, the Harnisch Foundation, the National Science Foundation and more. Since 2022, Harvey has been part of the Emlen Artist Co-Lab, a collaboration with choreographer Julynn Wildman, the Emlen Evolutionary Biology Lab, Open AIR and organizations across Western Montana, bringing to life the mysterious mating songs and dances of the Japanese Rhino Beetle through music, dance and the documentary Scarabic Serenades.

In a sonic translation of Primo Levi’s opus, The Periodic Table, Harvey’s CSF concert unites the world of music, literature, chemistry and cultural memory. The date of Harvey’s event at the Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center will be announced later.

Puckduction is a Black and Queer-led arts and culture organization based in Seattle and fiscally sponsored by Shunpike, a 501(c)3 arts nonprofit. Puckduction’s programs are centered around providing space and support for marginalized performers, creators, educators and activists, with a focus on BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, People with Disabilities and People of Size. From education to festivals to documentaries, Puckduction is committed to empowering these marginalized artists by activating spaces, building community and providing them with financial compensation. The date of Puckduction’s event at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall will be announced later.

2024/2025 CSF Recipient) Yoga Behind Bars has been sharing trauma-informed yoga and meditation with communities behind and beyond bars since 2008, supporting individual healing and fostering a more just society for all. Come experience a night of rhythm, resistance and release — a vibrant evening of healing, transformation and collective power. Through poetry, live music, visual art and more, incarcerated and liberated voices will reveal how creativity transcends oppression and moves us toward freedom. Yoga Behind Bars: When Freedom Moves happens on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at 7pm, in the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall.

COMMUNITY STAGES FUND

 The Community Stages Fund (CSF) is an initiative focused on serving organizations, groups and artists within our region that do not have access to spaces to produce and present their art and connect with their community. This fund is part of the Seattle Symphony’s investment in greater prominence for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab or Native American), LGBTQ+ and female artists and their works on the Benaroya Hall stages and the Seattle Symphony+ digital platform, as it aligns with the Symphony's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging work. The CSF welcomes nonprofit organizations, groups and artists to the Benaroya Hall stages for fully sponsored or highly subsidized use of the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby and Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center along with in-house digital streaming equipment and production crew. This program aims to amplify the voices of the Puget Sound area and give back to the community members who have helped shape and grow our region’s unique musical and cultural landscape.

SEATTLE SYMPHONY

Under the leadership of Music Director Xian Zhang, 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.

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 Seattle Symphony’s Community Stages Fund was established with support from the Tagney Jones Family Fund at Seattle Foundation.

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