COMMUNITY STAGES FUND (CSF) CELEBRATES FIFTH YEAR WITH NEW OCTAVE 9 RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITY

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR THE 2025/2026 SEASON; TWO SELECTED ARTISTS TO RECEIVE CSF GRANT OR EXCLUSIVE OCTAVE 9 RESIDENCY

eattle, WA – Marking its fifth anniversary, the Seattle Symphony’s Community Stages Fund (CSF) is now accepting applications through July 14, 2025. Organizations, groups and individual artists across the Puget Sound region are encouraged to apply for the opportunity to utilize the world-class stages of Benaroya Hall. In celebration of the Community Stages Fund's five-year anniversary, a new opportunity is being introduced: the Octave 9 Residency. For the 2025/2026 season, one applicant will be selected for the Octave 9 Residency, and another will receive the standard grant package.

For the Octave 9 Residency, recipients will have access to Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, a state-of-the-art venue located within Benaroya Hall. This innovative space combines immersive digital acoustics with advanced projection technology to create a versatile and experimental environment. Designed to encourage artistic exploration and educational opportunities, Octave 9 aligns with the Seattle Symphony’s mission to promote innovation and inclusivity in the arts. The residency program includes consultation meetings with the Octave 9 Production Manager, two technical days, one dress rehearsal day and a performance day with options for multiple performances.

The Seattle Symphony’s Community Stages Fund is designed to provide underrepresented artists with greater access to professional-grade venues and resources. Selected grantees receive either the Octave 9 Residency or fully sponsored or highly subsidized use of a Benaroya Hall space — the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center or the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby. Additional support includes in-house digital streaming equipment, marketing assistance and production crew expertise. Previously selected CSF grantees are not eligible to be selected for this current year. 

Applications for the 2025/2026 Community Stages Fund grants are now open and interested organizations can find all application information and submission details online. All applicants will be notified of their status and any next steps by August 11, 2025. For any questions about the application process, please contact community.stages@seattlesymphony.org. 

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

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. 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 Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, the Arakawa Foundation, Marco Argenti, ArtsFund, Delta Air Lines, the Merriman-Ross Family, the National Endowment for the Arts, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.