THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY KICKS OFF THE PUBLIC PHASE OF AMPLIFY — A $20 MILLION REVITALIZATION CAMPAIGN FOR BENAROYA HALL
AMPLIFY CAMPAIGN REIMAGINES BENAROYA HALL, INVESTS IN DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
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FACT SHEET
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Seattle, WA – Today, the Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall launched the public phase of the Amplify campaign to invest in Benaroya Hall’s public spaces. With a goal of $20 million, Amplify reimagines Benaroya Hall as a destination in Downtown Seattle — including more welcoming spaces and an enhanced experience through a new café, Welcome Desk, Overlook Lounge and Community Room; refreshed lobby spaces with increased seating and hospitality; improved wayfinding; and public art and programming.
During the quiet phase of the campaign, Amplify has raised $15 million towards the $20 million goal, with leading gifts from the Friday Foundation, in honor of Jane Lang Davis, the Norcliffe Foundation, Leslie and Dale Chihuly, The Benaroya Family, Elias and Karyl Alvord, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Linda Nordstrom, Maryanne Tagney, and Patricia Tall-Takacs and Gary Takacs.
First opening its doors in 1998, Benaroya Hall is centrally located in Downtown Seattle and has served as a leading destination for live performances as well as a gathering place for the community. When it opened, Benaroya Hall helped to reshape the downtown area, which saw significant retail and housing growth. Now, Amplify reimagines Benaroya Hall’s public spaces by transforming the visitor experience to provide a welcoming environment for current and future audiences, enhancing downtown safety and activity, and preserving a vital community and cultural asset. This new initiative for Benaroya Hall is once again helping to contribute to Seattle’s downtown revitalization efforts.
“Benaroya Hall has always been more than a concert hall,” said Leslie Jackson Chihuly, Chair, Benaroya Hall Board of Directors. “When we first opened our doors, Benaroya Hall helped spark a new era of cultural and civic revitalization in downtown Seattle, establishing a permanent home for world-class music and a gathering place for our community. Today, we find ourselves in another defining moment — a period of renewal for our city.”
“Through the Amplify campaign,” Chihuly continued, “we are investing in the future of Benaroya Hall as a vibrant, welcoming space that meets the evolving needs of our dynamic and diverse city. This transformation is about reimagining the visitor experience, elevating our public spaces and deepening the Hall’s role as a beacon for creativity, connection and civic pride for everyone.”
“The arts play a vital role in the health and vibrancy of our city,” said Maria K. Yang, Acting CEO and Chief Development & Project Officer for the Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall. “As Seattle enters an exciting moment of revitalization, we are proud to do our part through Amplify — creating a destination and elevated experience that will bring more people to Benaroya Hall and spur energy and excitement in the core of downtown. Through this initiative, we are capturing the momentum of the city’s revitalization through the waterfront expansion, the upcoming 2026 World Cup and the improvements we’ve already seen downtown. This is our opportunity to invest in our city and create a destination downtown for residents, workers, audiences and the entire community.”
Prior to its official launch, the Amplify project underwent a comprehensive, community-based fact-finding process led by nationally recognized consulting firm Campbell & Company and architect and design firm Mithun. This process included interviews, focus groups and facility tours with community leaders and stakeholders. The insights gathered during this phase reinforced confidence that the project’s impact will benefit and extend broadly across the many communities served by city-owned Benaroya Hall.
Project architect Mithun used this stakeholder feedback to design the reimagined Benaroya Hall public spaces. The design includes enhanced building entrances with improved exterior lighting and signage to promote both safety and engagement. Public spaces along Third Avenue include a new Welcome Desk and an expanded café with seating for socializing and connecting. A new Community Room will provide free public programming and a space for collaboration with nonprofit partners. Inside, lobby areas will be elevated through the inclusion of public art installations, inviting seating, and enhanced lounges and bars to improve flow and create an improved experience.
“Benaroya Hall is a cornerstone of our community, and the Amplify campaign represents an exciting vision for the future of our city,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “In Seattle, we think big and achieve great things, from reimagining our central waterfront to investing in world-class public spaces and building a transportation system that connects our region. Amplify is yet another example of how we, as Seattleites, are defining our own future by investing in the places that bring us together.”
The first phase of construction begins in July of 2025, with Sellen Construction serving as General Contractor for the project. The initial improvements will take place on the exterior of Benaroya Hall along Third Avenue, and will include the installation of new marquees, digital signage, new primary entrance points and improved lighting. Benaroya Hall will remain open during this phase of construction.
CAMPAIGN STEERING COMMITTEE
Leslie Jackson Chihuly, Chair
Charles and Lisa Simonyi, Honorary Chairs
Maria K. Yang, Acting CEO and Chief Development & Project Officer
Karyl and Elias Alvord
Sam Cho
Joanne Harrell
Kjristine Lund
Scott Oki
Maggie Walker
CAMPBELL & COMPANY
Campbell & Company is a national consulting firm that supports nonprofit organizations in creating greater impact through fundraising, executive search, communications, and strategic information services. Since 1976, Campbell & Company has helped over 2,500 clients grow their fundraising results through an integrated approach. In addition, its award-winning executive search team brings a record of success in placing exceptional leaders across the nonprofit sector. Underlying all of its work is a shared focus on the Campbell & Company mission: to advance the life-changing work of mission-driven organizations.
MITHUN
Mithun is an integrated design firm dedicated to creating positive change in people’s lives. A national practice with offices in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the firm’s architects, landscape architects, interior designers, urban designers and planners work in a wide range of typologies and scales — with a focus on urban environments and places where people live, work and learn. The firm is nationally recognized for excellence in design and sustainability; honors include the 2023 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Firm Award and eight AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Awards.
SELLEN CONSTRUCTION
Since 1944, Sellen has been deeply connected to the city of Seattle, building projects that reflect the spirit and values of our region. We are proud to partner with some of the Pacific Northwest’s most impactful community and cultural organizations—including the Woodland Park Zoo—to create spaces that inspire, educate, and bring people together. From civic landmarks and historic renovations to mission-driven nonprofits and public gathering places, Sellen is honored to help shape the places that define our community.
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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