THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY PRESENTS THE MERRIMAN-ROSS FAMILY YOUNG COMPOSERS WORKSHOP CONCERT ON JUNE 8 AT BENAROYA HALL
FEATURING COMPOSITIONS FOR ELECTROACOUSTIC SOUNDS AND SEATTLE SYMPHONY CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Symphony presents the 2024/2025 Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop Concert on Sunday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Benaroya Hall’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. The concert is open to the public and admission is free. Reservations are recommended; walk-ups are also welcome.
The concert program features new works by this year’s workshop participants: Rohan Badgandi, Bradley Chen, Mason Hoecker, Nina Iorik, Milo Miller, Mason Piette, Avery Pun, Aiden Ramirez, Janani Satish, and Brannon Warn-Johnston. The students’ works will be performed by Seattle Symphony musicians, including Principal Cello Efe Baltacıgil, First Violin Mikhail Shmidt, Bass Clarinet Eric Jacobs and led by Douglas F. King Associate Conductor Sunny Xia. Local musicians will also be joining, including flutist Christina Medawar, pianist Cristina Valdes and violinist Jordan Voelker.
During the 15-week course, students had the opportunity to learn how to compose music that integrates electronics with live instrumentation under the guidance of returning Workshop Director Marcin Pączkowski, an acclaimed composer and electronic music specialist.
The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop is facilitated by the Seattle Symphony’s Education & Community Engagement team, 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 working on and completing a composition to be performed by musicians of the Seattle Symphony.
Ticket Information
For more information on RSVP’s, visit seattlesymphony.org or contact the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office. The Seattle Symphony 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.
THE MERRIMAN-ROSS FAMILY YOUNG COMPOSERS WORKSHOP
The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop has a long history of 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 and 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.
SUNNY XIA | CONDUCTOR
Recognized for her innate musicality, compelling presence and technical precision, conductor Sunny Xia’s ability to forge an immediate and captivating connection with orchestras and audiences alike has led to engagements around the globe. 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. Recent highlights include the world premiere of Composer-in-Residence, Angelique Poteat’s Dear Humanity for Youth Chorus and Orchestra, a work that harnesses the power of 50 voices and full orchestra to confront climate change. A dynamic advocate for contemporary music, Xia has additionally led the Seattle Symphony in works by Samuel Adams, Quinn Mason, Gabriela Ortiz, Gabriella Smith, Jerod Tate, and Tan Dun. Recent and upcoming engagements include the San Diego Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Olympia Symphony, and Chandler Opera Theater.
MARCIN PĄCZKOWSKI | WORKSHOP DIRECTOR
Marcin Pączkowski [‘marr-cheen pawnch-`koav-skee] 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 and 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. 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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Sunny Xia’s position is generously underwritten as the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor..
The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop is generously underwritten by Pamela Merriman, Sonja Ross, and Kelley Ross. Additional support 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, the National Endowment for the Arts, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.