THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS OF ITS COMMUNITY STAGES FUND WITH A FREE COMMUNITY CONCERT

THE APRIL 10 CONCERT BRINGS TOGETHER PAST CSF GRANTEES AND THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY TO SHOWCASE THE DIVERSE MUSICAL VOICES OF THE PUGET SOUND REGION

Seattle, WA — The Seattle Symphony celebrates the fifth anniversary of its Community Stages Fund (CSF) with a free Community Concert on April 10 at 7:30 p.m., featuring performances by past CSF grantees appearing both independently and alongside the Seattle Symphony. The event honors the artists and organizations whose work reflects and enriches the vibrant cultural landscape of the Puget Sound region.

Participating artists and organizations include Faraji Blakeney (Yoga Behind Bars), The Rhapsody Project, Chamber Music Marysville, Sharon Nyree Williams, ARC Dance Company and Puget Sound Co. Additional performances alongside the Seattle Symphony will feature Camp Jitterbug/Evergreen Rhythm, Siddharth Siravara (Key to Change), Avi Spillers (Key to Change), Resounding Love Center for the Arts, Puckduction and Speak With Purpose.

The April 10 program will also include the world premiere of songs arranged for orchestra by Associate Director of Popular Programming Andrew Joslyn and performed by Resounding Love Center for the Arts, Puckduction and Speak With Purpose. The concert highlights local creativity, vision and artistic excellence while offering a rare opportunity for community-based artists to perform on the Arlene A. Wright Stage in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium at Benaroya Hall alongside Seattle Symphony musicians.

The Seattle Symphony established the CSF to amplify voices, with a focus on increasing visibility for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab or Native American), LGBTQ+ and women artists on the stages of Benaroya Hall. Originally established with support from the Tagney Jones Family Fund, the CSF provides nonprofit organizations, groups and artists with fully sponsored or highly subsidized access to Benaroya Hall’s performance spaces. This season, Jessi (George) Harvey was awarded an Octave 9 Residency and Puckduction received a CSF grant. To date, 19 grantees representing music, dance, spoken word and theater have been awarded funding through the program. Hear directly from these organizations and artists about why the CSF is so impactful in this video.

Applications for the 2026/2027 season are now open and will close on Monday, June 8th. For more information and to apply, visit seattlesymphony.org/csf.

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.

SUNNY XIA | ASSOCIATE 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 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, a role she continues in the 2025/2026 season.  She also takes on three new positions in the 2025/2026 season: Associate Conductor of the Seattle Opera, Principal Conductor of the Ozark Music Festival and Conducting Fellow of the San Diego Symphony. Recent engagements include performances with the San Diego Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Seattle Opera, Baltimore Symphony, New Jersey Symphony and Chandler Opera Theater. A dynamic advocate for contemporary music, Xia led the Seattle Symphony in works by Samuel Adams, Quinn Mason, Reena Esmail, Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate, Bruce Ruddell, Gabriela Ortiz, Gabriella Smith, Paul Chihara, Tan Dun and others, as well as the world premiere of former Composer in Residence Angelique Poteat’s climate change-inspired Dear Humanity for Youth Chorus and Orchestra.

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 and Native American), LGBTQ+ and female artists and their works on the Benaroya Hall stages, 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 500,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts.

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. 

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

Sunny Xia’s position is generously underwritten as the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor.

The Arakawa Foundation proudly supports the Seattle Symphony’s Youth Education Partnerships. Additional support is provided by Delta Air Lines.

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

Free or reduced cost access is supported by 4Culture.

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