SEATTLE SYMPHONY OPENING NIGHT RAISES $1.75 MILLION FOR MUSIC, COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Seattle Symphony Concertmaster Noah Gellar and Principal Cello Efe Baltacıgil perform the Handel/Halvorsen Passacaglia at the Opening Night Gala on Friday, September 16, 2022 at Benaroya Hall. Photo by Brandon Patoc

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Symphony’s 2022/2023 season officially launched on September 16, 2022, celebrating one of the biggest opening weekends at Benaroya Hall yet, raising $1.75 million in support of the organization’s music, community and education programs. The Symphony kicked off its new season with a successful Opening Night Gala — its signature fundraising event — last Friday, followed by both the Opening Night Concert and an after-party on Saturday September 17, 2022, giving the community more opportunities to share the Symphony’s opening weekend.

The Gala was held at Benaroya Hall and featured intimate solo performances by internationally acclaimed pianist Jan Lisiecki and Seattle Symphony musicians Concertmaster Noah Gellar and Principal Cellist Efe Baltacıgil. Guests also enjoyed dinner with a menu prepared by Seattle’s own Chef Shota Nakajima, James Beard nominee and Top Chef Season 18 finalist. The funds raised at the Opening Night Gala will go toward supporting the organization’s broad spectrum of programming and initiatives, including key community initiatives like the Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop and Community Connections programs.

The Opening Night Gala honored Seattle philanthropists Joan Watjen and her late husband, Craig. The Watjen family has been a steadfast partner of the Seattle Symphony for three decades, and well known for their donation of the 4,490 pipe Watjen Concert Organ inside Benaroya Hall. Their support has had a lasting impact on the Symphony and especially its musicians. Most recently, Joan was among the first to offer leadership support to the Symphony during the pandemic when live performances ceased. Her generous gift played an instrumental part in enabling the Symphony to maintain its musicians’ employment, and significantly helped to offset the financial impact of the pandemic.

“To me, the legacy of Craig and Joan Watjen is that they have given us the confidence to know, regardless of what challenges the Seattle Symphony or Benaroya Hall or even the larger Seattle performing arts community have to face — with supporters like Joan and Craig, we can overcome anything that’s out there in the future. These times of rebuilding for our community require the support of our community too. This is an existential question about quality of life, about health and well-being of the soul,” said Seattle Symphony President & CEO Krishna Thiagarajan.

“Our vision this year was to create the biggest opening weekend yet and share the start of the new season with more people than ever before,” said Maria Kanakis Yang, Seattle Symphony’s Vice President of Development. “We are thrilled to have had such a successful weekend, and to see such a generous show of support for the Symphony from our community. The gifts received last weekend will go directly towards our many music, community and education programs, and help us to further develop invaluable collaborations throughout 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 garnered 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 Live streaming service, the orchestra’s concerts reach audiences at home and around the world.

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Diamond 
Joan S. Watjen, in memory of Craig M. Watjen

Platinum 
Rebecca Benaroya 
Judith Fong and Mark Wheeler 
Lyn and Jerry Grinstein 
The Nakajima Family 
The Nesholm Family 
Dr. and Mrs. Charles and Lisa Simonyi 
Stephen Whyte and Rebecca Ralston 

Gold 
Parul and Gary Houlahan 
Dr. Susan Johannsen and 
Stephen Elop 
Paul Leach and Susan Winokur 
James* and Sherry Raisbeck 
Maryanne Tagney 

Silver 
Amazon 
Elias and Karyl Alvord 
Paula Boggs and Randee Fox 
Leslie and Dale Chihuly 
Susan Coughlin and John Lauber 
Delta Air Lines 
Goldman Sachs & Co. 
Ihn (Ike) Lee 
Benjamin and Kelly Martz 
Linda Nordstrom 
Patricia and Jon Rosen 
Yuka Shimizu 
Lyle and Andrea Snyder 
Anonymous 

Benefactor 
Aetna 
René and April Ancinas 
Eli Cheatham 
Rebecca L. Ebsworth 
Dan and Nancy Evans 
Dorothy Fluke 
Catherine and Jason Garms 
Jean-François and Catherine Heitz 
Eric and Randi Johnson 
Jason and Mia Lee 
Dr. Pierre and Mrs. Felice Loebel 
Bill and Colleen McAleer 
Alexander Oki 
Oki Foundation 
Microsoft Corporation 
Nordstrom 
John Stuntebeck 
Krishna and Joanna Thiagarajan 
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health 
Rebecca Wilkinson 
Anonymous 

2022/23 Opening Night Gala Committee 
Lyn Grinstein and Erika J. Nesholm, co-chairs 
Leslie Jackson Chihuly 
Susan Coughlin 
Jeannie Cziesla 
Susan Gulkis Assadi 
Shawn Harmon 
Parul Houlahan 
Eric Jacobs 
Alexander Oki 
Patricia Rosen 
Susan Winokur 

2022/2023 Masterworks Series Sponsor: Delta Air Lines 
2022/2023 Pops Series Sponsor: The John and Ginny Meisenbach Foundation 
Ludovic Morlot’s position is generously underwritten as the Judith Fong Conductor Emeritus. 
Noah Geller’s position is generously underwritten as the David & Amy Fulton Concertmaster. 
Efe Baltacıgil’s position is generously underwritten as the Marks Family Foundation Principal Cello. 
Krishna Thiagarajan's position is generously underwritten as the Leslie Jackson Chihuly President & CEO. 
The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop is generously underwritten by Pamela Merriman, Sonja Ross, and Kelley Ross, with additional support provided by Patricia M. Davis, Ann Holbrook, and Michel and Christine Suignard. 
The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, Arakawa Foundation, Marco Argenti, The Klorfine Foundation, Merriman-Ross Family, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Maryanne Tagney, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.