THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY’S FAMILY CONCERTS, TINY TOTS PERFORMANCES AND COMMUNITY CONCERTS RETURN FOR THE 2023/2024 SEASON
THE FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES KICKS OFF OCTOBER 14 WITH DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS, FEATURING A WORLD PREMIERE BY MARIACHI LEGEND JOSÉ HERNÁNDEZ
Seattle, WA — The Seattle Symphony announces its full suite of Family Concerts, Tiny Tots and Community Concerts for the 2023/2024 season, including world premieres, Seattle Symphony firsts, emerging young artists and community-focused themes for audiences young and young at heart in and around King County. Families with children ages 6 to 12 can explore the world of symphonic music with the Seattle Symphony’s Family Concerts Series featuring Seattle Symphony Associate Conductor Sunny Xia. For the Symphony’s youngest audiences, Tiny Tots Series returns with an expanded five-concert series. Performances are now offered on Fridays as well as Saturdays.
The Symphony presents these educational and enriching family-friendly performances in support of the musical development of the youngest listeners in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Expanding its community outreach, the Seattle Symphony also presents several free Community Concerts at Benaroya Hall and throughout the Puget Sound region, aiming to increase access to symphonic performances while bringing people together and sparking more connections in and between communities.
Tiny Tots Series
Hosted by Seattle Symphony Horn John Turman and featuring Seattle Symphony ensembles from different orchestra sections, Tiny Tots is geared toward families with children from birth to 5 years of age, perfect for the youngest music lovers. Seattle Symphony musicians share their favorite stories, songs and musical games in a series that introduces these listeners to the instruments of the orchestra. The fun, interactive concerts are approximately 30 minutes. Arrive early for pre-concert activities that include a xylophone orchestra, reading station, a percussion play area and a concert-specific craft in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby. Activities begin 30 minutes before every performance and are free with ticket purchase.
November 10 & 11: The Brass: Movie Magic takes families on an adventure through different genres while sharing the magic of film music.
December 8 & 9: The Strings: Holiday String-Along creates a magical winter wonderland through classic sing-alongs and your favorite holiday music.
February 2 & 3: The Winds: Medley of Emotions will traverse music that is happy, sad, angry, calm and more through the sounds of the woodwinds!
April 12 & 13: The Percussion: Sounds from Home centers around everyday objects you can find at home. Explore new and exciting ways to experience rhythm with our friends in the percussion section.
June 7 & 8: Tiny Orchestra: M is for Music is a journey through the musical alphabet with the woodwinds, strings, percussion and brass that shows how all the orchestra families play together!
Family Concerts Series
From timeless musical stories to holiday favorites, Family Concerts delight and spark the imagination of children and families throughout the year. Family Concerts are geared toward families with children ages 6–12, and focus on the diversity of symphonic music while featuring world premieres as well as Symphony firsts. Families are invited to arrive one hour early to participate in pre-concert adventures in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby; craft activities and instrument exploration are free with ticket purchase.
October 14: The Family Concerts Series opens with a celebration of Mexican traditions, music and composers at Día de los Muertos, which includes a world premiere by mariachi superstar and program host, José Hernández.
December 2: The Snowman revives the favorite holiday tradition of this classic children’s film accompanied live by the Seattle Symphony, and will include some of your other holiday favorites! February 24: The Seattle Symphony gives its first performance of famous author Dan Brown's Wild Symphony joined by host and narrator Alexandria J. Henderson, bringing engaging storytelling and exciting musical performances together.
May 4: Journey with the Great Chief in Spirit Chief Names the Animal People, a concert program that finds narrator Swil Kanim retelling an old Okanagan story, and calling the Animal People for a naming ceremony.
Community Concerts
Community Concerts are free concerts that feature chamber music, side-by-sides with community orchestras and full orchestra performances.
October 24: The Symphony joins Key to Change Studio at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center and will feature soloists who won Key to Change’s Concerto Competition — Madison Cole, Eden Pawlos and Avi Spillers.
February 21: The Symphony performs a Side-by-Side concert with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras at Benaroya Hall.
April 19: The Symphony presents the world premiere of Janice Giteck's Potlatch Symphony 2020 with Swil Kanim, Paul Chiyokten Wagner, members of regional Indigenous tribes and community partner Kids in Concert.
May 14: The Symphony appears at the West Seattle Chief Sealth High School Auditorium to perform a program that features 2024 Young Artist Ezekiel Sokoloff on violin.
Ticket Information
For more information on tickets for Family Concerts, Tiny Tots and Community Concerts, please visit seattlesymphony.org or contact the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office. The 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 | CONDUCTOR
Recognized for her innate musicality, compelling presence and technical precision, conductor Sunny Xuecong 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 was promoted to the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor at the start of the 2023/2024 season. In the 2021/2022 season, Xia was selected as Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, where she made her festival debut leading the world premiere of Marc Migó Cortés’ Dumka in July 2022. She led a production of La bohème with the Chandler Opera Company to great success and served as Assistant Conductor of the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra. A dynamic advocate for contemporary music, Xia led the Seattle Symphony in works by composers Katy Abbott, Chen Yi, Quinn Mason, Angelique Poteat, Gabriella Smith and Tan Dun in the 2022/2023 season.
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+ 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 and surrounded by numerous restaurants, retail stores and parking facilities. 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, 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 www.benaroyahall.org.
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DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS
FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, October 14, at 11 a.m.
Sunny Xia conductor
José Hernández host
Seattle Symphony
Zequinha de Abreu Tico-tico no Fubá
José Hernández Jarabe Sinfónico No. 1 (World Premiere)
Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2 for Orchestra
Blas Galindo Sones de Mariachi
José Pablo Moncayo Huapango
Gabriela Ortiz Kauyumari
COMMUNITY CONCERT IN RENTON
COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Tuesday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m.
Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center
6:15 pm Pre-Concert Performance by Students of Key to Change Studio
Sunny Xia conductor
Avi Spillers violin
Madison Cole violin
Eden Pawlos violin
Key to Change
Seattle Symphony
Ludwig van Beethoven Allegro con brio from Symphony No. 7
Carlos Simon Fate Now Conquers
Johann Sebastian Bach Allegro from Concerto for Violin No. 1 in A minor
Antonio Vivaldi Allegro from Violin Concerto in G minor
Jessie Montgomery Starburst
Friedrich Seitz Allegro non troppo from Violin Concerto No. 2
Louise Farrenc Overture No. 1 in E minor
Reena Esmail The Voyage, I. The Rough, Open Sea
THE BRASS: MOVIE MAGIC
TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, November 10, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, November 11, at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
John Turman host
Seattle Symphony brass quintet
THE SNOWMAN
FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, December 2, at 11 a.m.
Sunny Xia conductor
Jonathan Zheng piano – 2023 Young Artist
Seattle Symphony
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Christmas Overture
Valerie Coleman Umoja - Anthem of Unity
Sergei Rachmaninov Allegro vivace from Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1
Howard Blake The Snowman
Leroy Anderson Sleigh Ride
THE STRINGS: HOLIDAY STRING-ALONG
TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, December 8, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 9, at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
John Turman host
Seattle Symphony string quartet
THE WINDS: MEDLEY OF EMOTIONS
TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, February 2, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, February 3, at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
John Turman host
Seattle Symphony wind quintet
SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH SEATTLE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Wednesday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunny Xia conductor
Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra
Seattle Symphony
WILD SYMPHONY
FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, February 24, at 11 a.m.
Sunny Xia conductor
Alexandria J. Henderson host
Sophia Nam viola – 2024 Young Artist
Seattle Symphony
William Walton Vivo, con molto preciso from Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (1962 revision)
Dan Brown Wild Symphony
THE PERCUSSION: SOUNDS FROM HOME
TINY TOTS SERIES
Friday, April 12, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 13, at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
John Turman host
Seattle Symphony percussion quartet
POTLATCH SYMPHONY
COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Friday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.
Janice Giteck Potlach Symphony 2020 (World Premiere)
Sunny Xia conductor
Swil Kanim violin
Paul Chiyokten Wagner narrator and Indigenous flute
Kids in Concert
Seattle Symphony
SPIRIT CHIEF NAMES THE ANIMAL PEOPLE
FAMILY CONCERTS SERIES
Saturday, May 4, at 11 a.m.
Sunny Xia conductor
Swil Kanim narrator
Kaia Selden violin – 2024 Young Artist
Ravi Albright tabla
Seattle Symphony
Gioachino Rossini Overture to Il barbiere di Siviglia
Ludwig van Beethoven Rondo: Allegro from Violin Concerto in D Major
Reena Esmail Testament from Vishwas
Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate Spirit Chief Names the Animal People
COMMUNITY CONCERT IN WEST SEATTLE
COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Tuesday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Chief Sealth International High School
Sunny Xia conductor
Ezekiel Sokoloff violin — 2024 Young Artist
Sunny Xia’s position is generously underwritten as the Douglas F. King Associate Conductor.
Delta Air Lines proudly supports the Seattle Symphony’s Community Partnerships for Youth and Education.
The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School, and Community programs are supported by 4Culture, Marco Argenti, ArtsFund, the Merriman-Ross Family, the National Endowment for the Arts, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.