The Orchestra Swings in the next Family Concert

By Leilani Polk

A Link Up program created by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute that got the kids so jazzed we’ve brought it to our Family Concerts Series, The Orchestra Swings takes audiences on a symphonic trip through the history, rhythms and feel of swing and jazz music. According to Vanessa Neri, the Seattle Symphony’s Senior Manager of Learning Programs, “The concert is lively and engaging, celebrating our region’s rich jazz heritage and culture. We’re also proud to feature a local high school, highlighting Seattle’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading cities for jazz education.” Several Seattle high school bands have participated in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival — the well-regarded annual event organized by NYC’s Jazz at Lincoln Center — including repeat finalists from Roosevelt, Garfield and Ballard high schools; in 2008, five of the 15 competing bands hailed from the greater Seattle region.    

For the concert version of The Orchestra Swings, the Symphony is joined by Roosevelt High School’s Jazz Band 1, consisting of four trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones, drums, piano, string bass and guitar, and led by director Hannah Mowry. The swinging program touches on some well-known odes, including jazz standards like George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” and the Black spiritual that Louis Armstrong and his band made into a standard, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and offers introductions to Florence Price’s Juba Dance from her First Symphony and Wynton Marsalis’ Midwestern Moods from his Swing Symphony. After his successful debut in a Family Concert program last season, Songs and Dances of India, Vinay Parameswaran returns to the podium to conduct The Orchestra Swings, and Horn Danielle Kulhmann serves as host. 

Bring your young hepcats and groovy gals (recommended ages 6–12) for a roaring good time on Saturday, February 7, at 11am, with pre-concert activities (crafts and instrument exploration) beginning in the Althea & Stroum Grand Lobby one hour prior to the concert. Visit the checkout station to borrow fidgets, wobble cushions and noise-reducing headphones for all ages.

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.