Qigang Chen
Iris Dévoilée (Iris Unveiled), L'Éloignement
Xian Zhang conductor
Meng Meng soprano
Mei Gui Zhang soprano
Tess Altiveros soprano
Yang Jin pipa
Cathy Yang erhu
Lucina Yue zheng
Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony releases a live concert album featuring Chinese-French composer Qigang Chen’s Iris Dévoilée (Iris Unveiled) and L’Éloignement, marking the first Seattle Symphony recording with Music Director Xian Zhang. Recorded before live audiences at Benaroya Hall, the album reflects Zhang’s commitment to championing composers whose music draws on diverse cultural traditions.
The cover art is by award-winning Seattle-based photographer Steve Korn, from his “Ghosts” passion project, a series of images that explore movement and stillness via local ballet dancers shifting and jumping beneath colorful, rippling scarves — which, in this context, look like veils. This image features dancer Olivia Sander, who is currently based in Walnut Creek, California, but hails from Bainbridge Island, Washington.
