SEATTLE SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES FREE VIDEO REBROADCASTS AND LIVESTREAMS THROUGH JUNE

Seattle, WA – Last week, the Seattle Symphony announced the cancellation of concerts for the remainder of the 2019–2020 season in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). As our community confronts the current global health crisis, the Seattle Symphony will continue sharing performances that provide strength, comfort and joy through video rebroadcasts and livestreams while Benaroya Hall remains closed.

Since March, the Seattle Symphony has built a range of regular broadcasts with viewership reaching over 635,000 to date for the Symphony’s expanded online offerings. The video lineup features concert rebroadcasts of past performances every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The Symphony also brings weekly installments of education programs Meet the Instrument on Wednesdays and Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots on Fridays. Additionally, daily Morning Notes feature short performances from musicians of the orchestra. In June, the Symphony will share a collection of special broadcasts and discussions as part of a digital Beethoven Festival.

The schedule for online programming through June is as follows:

Meet the Instrument: Bassoon
Wednesday, May 27, at 11 a.m. PDT

Morlot Conducts Strauss & Ravel
Thursday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m. PDT | Saturday, May 30, at 8 p.m. PDT | Sunday, May 31, at 2p.m. PDT

Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots: The Bassoons
Friday, May 29, at 11 a.m. PDT

Meet the Instrument: Horn
Wednesday, June 3, at 11 a.m. PDT

Selections from Sibelius Kullervo
Thursday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m. PDT | Saturday, June 6, at 8 p.m. PDT | Sunday, June 7, at 2 p.m. PDT

Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots: The Horns
Friday, June 5, at 11 a.m. PDT

Meet the Instrument: Flute
Wednesday, June 10, at 11 a.m. PDT

Dausgaard Conducts Rachmaninov & Scriabin
Thursday, June 11, at 7:30 p.m. PDT | Saturday, June 13, at 8 p.m. PDT | Sunday, June 14, at 2 p.m. PDT

Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots: The Flutes
Friday, June 12, at 11 a.m. PDT

Family Concert: The Adventures of Peer Gynt
Saturday, June 13, 11 a.m. PDT

Meet the Instrument: Trumpet
Wednesday, June 17, at 11 a.m. PDT

R. Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra
Thursday, June 18, at 7:30 p.m. PDT | Saturday, June 20, at 8 p.m. PDT | Sunday, June 21, at 2 p.m. PDT

Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots: The Trumpets
Friday, June 19, at 11 a.m. PDT

Meet the Instrument: Viola
Wednesday, June 24, at 11 a.m. PDT

Selections from Dvořák New World Symphony
Thursday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m. PDT | Saturday, June 27, at 8 p.m. PDT | Sunday, June 28, at 2 p.m. PDT

Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots: The Strings
Friday, June 26, at 11 a.m. PDT

In celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday, Music Director Thomas Dausgaard and the Seattle Symphony have been working in close collaboration throughout the season with valued partners to bring community members onstage as artists, composers and performers. Four commissioned compositions were created in partnership with composers Charles Corey, Janice Giteck, Angelique Poteat and Tyshawn Sorey alongside high school vocal students, members from local Native American communities, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The world premieres of these works were to be performed with all nine Beethoven symphonies as part of the original Beethoven Festival, which had been slated for late June.

While the orchestra cannot gather as originally planned, the artists and community partners will join virtually to share in music and conversation exploring Beethoven’s legacy and continued relevance in the present-day. Throughout the week of June 22, the Symphony invites audiences to partake in a collection of hosted panel discussions and special performances by Symphony musicians and Beethoven Festival partner artists. The Seattle Symphony’s digital Beethoven Festival will be presented in partnership with Goethe Pop Up Seattle. Additional details will be forthcoming.

“I believe music has the power to transform lives and bring people together in new and surprising ways,” shares Music Director Thomas Dausgaard. “Even though we can’t gather at Benaroya Hall, I’m so happy we’ll still be sharing musical moments together, whether you’re at home in Seattle or halfway across the world.”

In recent years, the Seattle Symphony has been at the forefront of curating community-driven artistic projects in a way that amplifies the voices and stories of marginalized populations. These projects, which have invited community members to compose and perform alongside Seattle Symphony musicians, have furthered the conversation about the role of music in surprising and meaningful ways. They include Prism Project with youth from Accelerator YMCA, New Horizons and YouthCare; Lost and Found with Path with Art; We Are the Art with Plymouth Housing Group; We Are All Here as part of a larger community project presented by Path with Art, All of Us Belong with Catholic Housing Services, Compass Housing Alliance, Mary’s Place and Plymouth Housing Group; Lullaby Project in partnership with Mary’s Place; and Native Lands with local Native American communities.

“The Seattle Symphony created the original concept for the Beethoven Festival with a focus to shape a more inclusive understanding of culture and what it means to be enriched by diversity and creativity,” shares Krishna Thiagarajan, Seattle Symphony President & CEO. “As we’re all experiencing this period of dramatic change, we’re asking what it means to be a member of this community, a representative of the Pacific Northwest, and how we can help achieve that when we can’t physically be together. These, then, are the questions we will continue to ask through our music today and going forward as we manage these unprecedented times. I hope you will join us in this exploration — online today and back in Benaroya Hall or your neighborhood when it is safe again.”

The Seattle Symphony is organizing additional free livestreams and rebroadcasts until the orchestra can return to the Benaroya Hall stage. The weekly schedule will be available at seattlesymphony.org/live.

Inspired by the orchestra’s dedication to serving the community, more than 6,000 people have stepped forward with a donation since the closure of Benaroya Hall. These funds support the Seattle Symphony Future Fund, providing critical resources to ensure a bright future for symphonic music in our community. To learn more about how to support the Seattle Symphony or to make a donation, visit seattlesymphony.org/give. The Seattle Symphony looks forward to welcoming audiences back to Benaroya Hall again very soon and wishes everyone health and comfort in the coming weeks.

SEATTLE SYMPHONY

Led by Music Director Thomas Dausgaard, 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, 26 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.

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MEET THE INSTRUMENT: BASSOON
Wednesday, May 27, at 11 a.m. 

Luke Fieweger bassoon & host 

Meet the Bassoon! Seattle Symphony Associate Principal Bassoon Luke Fieweger will perform short pieces and lead an exploration of the bassoon.

The live broadcast will be available through the Seattle Symphony’s YouTube and Facebook channels.