Seattle Symphony announces 20–21 Season «Music Unleashed»

Seattle Symphony announces 20–21 Season "Music Unleashed"
Seattle Symphony announces 20–21 Season «Music Unleashed»

THOMAS DAUSGAARD REPERTOIRE HIGHLIGHTS AND COMMISSIONS
In his second season as Music Director of the Seattle Symphony, Thomas Dausgaard’s conducting highlights include the world premieres of including one of the two newly commissioned works by Composer in Residence Reena Esmail, Amy Beach’s Symphony No. 2, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 6, Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion and two co-commissioned North American premieres: Enrico Chapela’s electric violin concerto with Pekka Kuusisto and Hans Abrahamsen’s Horn Concerto with Berlin Philharmonic’s Principal Horn Stefan Dohr.
 

CONTEMPORARY STORIES
Reflecting the music of our time, the Seattle Symphony shares contemporary stories through composers, including: Hans Abrahamsen, John Adams, Charlotte Bray, Kenji Bunch, Enrico Chapela, Tan Dun, Reena Esmail, Sarah Gibson, Sven Helbig, Betsy Jolas, Hannah Kendall, György Kurtág, Long Zhou, Wynton Marsalis, Nico Muhly, Ned Rorem, Juri Seo, Caroline Shaw, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Jörg Widmann, Gernot Wolfgang, John Zorn and the 2021 Celebrate Asia Composition Competition winner.
 

ADDITIONAL SEATTLE SYMPHONY PREMIERES
In addition to the premieres above, the orchestra will also be giving the world premiere of Reena Esmail’s Sitar Concerto; the North American premiere of  Erkki-Sven Tüür’s Phantasma and the Three Continents Cello Concerto jointly composed by Nico Muhly (North America), Sven Helbig (Europe) and Zhou Long (Asia); the West Coast premiere of Charlotte Bray’s At the Speed of Stillness and the U.S. premiere of Kabeláč’s Symphony No. 4.
 

COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE REENA ESMAIL
In addition to her two commissions, Indian-American composer Reena Esmail will be embedded in the orchestra’s artistic and community engagement activities, including: collaborations with families experiencing homelessness through the Lullaby Project; community chamber concerts; mentoring young composers; and featured works on school and family concerts.
 

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE KHATIA BUNIATISHVILI
Featured on the Opening Night Concert as well as a recital performance, Buniatishvili’s residency will connect her deeply to our local community through performances and collaborations with Mary’s Place Family Center, a Community Connections nonprofit partner. Buniatishvili will also lead concerts for children 3 to 5 years of age as part of the Seattle Symphony’s First Concerts series in Octave 9.


GUEST CONDUCTORS
Returning to Benaroya Hall are conductors Andrey Boreyko, Pablo Rus Broseta, Karina Canellakis, Olari Elts, Lina Gonzalez-Granados, Matthew Halls, Jonathon Heyward, Lee Mills, Conductor Emeritus Ludovic Morlot, Shiyeon Sung, and Kazuki Yamada. Debuts include Keitaro Harada, Gemma New, Christian Reif, Jiří Rožeň and Jory Vinikour.
 

GUEST ARTISTS
Soloists include violinists James Ehnes, Augustin Hadelich, Alina Ibragimova, Pekka Kuusisto, Roby Lakatos; cellists Zlatomir Fung, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Jan Vogler, Alisa Weilerstein; pianists Behzod Abduraimov, Leif Ove Andsnes, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Khatia Buniatishvili, Eric Lu, Alexander Melnikov, Steven Osborne, Yekwon Sunwoo, Simon Trpčeski, Nobuyuki Tsujii; hornist Stefan Dohr; mandolinist Avi Avital; and sitarist Gaurav Mazumdar.