YOUR
IMPACT IN FOCUS
Season-End Newsletter
CONSTRUCTION Phase 1: Summer 2025 Phase 2: Begins Spring 2026 Budget: $20 million Raised: Over $15 million
Together we’re REIMAGINING the future of Benaroya Hall Over the past few months, we’ve been thrilled to Benaroya Hall opened as a new home for the introduce Amplify, our $20 million campaign to Seattle Symphony, today it showcases the richness reinvest in the public spaces of Benaroya Hall. of the cultural life of our region. We are proud to Amplify is a vision for host a wide array of the future of downtown local organizations and “Benaroya Hall is a cornerstone of Seattle and the essential events year-round, from our community, and the Amplify role that Benaroya Hall concerts and lectures to campaign represents an exciting plays as a home for arts graduations, film festivals and community in the and more. vision for the future of our city.” heart of our city. “Benaroya Hall has
– Mayor Bruce Harrell
For more than 25 years, Benaroya Hall has been a cultural anchor in downtown Seattle and a place where music, community and connection come alive. While
always been more than a concert hall,” said Leslie Jackson Chihuly, Chair, Benaroya Hall Board of Directors. “When we first opened our doors, Benaroya Hall helped
spark a new era of cultural and civic revitalization in downtown Seattle, establishing a permanent home for world-class music and a gathering place for our community. Today, we find ourselves in another defining moment — a period of renewal for our city.” “Through the Amplify campaign,” Leslie continued, “we are investing in the future of Benaroya Hall as a welcoming space that meets the evolving needs of our dynamic and diverse city. This transformation is about reimagining the visitor experience, elevating our public spaces and deepening the Hall’s role as a beacon for creativity, connection and civic pride.” The generosity of our community built this hall — your support over the years has been instrumental in the Symphony’s success and in making Benaroya Hall the cultural cornerstone it is today. Now, we’re taking the next bold step together. With over $15 million already raised towards our goal, construction begins this summer with exterior enhancements. The second phase will take place in the spring and summer of 2026, encompassing both the interior work and larger construction components
NEW OVERLOOK LOUNGE
NEW WELCOME DESK & TICKET CONCIERGE UPDATED ENTRANCE, EXTERIOR SIGNAGE & WAYFINDING
FUN FACTS • Amplify will install nearly an acre of new carpet, selected to reduce embodied carbon and ensure future recyclability. • Two new exterior LED marquees being installed this summer will replace the current non-functioning marquees that still run on Windows 95. • Relocated to the lobby of the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Robert Rauschenberg’s Echo will be on unobstructed public display for the first time ever.
like the Overlook Lounge. Once complete, Amplify will ensure Benaroya Hall is a dynamic, inclusive space that continues to serve our city by enhancing the experience for everyone. “Benaroya Hall is a cornerstone of our community, and the Amplify campaign represents an exciting vision for the future of our city,” Mayor Bruce Harrell
REFRESHED GALLERY
NEW CAFÉ & SEATING
said. “In Seattle, we think big and achieve great things, from reimagining our central waterfront to investing in world-class public spaces and building a transportation system that connects our region. Amplify is yet another example of how we, as Seattleites, are defining our own future by investing in the places that bring us together.” Please join us in bringing this vision to life. With your gift today, you’ll help ensure Benaroya Hall continues to serve our city for generations to come. Visit seattlesymphony.org/amplify to take a virtual tour and make your gift to help amplify Benaroya Hall.
DISCOVER WHAT’S NEXT!
SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORG/Amplify
NEW COMMUNITY ROOM
ENHANCED RECITAL HALL LOBBY
NEW PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS
A Fond Farewell
After 43 remarkable years with the Seattle Symphony, Robert & Clodagh Ash Piccolo Zartouhi Dombourian-Eby is retiring at the end of the 2024/2025 season. While it’s difficult to choose, Zart says her favorite concerts include performing the works of John Williams conducted by Williams himself, Abel Selaocoe’s performances of his work Four Spirits with the orchestra in 2023 and playing Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration with conductor Hermann Michael. She was on the committee that selected the site for Benaroya Hall and has served on its board since before the doors opened. “Choosing downtown as the location for Benaroya Hall showed the Symphony’s deep commitment to the health of downtown,” she shares. “Our role changes, but we will always be a cornerstone of the cultural life of Seattle.” Above all, Zart treasures the deep connections she’s made with audiences and supporters. “People have told me going to the Symphony allows them to unplug and just get lost in the music,” she says. “But it’s a two-way street — music brings people joy, and it gives me purpose. It’s an amazing thrill and privilege to get to have a job doing something that you truly love — in my case, making music. Thanks to you all for making my 43 years here an incredible ride.” Thank you, Zart, for the music and the memories you’ve shared over the years! Join us in celebrating Zart by making a gift in her honor today!
SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORG/DONATE
Creating Meaningful Collaborations Each performance featured different pre-concert programming. Attendees were treated to a fashion show by Ayo Collections, a program on Afrofuturism featuring spoken word performances by youth from Speak With Purpose, a lecture by mezzo-soprano and host on Jazz24 and KNKX, Myah Rose Paden, and an interactive workshop hosted by Seevers featuring live dancing and drumming.
Ayo Collections presented an African print fashion show.
In January, the Seattle Symphony presented Black Panther in Concert, featuring Marvel Studios’ acclaimed film with Ludwig Göransson’s Oscarwinning score performed live by the orchestra. The experience extended beyond the concerts. With the thoughtful guidance of a Community Advisory Board (CAB), the Symphony presented a series of events, performances and activities relating to the film around each of the concerts. The CAB was a collaboration between the Symphony and local cultural leaders and organizations, including Arte Noir, Speak With Purpose, Wa Na Wari and Yusef Seevers. The group created a range of dynamic activities to engage audiences with the cultures and art represented in the film.
The lobby was alive with activity as attendees explored a Black Panther-inspired art exhibit curated by Arte Noir, browsed an Artists Market featuring local vendors, posed in a themed photo booth curated by The Elite Collective and watched a video interview with the film’s costume designer, Ruth E. Carter. The first concert also featured a community afterparty with food from Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen and live performances by Gansango Music and Dance and DJ TOPSPIN aka BLENDIANA JONES. “This is what it’s supposed to be,” Toiya Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Speak With Purpose, said of her experience participating in the CAB. “Where we’re on world-class stages together … where we’re setting up the next generation to know how to lead because we’re doing it together.” Meaningful collaborations and immersive performances like these are only possible through the generosity of our donor family. Through your support, the Seattle Symphony is able to bring the community together for concert experiences that reflect the culture and diversity of our region. Together, we are ensuring that Benaroya Hall is an inclusive and inspiring space for everyone. Thank you for supporting our work on stage and beyond! Massamba Diop’s performances were generously sponsored by the James D. and Sherry Raisbeck Foundation.
SCAN TO WATCH
Dancer Yusef Seevers (right) led an interactive Movement and Connectivity Workshop with live drumming and invited attendees to participate. Photos: James Holt
Scan the QR Code to watch a video recap of this innovative partnership!
2024/2025 Season: By the Numbers Through your support, the Seattle Symphony has accomplished some amazing things this season — take a look!
1
6
new Music Director was announced — welcome Xian Zhang!
new musicians joined the orchestra
The Seattle Symphony performed:
143
concerts, including 25 performances for Seattle Opera
401 3,170 4
97
dedicated volunteers supported Symphony concerts and activities free tickets were made available to Community Connections partner nonprofits
works by living composers
6
free Community Concerts throughout the Seattle area
1,711 335 67
organizations were awarded Community Stages Fund grants, giving them access to spaces in Benaroya Hall at a free or highly subsidized rate
supporters attended an Open Rehearsal
events took place at Benaroya Hall, from concerts of every variety to community events
hours of young artist training were shared
SUPPORT YOUR SYMPHONY BEFORE AUGUST 31! The Seattle Symphony’s 2024/2025 fiscal year comes to a close on August 31, 2025. Please help end the season on strong financial footing by making your gift today — for the music you love and the musicians who bring it to life!
SEATTLESYMPHONY.ORG/DONATE