2025/2026 Season-End Impact Report Newsletter

An extraordinary season — an exciting future ahead!

This season, the Seattle Symphony launched a new era with Music Director Xian Zhang. The 2025/2026 season has been filled with unforgettable musical moments and as we look back on Xian’s inaugural season, one thing is clear: this is just the beginning!

Through the support of generous people like you, Xian and the orchestra have shared bold new artistic experiences, meaningful collaborations and performances that will resonate for years to come. Your dedication to the Seattle Symphony makes these moments possible and helps us continue building a vibrant future for live music in our community. Thank you!

Each performance reflected the spirit of Xian’s first season: showcasing the extraordinary artistry of the Seattle Symphony and looking boldly toward the future.

From the very first notes of Opening Night, Xian’s vision has come to life through programs that celebrate connection, innovation and the power of live music to bring people together. This season, audiences experienced her artistic vision through dynamic performances, a star-studded lineup of guest artists, and the Seattle Symphony premiere of Qigang Chen’s Iris Dévoilée (Iris Unveiled).

A highlight of the season, our performances of Iris Unveiled brought together Western-style singers and orchestra with traditional Chinese instruments and elements of Peking opera to create an unforgettable cross-cultural experience. Under Xian’s leadership, these performances

reflected the diverse voices and stories that make our community extraordinary. A new album featuring Iris Unveiled will be released later this year on our in-house recording label, Seattle Symphony Media, giving those who were present a chance to relive this remarkable artistic moment while inviting those who missed it to discover the music for the first time.

The season reached a powerful finale with two monumental works that hold special meaning for Xian and the orchestra. The concerts featuring Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 marked the Symphony’s first performance of this piece in more than 20 years. Then, alongside the Seattle Symphony Chorale, Xian and the orchestra capped the season with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

Each performance reflected the spirit of Xian’s first season: showcasing the extraordinary artistry of the Seattle Symphony and looking boldly toward the future. In her second season, Xian will continue sharing new musical experiences, including the Nature in Music Festival, inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the community that has

welcomed her so warmly. As we look ahead, we are filled with gratitude for all the experiences we have shared throughout Xian’s first season — and excitement for everything to come.

Thank you for being part of this historic season and for helping the Seattle Symphony continue to share unforgettable musical experiences with everyone in our community.

Xian

Performances of Xian Conducts Pictures at an Exhibition were generously sponsored by Lyn and Jerry Grinstein.

Performances of Xian Conducts Rachmaninov were generously sponsored by Yuka Shimizu.

Performances of Xian Conducts Beethoven 9 were generously sponsored by the Nesholm Family Foundation.

The future of Benaroya Hall is taking shape

Through the $20 million Amplify capital campaign, a vision years in the making is becoming a reality. Together, we are reimagining the public spaces of Benaroya Hall to create a more welcoming, comfortable and inspiring experience for every visitor, and over the past several months, exciting progress has been made.

strengthening our role as a civic and cultural anchor in downtown Seattle, investing in the vitality of the arts in our city and ensuring this beloved landmark continues to serve our community for years to come.

Amplify is creating new opportunities to connect and inviting visitors to spend more time at Benaroya Hall.

Amplify is transforming the spaces where our community comes together. The new Overlook Lounge in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby will be a vibrant gathering place for audiences before and after performances. In The Boeing Company Gallery, an expanded café featuring a menu created by award-winning Seattle chef and restaurateur Ethan Stowell will serve visitors throughout the day alongside new seating areas and a Community Room designed to host gatherings, classes and other events.

These enhancements are more than physical changes. Amplify is creating new opportunities to connect and inviting visitors to spend more time at Benaroya Hall. Through Amplify, we are

As we complete the final stages of construction this summer, we are grateful for your support and enthusiasm. Thank you to the hundreds of community members who have joined us to make this transformation a reality. Realizing the vision of Amplify would not be possible without generous people like you who believe in the future of Benaroya Hall as a place to gather, connect and be inspired.

When the doors of Benaroya Hall reopen in September at the start of the 2026/2027 season, you’ll be able to experience for yourself these reimagined spaces. New gathering places, expanded seating, improved wayfinding and refreshed finishes throughout will ensure that each visit feels more inviting, more comfortable and more inspiring at every turn. We can’t wait to share the new Benaroya Hall with you!

A fond farewell to three longtime orchestra members

The Seattle Symphony is honored to celebrate three longtime musicians who are retiring from the orchestra at the end of the 2025/2026 season: Dr. Robert Wallace Clarinet Laura DeLuca , Viola Timothy Hale and First Violin Jeannie Wells Yablonsky . Laura and Timothy joined the orchestra in 1986, and Jeannie joined in 1997. We asked each of them to share a few reflections on their time with the Symphony.

Laura DeLuca

“One of my most treasured memories is our first rehearsal in Benaroya Hall before Opening Night in 1998. As Stravinsky’s Firebird began, the hall came alive, and we heard the full power, color and expression of the orchestra in a way that was truly thrilling. What a gift to the City of Seattle. Over the years, I’ve loved the connection with our audiences — their anticipation, their openness and their enthusiasm. I hope the Symphony continues to inspire broad audiences, embrace innovative programming and champion new works. There is nothing more thrilling than a live performance.”

Timothy Hale

“There are moments in music when you feel the power of what we do — the connection between musicians, the audience and something larger than ourselves. That’s what makes an orchestra such an essential part of a community: music communicates beyond language and creates moments of shared experience. I’ve been fortunate to watch this organization grow, from moving into Benaroya Hall to becoming the vibrant, world-class orchestra it is today. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, our audiences and the donors who make this work possible. I look forward to experiencing the Symphony from the audience and continuing to be part of this community.”

Jeannie Wells Yablonsky

“Music has always been about connection for me, with my colleagues, with our audiences and with our community. Some of my most memorable moments with the Symphony were performing under legendary conductors who inspired us to create something truly magical. And I’ve loved seeing students discover something new through our outreach and watching people experience live music for the first time in Benaroya Hall. I’m grateful to have spent the last part of my career here, learning from my fellow musicians and sharing this stage with them. I hope the Symphony continues to bring people together through timeless classics, new voices and the power of live performance.”

Thank you to Laura, Timothy and Jeannie for your decades of service, and your dedication, artistry and lasting contributions to the orchestra.

And thanks to you for your caring support of all the members of the Seattle Symphony!

The 2025/2026 Season: By the Numbers

With your generous support, the Seattle Symphony has shared the joy of live music in some extraordinary ways during Music Director Xian Zhang’s inaugural season!

Artists in Focus were featured throughout the season

3,760

654 5 6 2

3,332

Community Connections tickets were distributed to local partner nonprofits

students performed with the orchestra during our Link Up concerts

6

1,125

Pre-Concert Talks added insight to our Symphonic programming students attended an Education Open Rehearsal years of the Community Stages Fund were celebrated

Community Concerts made the joy of music free for everyone

community members made a gift to support Amplify and the future of Benaroya Hall

176

55

10

teen composers got creative in the Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop

performances were shared with the community, including 12 innovative concerts in Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center and 23 performances with the Seattle Opera

Support your Seattle Symphony with a season-end gift today!

The Seattle Symphony’s 2025/2026 fiscal year comes to a close on August 31, 2026. Gifts from caring people like you bring our music to life. Please help Music Director Xian Zhang and the orchestra share the joy of live music and bring our community together in the season ahead with your gift today!

SCAN TO GIVE Make your gift today to help keep the music playing!