The Seattle Symphony

Composers Datebook

Synopsis

On today’s date in 1903, violinist and conductor Harry West led the first performance by the Seattle Symphony. At that time, the orchestra was comprised of just 24 players. For their first program, the aptly named Maestro West conducted Schubert and Rossini, two long-dead classical masters, and also programmed works by three living composers: Max Bruch, Jules Massenet and Pablo Sarasate.

More recently, under music director Gerard Schwarz, the Seattle Symphony earned worldwide attention with its recordings of both classical and contemporary works, including critically acclaimed recordings of symphonic works by modern American masters like Howard Hanson, David Diamond and Alan Hovhaness, as well as newer pieces by a younger generation of American composers including Richard Danielpour and Stephen Albert.

That tradition continued under Gerard Schwarz’ successor Ludovic Morlot, who took particular interest in fostering music from Seattle composers, including composers within the orchestra. The Seattle Symphony commissioned and premiered Become Ocean, a work by American composer John Luther Adams, which went on to win the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

Music Played in Today's Program

Max Bruch (1838-1920): Violin Concerto No. 2; Nai-Yuan Hu, violin; Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, conductor; Delos 3156

John Luther Adams (b. 1953): ‘Become Ocean’; Seattle Symphony; Ludovic Morlot, conductor; Cantaloupe 21161