The Seattle Symphony presented an extraordinary and adventurous display of new music in October with five world premieres, including two by female composers, in nine days at Benaroya Hall — all conducted by Music Director Ludovic Morlot. The Seattle Symphony commissioned Alexandra Gardner, Kenneth Hesketh, Arlene Sierra and Scott Teske to create four new works for its second annual Sonic Evolution concert on October 26. The Symphony’s critically acclaimed Sonic Evolution project creates a bridge between symphonic music and Seattle’s storied reputation as a launching pad for some of the most creative musicians on the popular music scene. In celebration of the past, present and future of Seattle’s musical legacy, Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony commissioned three world-class composers to write orchestral world premieres inspired by bands that launched from, or are related to, Seattle.

The program began with Sierra’s Moler, which was inspired by the music of Alice in Chains, followed byHesketh’s Knotted Tongues, a composition inspired by hip-hop group Blue Scholars. The Seattle Symphony then performed Gardner’s Just Say Yes, a piece inspired by the band Yes, and featuring major percussion solos by Seattle-area resident Alan White, the band’s long-time drummer.

After intermission, the concert turned toward up-and-coming alt-country band Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs, who performed three songs together with the Orchestra, including “Sat Beside the Dark,” — a world premiere by Teske — with lyrics by Star Anna. 

Additionally, the Symphony premiered Dai Fujikura’s Mina on its Wyckoff Masterworks subscription programs on October 18 and 20 with soloists from the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE).

ARLENE SIERRA (b.1970 in the U.S., resides in London)
Moler (World Premiere)

“Working with an orchestra is an immense privilege for any young composer, but the chance to have a newly commissioned work premiered by the world-class Seattle Symphony is like a dream come true. In realizing brand-new scores by young composers with such assuredness, the Symphony provides not only a showcase for its own adventurousness, but also an important platform for new and interesting voices in classical music. I found the invitation to engage with Seattle's popular music in my own orchestral style, avoiding any quotation, to be a welcome challenge. It encouraged me (in a paraphrase of the Symphony's current tagline “Listen Boldly”) to ‘Write Boldly,’ knowing that the audience and setting would challenge expectations of what an orchestral concert could be.”

KENNETH HESKETH (b. 1968 in Great Britain, resides in London)
Knotted Tongues (World Premiere)

“Working with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Ludovic Morlot was one of the most pleasurable and rewarding commissions I have yet fulfilled. Making the concert hall and such a wonderful orchestra relevant and visibly so to a wider and younger generation of concertgoers is profoundly important. The amazing work that the Orchestra does all year round should not be seen as simply supporting a museum of extant works, but with the dedication and foresight of the artistic and administrative staff the funding given to the Orchestra would truly make its Sonic Evolution project one to be emulated further by other orchestras.”

ALEXANDRA GARDNER (b. 1967 in the U.S., resides in Baltimore, MD)
Just Say Yes (World Premiere)

“Participating in the Seattle Symphony Sonic Evolution project was an amazing opportunity and an incredible challenge! Composing orchestral music can at times be difficult, even grueling work; what helped the process go smoothly was the professionalism and enthusiasm of the entire organization from start to finish. That the Seattle Symphony is so dedicated to the commissioning and performance of new works that they have presented five premieres within a space of two weeks is not simply progressive — it's revolutionary!”

SCOTT TESKE (b. 1982 in the U.S., resides in Seattle)
“Sat Beside the Dark”(World Premiere)

"Having grown up in Seattle, to hear my work performed by the Seattle Symphony in Benaroya Hall was a dream come true. As a teen in the Seattle Youth Symphony, I'll never forget the first time I stepped onstage at Benaroya Hall; I was absolutely floored by its beauty and phenomenal acoustics. To return to the Hall 13 years later to work with many of my childhood mentors is an experience I'll cherish always." 

DAI FUJIKURA (b. 1977 in Japan, resides in London)
Mina (World Premiere)

“Commissioned and world premiered by the Seattle Symphony — there is no better way to be in this situation as a composer. How I saw the Seattle Symphony quickly realize my work in the rehearsal was remarkable. It was as if I was watching a rehearsal documentary footage in fast forward!  I have worked with many orchestras before in various countries, but I have never experienced such in the past!”

About the Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony is internationally acclaimed for its innovative programming and extensive recording history. Under the leadership of Music Director Ludovic Morlot since September 2011, the Symphony is heard live from September through July by more than 315,000 people. Its pioneering education and community engagement programs reach over 100,000 children and adults each year. The Orchestra has completed more than 140 recordings, and has received 12 Grammy nominations, two Emmy awards and numerous other accolades. The Seattle Symphony performs in one of the world’s finest concert venues — the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall — in downtown Seattle.  For more information on the Seattle Symphony, visit www.seattlesymphony.org.

Sonic Evolution was sponsored by Cell Therapeutics, Inc., the National Endowment for the Arts and The Boeing Company.

Dai Fujikura’s Mina was supported in part by a generous donation from Jerald Farley