Seattle Symphony

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Seattle Symphony
Background information
Origin	Seattle, Washington
Genre(s)	Classical
Occupation(s)	Symphony orchestra
Years active	1903-present
Website	www.SeattleSymphony.org
Members
Music Director Gerard Schwarz Associate Conductor Carolyn Kuan Associate Conductor for Choral Activities Joseph Crnko
Former members
Founder Harry West

The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Gerard Schwarz has served as its music director since 1985.

The orchestra's first performance was given on December 29, 1903, with Harry West conducting. Known from its founding as the Seattle Symphony, it was renamed in 1911 as the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1919, the orchestra was reorganized with new bylaws under the name Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Even so, for most of its 100-year history, and especially today, the ensemble is known by the two-word name "Seattle Symphony."

Over 300,000 people each year attend performances of this Grammy-award-winning orchestra in Benaroya Hall, located in downtown Seattle. Its season runs from September through July.

Under Schwarz's leadership, the orchestra has become particularly known for performing works of twentieth century composers, especially of neglected American composers. Together, Schwarz and the orchestra have recorded a sizable number of pieces, including the major orchestral works of Howard Hanson.

In addition to its own concerts, the Seattle Symphony serves as the pit orchestra for most productions of the Seattle Opera, including that company's annual Richard Wagner presentations each summer.

The orchestra performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 for the Microsoft Windows Media Player. The piece is included as default music.

Contents 1 Music Directors 2 Notes 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Music Directors

1903-1907 Harry West[1] 1907-1909 Michael Kegrize 1909-1911 Henry Hadley 1911-1921 John Spargur 1921-1924 Mary Davenport Engberg[2] 1926-1932 Karl Kruger 1932-1938 Basil Cameron 1938-1941 Nikolai Sokoloff

1941-1944 Thomas Beecham 1944-1948 Carl Bricken 1948-1950 Eugene Linden 1950-1951 Manuel Rosenthal 1954-1976 Milton Katims 1976-1983 Rainer Miedél 1983-present Gerard Schwarz

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Writer's Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Washington (1941). Washington: A Guide to the Evergreen State. Portland, OR: Binfords & Mort, p. 138. OCLC 5847836. 

[edit] External links

• Seattle Symphony official website
• University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections - The Milton Katims Audio Collection

v • d • e Seattle Symphony Music Directors Harry West (1903) · Michael Kegrize (1907) · Henry Hadley (1909) · John Spargur (1911) · Mary Davenport-Engberg (1921) · Karl Krueger (1926) · Basil Cameron (1932) · Nikolai Sokoloff (1938) · Thomas Beecham (1941) · Carl Bricken (1944) · Eugene Linden (1948) · Manuel Rosenthal (1950) · Milton Katims (1954) · Rainer Miedél (1976) · Gerard Schwarz (1983)