SEATTLE SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES FOUR DAYS OF STREAMING THIS WEEK WITH MEET THE TUBA FOR KIDS AND REBROADCAST OF DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 8

MEET THE TUBA: FRIDAY, MARCH 27, AT 11 A.M. PDT
DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 8: THURSDAY, MARCH 26, AT 7:30 P.M. PDT | SATURDAY, MARCH 28, AT 8 P.M. PDT | SUNDAY, MARCH 29, AT 2 P.M. PDT

Seattle Symphony Music Director Thomas Dausgaard leads the orchestra in a performance of Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 on February 6, 2020 in Benaroya Hall.

Seattle Symphony Music Director Thomas Dausgaard leads the orchestra in a performance of Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 on February 6, 2020 in Benaroya Hall.

NEWLY ADDED TO STREAMING PROGRAMMING: MEET THE TUBA, FEATURING PRINCIPAL TUBA JOHN DICESARE, INTRODUCES THE INSTRUMENT TO CHILDREN

Seattle, WA – In response to requests from families and retirement communities, the Seattle Symphony expanded its online broadcast offerings to include a new program for children and a Sunday matinee concert. This week, the orchestra will stream performances for four days: a rebroadcast of Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 led by Music Director Thomas Dausgaard and an all-new program, Meet the Tuba with Principal Tuba John DiCesare. Earlier this month, the Seattle Symphony announced it will continue sharing performances that provide strength, comfort and joy through video rebroadcasts and livestreams to support our community as we confront the current global health crisis.

Meet the Tuba features Seattle Symphony Principal Tuba John DiCesare in a fun exploration of the orchestra’s largest brass instrument. This kid-friendly program is geared toward families with young children at home during this period of school closures. DiCesare was originally set to perform in First Concerts: Meet the Tuba at Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center on March 14 before the concert was canceled. Like many Seattle Symphony musicians who feel a strong desire to continue sharing music, DiCesare volunteered to bring the performance directly to our youngest audiences digitally.

“I was very sad that we had to cancel Meet the Tuba at Benaroya Hall,” DiCesare shared. “I wanted to give the kids an opportunity to learn about it. Hopefully this video makes people smile when they need it the most.”

Meet the Tuba will air on Wednesday, March 25, at 11 a.m PDT and Friday, March 27, at 11 a.m. PDT; viewers can tune in on Youtube and Facebook.

The Symphony also continues scheduled streams of past concerts with three rebroadcasts of Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 conducted by Music Director Thomas Dausgaard. The concert was originally performed on Thursday, February 6 at Benaroya Hall. In addition to the previously announced Thursday (7:30 p.m. PDT) and Saturday (8 p.m. PDT) shows, viewers can also enjoy the concert Sunday at 2 p.m. PDT. In response to requests from viewers on the East Coast and those locally who can’t watch in the evening, including retirement communities and parents with young children, the broadcast schedule was expanded to include a Sunday matinee, making the stream available for more communities to tune in.

The Seattle Symphony will continue to organize additional free livestreams and rebroadcasts until the orchestra can return to the Benaroya Hall stage. Rebroadcasts or livestreams will occur every Thursday (7:30 p.m. PDT) and Saturday (8 p.m. PDT) throughout March, with additional programming to be announced. Audiences can view performances on YouTube and Facebook. Programming updates will be shared weekly at seattlesymphony.org/live. Those interested can also sign up to receive email notifications about upcoming Seattle Symphony rebroadcasts and livestreams.

Inspired by the orchestra’s dedication to serving the community, Seattle Symphony Board member Stephen Whyte has generously pledged to match all donations, dollar-for-dollar throughout Benaroya Hall’s closure.

To learn more about how to support the Seattle Symphony or to make a donation, visit seattlesymphony.org/give. The Seattle Symphony looks forward to welcoming audiences back to Benaroya Hall again very soon and wishes everyone health and comfort in the coming weeks.


JOHN DICESARE | PRINCIPAL TUBA

JD.jpg

John DiCesare joined the Seattle Symphony as Principal Tuba in 2017. He previously held the position of Principal Tuba of the Louisville Orchestra.  DiCesare has performed with orchestras nationwide, notably the Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony and St. Louis Symphony. As an active educator, he is the Artist in Residence of Low Brass at the University of Washington.  He held previous teaching positions at Campbellsville University, Indiana University Southeast, Cleveland State University and Kent State University. DiCesare’s teachers include Craig Knox, Tom Lukowicz, and John Bottomley.  He holds degrees from Duquesne University, Kent State University and is pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts at West Virginia University. DiCesare resides in Seattle with his wife, Amanda, and dog, Bentley.


SEATTLE SYMPHONY

Led by Music Director Thomas Dausgaard, the Seattle Symphony unleashes the power of music, brings people together and lifts the human spirit. Recognized as one of the “most vital American orchestras” (NPR), the Seattle Symphony is internationally acclaimed for its inventive programming, community-minded initiatives and superb recordings on the Seattle Symphony Media label. With a strong commitment to new music and a legacy of over 150 recordings, the orchestra has garnered five Grammy Awards, 26 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and was named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. The Symphony performs in Benaroya Hall in the heart of downtown Seattle from September through July, reaching over 500,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts.

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MEET THE TUBA WITH PRINCIPAL TUBA JOHN DICESARE
Friday, March 27, at 11 a.m.

John DiCesare, tuba & host

Meet the Tuba! Seattle Symphony Principal Tuba John DiCesare will perform short pieces and lead an exploration of the orchestra’s biggest brass instrument.

The live broadcast will be available through the Seattle Symphony’s YouTube and Facebook channels. 

Seattle Symphony Family Programs supported by The Klorfine Foundation.


DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 8
DELTA AIR LINES MASTERWORKS SEASON
Thursday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 28, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 29, at 2 p.m.

Thomas Dausgaard, conductor
Seattle Symphony

Dvořák
Symphony No. 8

Antonín Dvořák indulged in glorious sounds of nature and Czech country life in his Eighth Symphony.

The live rebroadcast will be available through the Seattle Symphony’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

Thomas Dausgaard’s performances are generously underwritten by Ilene and Elwood Hertzog.
Additional support is provided by the Scan|Design Foundation by Inger and Jens Bruun.