Seattle Festival Orchestra

Seattle Festival Orchestra www.seattlefestivalorchestra.org

This weekend, we will be playing "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Dukas! "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is the third and most...
05/12/2026

This weekend, we will be playing "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Dukas! "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is the third and most famous segment in Disney's 1940 animated feature film "Fantasia," and the only returning segment in its 2000 sequel "Fantasia 2000."

Sat, May 16 at 2pm
Family Concert (Abridged)
Aurora Community Church
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat

Sun, May 17 at 2pm
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

More info at sforch.org

This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.

On Sunday, join us for a pre-concert talk at 1:30pm hosted by Sean MacLean of Classical KING-FM! Those who attend will b...
05/11/2026

On Sunday, join us for a pre-concert talk at 1:30pm hosted by Sean MacLean of Classical KING-FM! Those who attend will be able to learn more about the pieces and what to listen for.

Sun, May 17
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

More info at sforch.org

This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.

In the upcoming weekend, we will be playing Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade." Rimsky-Korsakov wrote a brief introduction...
05/10/2026

In the upcoming weekend, we will be playing Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade." Rimsky-Korsakov wrote a brief introduction that he intended for use with the score as well as the program for the premiere:
"The Sultan Schakhriar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales, told seriatim, for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the ex*****on of his wife, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely."

Initially, Rimsky-Korsakov intended to name the respective movements in Scheherazade "Prelude, Ballade, Adagio and Finale." However, after weighing the opinions of Anatoly Lyadov and others, as well as his own aversion to a too-definitive program, he settled upon thematic headings, based upon the tales from The Arabian Nights. The movements are
I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship
II. The Story of the Kalendar Prince
III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess
IV. Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Breaks against a Cliff Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman

Sat, May 16 at 2pm
Family Concert (Abridged)
Aurora Community Church
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat

Sun, May 17 at 2pm
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

More info at sforch.org

This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.

Bhavani Kotha is delighted to return to perform one of the most famous oboe themes, “Gabriel's Oboe” with us. She previo...
05/10/2026

Bhavani Kotha is delighted to return to perform one of the most famous oboe themes, “Gabriel's Oboe” with us. She previously appeared with this orchestra as soloist performing the Haydn Oboe Concerto.

Based in Seattle, WA, she performs with orchestras throughout the region. Recently, she played with Seattle Symphony as substitute Principal Oboist. Additional orchestra engagements include the Fifth Avenue Theatre, Auburn Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Eugene Symphony Association, and North Corner Chamber Orchestra (NOCCO). She enjoys playing children’s concerts with Erika and the Wolf and coaching students at the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras.

Bhavani is one of the Founders of Unbound Symphony, a new orchestra dedicated to empowering women in classical music. She holds degrees from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and the University of Washington.

Sat, May 16 at 2pm
Family Concert (Abridged)
Aurora Community Church
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat

Sun, May 17 at 2pm
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

More info at sforch.org

This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.

Next weekend, we will play iconic selections from "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" by Strauss! The theme was used in the 1968 fi...
05/09/2026

Next weekend, we will play iconic selections from "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" by Strauss! The theme was used in the 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey." The film stars Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Douglas Rain, and follows a voyage by astronauts, scientists, and the sentient supercomputer HAL 9000 to Jupiter to investigate an alien monolith.

Sat, May 16 at 2pm
Family Concert (Abridged)
Aurora Community Church
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat

Sun, May 17 at 2pm
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

More info at sforch.org

This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.

05/09/2026

Sat, May 16 at 2pm
Family Concert (Abridged)
Aurora Community Church
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat

Sun, May 17 at 2pm
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

More info at sforch.org

Program:
Strauss: "Also sprach Zarathustra"
Dukas: "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice"
Bassingthwaighte: "Cape Flattery" (Sunday only)
Morricone: "Gabriel’s Oboe"
Rimsky-Korsakov: "Scheherazade"

This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.

Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor known for his tone poems an...
05/06/2026

Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor known for his tone poems and operas. A leading figure of the late Romantic and early Modern era, and a successor to Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt, he combined, along with his friend Gustav Mahler, subtleties of orchestration with an advanced harmonic style.

A prominent conductor in Western Europe and the Americas, Strauss enjoyed quasi-celebrity status as his compositions became standards of orchestral and operatic repertoire. He was chiefly admired for his interpretations of the works of Liszt, Mozart, and Wagner in addition to his own works.

Sat, May 16 at 2pm
Family Concert (Abridged)
Aurora Community Church
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat

Sun, May 17 at 2pm
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

More info at sforch.org

This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.

On May 16 and 17, we will play "Gabriel's Oboe" with soloist Bhavani Kotha!"Gabriel's Oboe" is the main theme for the 19...
05/05/2026

On May 16 and 17, we will play "Gabriel's Oboe" with soloist Bhavani Kotha!

"Gabriel's Oboe" is the main theme for the 1986 film "The Mission." The theme has been called "unforgettable" and a "celebrated oboe melody".

In the film, the theme is most prominently used when the protagonist, the Jesuit Father Gabriel, walks up to a waterfall and starts playing his oboe, aiming to befriend the natives with his music so he can carry his missionary work in the New World. The Guaraní tribesmen, who have been stalking him from a distance, approach Gabriel for the first time, puzzled by the sounds of the unknown instrument. The chief of the tribe, however, is displeased by this, and breaks Gabriel's oboe. This marks the beginning of the relationship between Father Gabriel and the Guaraní natives.

Sat, May 16 at 2pm
Family Concert (Abridged)
Aurora Community Church
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat

Sun, May 17 at 2pm
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

More info at sforch.org

This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.

What's the difference between the Full and Family concerts?Family concert:- Shorter in length (around 60 minutes); we wi...
05/04/2026

What's the difference between the Full and Family concerts?
Family concert:
- Shorter in length (around 60 minutes); we will cut the Bassingthwaithe as well as the third and fourth movements of the Rimsky-Korsakov to make the concert more accessible to children
- Held on Saturday afternoon at Aurora Community Church in Shoreline
- Concertgoers should expect a moderate level of "kid noise" and movement at this venue
- Kids are encouraged to meet the musicians during intermission.
- Kids will be invited to participate in a kazoo choir activity.
- Kid-friendly snacks always available at intermission
- Free! Due to a generous grant from 4Culture, we are able to offer free admission to all our family concerts, with the goal of increasing public access to classical music. (Donations are of course very welcome!)
- https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat

Full concert:
- Unabridged: pieces are played in their entirety
- Held on Sunday afternoon, at the newly-renovated Town Hall Seattle, with fabulous acoustics
- Children are still welcome; the concert just has a more "grown-up" feel and children will need to sit quietly through a 1.5 hour concert
- Both snacks and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase during intermission
- Tickets are $20 adults / $15 seniors / $5 children 5-18 / free under 5
- https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun

Address

Seattle, WA
98101

Website

https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat, https://ticketstripe.com/fab

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