Find a complete list of classical music and opera in Seattle this summer on our Things To Do calendar, or check out the rest of our critics' picks from Seattle Art and Performance.
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.
June 9
Go buck with international violin sensation Pekka Kuusisto and the Seattle Symphony at Club Ludo, where you pay the price to be a VIP all night long. DJs will be spinning as you drink in the surreal beauty of the Chihuly Boathouse, with hosted bars and cuisine from popular PNW hot spots, the soulful fire of local rockers, and a theremin-centric trance party in the Aquarium Room.
Escobar was a musical prodigy who saw his talent through to two Emmys with the hiphop-violin duo Nuttin' But Stringz. After a brief period of depression and homelessness, according to his website, he's back with a new album full of original material. Boundless contains lots of violin music you can bounce to, but there's more lyrical, contemplative moments here than in previous efforts. RS
June 13
The Seattle Symphony will perform chamber works of an intimate power, with Janácek's musical letter to a young lover, Szymanowski's impressionistic take on Greek mythology, and Smetana's Piano Trio channeling the fervor of his Czech patriotism.
Salish Sea Early Music Festival: Giuliani's Guitar
In the final moment of the Salish Sea Early Music Festival, artists will present virtuosic works of flute and guitar, with special compositions from the mind of Mauro Giuliani, featuring John Schneiderman on early 19th century guitar and Jeffrey Cohan on eight-keyed flute.
June 15 & 17
This program's going to be a doozy. Four minutes into Strauss's "Alpine Symphony" you'll be on top of a mountain in the Alps with your flag stabbed into the summit, a breeze ruffling your parka, feeling like the sovereign of all you see. After intermission, during his gorgeous "Four Last Songs," you'll come back down the mountain and reflect on the journey. RS
June 18
Seeking a bridge between the traditional and the contemporary, the Grammy-nominated Spektral Quartet pursues the development of interactive and collaborative musical experiences for classical listeners of every level.
Icicle Creek Center for the Arts
June 22–24
You remember that ghostly and yet somehow epic-feeling choral music that plays during 2001: A Space Odyssey any time the sun dramatically rises up over something? That's György Ligeti's "Requiem." It's a stunning piece of music that perfectly reflects the horrors of the first summer under Trump. Mahler's Fifth, which will close the evening, is one of the few symphonies that could eclipse Ligeti's "Requiem" in terms of scope and ambition. The Fifth picks up on the mournful tones of the "Requiem," but then, in its final movements, thunders out in triumph. RS
June 23–24
Seattle Men's Chorus will take on the ultimate legacies of three top-tier divas by performing massive rock and pop hits and the contemporary classics of Broadway, to bring Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, and Beyoncé Knowles to life.
June 25
A Bach concerto in the OtB lobby first thing Sunday morning might appeal to the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed early birds among us, but it may sound a bit ambitious to those waking after a long Saturday night of "self care." That's the genius of the marimba. The instrument softens Bach's hard edges, making his songs sound like chill sunrises. Erin Jorgensen, master marimbist and chillest of the chill, plays the Baroque composer's most famous suites and serves up some mighty fine pancakes alongside. It's a bold, beautiful way to brunch. RS
June 27
Seattle Symphony presents The Music of John Williams
The Seattle Symphony will perform the work of legendary composer and Hollywood score master John Williams as a part of the summer festival series ZooTunes. The evening's show will feature well-known pieces from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Jaws, and many more.
June 30–July 1
A Live Presentation of 2001: A Space Odyssey
If you see Seattle Symphony perform Mahler's 5th and György Ligeti's Requiem earlier in the month (which you totally should!), you'll be prepared for this live scoring of Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece. Ligeti's Atmospheres (which features Requiem) is all over the score, as is Johann Strauss II's iconic Blue Danube Waltz and Richard Strauss's (no relation) Also sprach Zarathustra. Pop a pot lozenge and enjoy, or else get high on the pure audio/visual power of this cosmic symphonic spectacle. RS
July 3–29
2017 Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival
Seattle Chamber Music Society is once again throwing their Summer Festival, with free informal recitals and full orchestral performances for all ages. One highlight is Music Under the Stars, when a student ensemble sets up in a park and plays; then Benaroya Hall pipes in whatever performance is happening that night to the assembled throng. On July 29, there will also be a free concert in Volunteer Park.
Various locations
July 12
Jesse Myers: Living in America
Within a set of solo piano pieces, musician Jesse Myers will enliven the work of contemporary minimalist American composers in a program that will also highlight new music featuring acoustic piano and electronics.
July 13, 14 & 16
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Concert with the Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony will take on the cultural phenomenon that is Harry Potter with a performance of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, in a chance for the audience to relive the magic of the film in high-definition on a giant screen amid John Williams' unforgettable score.
July 14 & 28, Aug 18
Relish in the talents of expert organists Robert Huw Morgan, Renée Anne Louprette, and Richard Elliott as they showcase their decades of instrumental experience on the legendary Flentrop organ of St. James Cathedral.
Aug 5–19
Internationally beloved but also classically racist, Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly has enchanted as many as it has offended. The narrative recounts the whirlwind romance of an American naval officer and a Japanese geisha, dealing with the themes of tradition, honor, and the tragedies of passion. Due to the work's complex background, Seattle Opera will be offering an open dialogue to discuss the racial and cultural injustices of the piece, along with hosting an exhibit in the lobby of McCaw Hall about the trials of American imperialism in Asian countries.
Aug 25–27
3rd Annual Luise Greger Women in Music Fest
You're looking for an excuse to get out to Whidbey Island, right? I can think of none better than a celebration of women composers who were, as is so often the case, overlooked during the peak of their powers due to the condescending eye of the goddamn patriarchy. Island Consort, an "early music" group on the island, hopes to repair some of that damage with a nice lineup of work by women composers, including "Amy Beach, Nadia Boulanger, Lillian Fuchs, Lori Laitman, Angelique Poteat and, of course, Luise Greger." RS
Various locations (around Whidbey Island)
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.
