Peter Oundjian Will Replace Nathalie Stutzmann In Stravinsky & Brahms Concerts at the Seattle Symphony

Guest conductor Peter Oundjian will replace Nathalie Stutzmann to lead the Stravinsky & Brahms program at the April 28 and 30 concerts. Unfortunately, Stutzmann is unable to make the performances due to illness. The Stravinsky & Brahms program features two vast works, Brahms' exceptional German Requiem and Funeral Song, Stravinsky's recently rediscovered elegy for Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

The Symphony is thrilled to be joined by the powerful sounds of the Seattle Symphony Chorale, as well as two critically acclaimed guest artists, soprano Soraya Mafi and baritone Alexander Dobson, for Brahms' famous German Requiem. This piece is still recognized as one of the greatest Romantic choral works of the 19th century. Brahms used an unconventional selection of texts from the Lutheran Bible in this Requiem, creating a unique and beautiful offering of hope and comfort that differs from similar works written during his time, most of which that were sorrowful and written for the dead. German Requiem coupled together with Stravinsky's Funeral Song builds a program full of reflection and solace.

The Seattle Symphony is requiring all visitors to provide proof of vaccination (or present a negative COVID-19 test) with photo ID, and wear masks at all times while in Benaroya Hall, except in designated refreshment areas. This is in addition to numerous safety measures, including a hospital-grade air filtration system, increased cleaning and more. For additional information about how the Symphony is working to ensure a safe return to live music, please visit the Safety Page. Additionally, the Seattle Symphony is implementing a flexible exchange and return policy through the end of the year.

Recognized as a masterful and dynamic presence in the conducting world, Peter Oundjian has developed a multi-faceted portfolio as a conductor, violinist, professor and artistic advisor. He has been celebrated for his musicality, an eye towards collaboration, innovative programming, leadership and training with students and an engaging personality. Now carrying the title of Conductor Emeritus, Oundjian's fourteen-year tenure as Music Director of the Toronto Symphony served as a major creative force for the city of Toronto, garnering a Grammy nomination in 2018 and a Juno award for Vaughan Williams' Orchestral Works in 2019. From 2012-2018, Oundjian served as Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra during which time he implemented the kind of collaborative programming that has become a staple of his directorship.

Highlights of past seasons include appearances with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Detroit, Atlanta, Saint Louis, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Oundjian has been a visiting professor at Yale University's School of Music since 1981, and in 2013 was awarded the school's Sanford Medal for Distinguished Service to Music. A dedicated educator, Oundjian conducted the Yale and Juilliard Symphony Orchestras and the New World Symphony during the 2018/2019 season.

Winner of the Susan Chilcott Award 2016, Lancashire-born soprano Soraya Mafi has performed with Seattle Opera (Flora, The Turn of the Screw), Opéra national du Rhin, Opéra National de Lorraine and Opéra Royal Versailles (Cintia, La Divisione del Mondo). Concert performances include Mozart concert arias with The Academy of Ancient Music, Mozart Mass in C Minor at Westminster Hall with The Southbank Sinfonia and Mozart Requiem at King's Place with Hugo Ticciaiti. She has also appeared on recordings with Classical Opera as Fortuna in Mozart's Il Sogno Di Scipione (nominated for a Gramaphone Award), the BBC Concert Orchestra as Teresa in Gilbert's The Mountebanks ("Album of the Week", Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times) and the Malcolm Martineau as part of the recital disc series 'Decades' (Gramaphone Editor's Choice, October 2018).

Soraya is winner of the Maggie Teyte Award 2014, The Peter Hulse Orchestral Song Award 2015, The Sybill Tutton Award (Help Musicians UK) and The Elsie Thurston Prize. Soraya won 2nd place at the 2015 Kathleen Ferrier Awards and is supported by a Bruce Tollis Fellowship at ENO. Soraya received a distinction from The Royal College of Music International Opera school under the tutelage of Janis Kelly and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Sandra Dugdale.

British-Canadian baritonea??Alexander Dobsona??has been praised for his musical and dramatic artistry on both opera and concert stages. Dobson was acclaimed as "The Pilot" in Soundstreams' production of Airline Icarus, a new opera by Brian Current. The recording of Airline Icarus was the winner of the JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year in 2015. Concert performances of note include Walton's Belshazzar's Feast with Toronto Symphony and Sir Andrew Davis, Mahler's Songs of a Wayfayer with Orchestre Métropolitain, Faure Requiem with the Windsor Symphony, and Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the combined National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre Métropolitain.

Alexander graduated from the University of Toronto Opera Division and the Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario with Honors. He is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes including from the International Voice Competition of Paris (including the Edward Marshall Association Award for Outstanding Baritone), the Jeunesses Musicales National Competition, the Marilyn Horne Competition (Music Academy of the West), and the Jacqueline Desmarais Competition.

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