National Geographic Live Series to Explore the Arctic, Space, the Grand Canyon and More at Benaroya Hall

Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now for the 21st Season of the Seattle National Geographic Live Speaker Series presented by the Seattle Symphony.

Each year National Geographic Live presents their most dynamic explorers, scientists, archaeologists, and photographers, as they share stories from the front lines of exploration. Award-winning video and digital images animate the presentations, which conclude with a lively question-and-answer session with audience members. After most events, speakers will be on hand to sign copies of their books or DVDs.

This season includes an exploration of sustainable living with photographer Cristina Mittermeier, breathtaking views from outer space with NASA astronaut Terry Virts and access to politically isolated countries with photojournalist David Guttenfelder. In March Seattle can see wildlife in urban environments with filmmaker Bertie Gregory, learn about the threats facing the majestic Grand Canyon February with writer Kevin Fedarko and photographer Pete McBride and view the uncharted wilderness of the Arctic in October with photographer FlorIan Schulz.

Prices for the six-show series start at $177 for the general public, single tickets start at $34 for adults. Discounts are available for Seattle Symphony subscribers and students. Visit www.benaroyahall.org or call 206.215.4747 for more information. The Benaroya Hall Ticket Office is on the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street. Ticket Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Saturday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

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Into the Arctic Kingdom

FlorIan Schulz, photographer

Sunday, October 22 at 2 p.m.

Monday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m.

FlorIan Schulz's multi-year quest to document the Arctic took him to the ends of the Earth while camping for weeks in jarring winter conditions and accompanying traditional Inuit hunters all to get an intimate look at life in the Arctic. There, Schulz tracked families of polar bears, followed the vast caribou herds, and captured the Northern Lights in stunning detail. Through breathtaking imagery, Schulz takes audiences on a legendary journey into the Arctic kingdom with a special focus on the Arctic Refuge, one of the world's last great wilderness.

View from Above

Terry Virts, NASA astronaut

Sunday, January 28, at 2 p.m.

Monday, January 29, at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, January 30, at 7:30 p.m.

As a NASA astronaut, pilot of the space shuttle Endeavour and crew member on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, Virts spent 200 consecutive days in space as commander of the International Space Station-one of the longest continuous space mission of any NASA astronaut. More recently, Virts appeared in the 2016 IMAX film A Beautiful Planet, a breathtaking portrait of Earth from space that features stunning footage-much of it shot by Virts while aboard (and outside) the International Space Station-of our magnificent blue planet and humanity's impact on it. His photography, which provides incredible aerial views of Earth and the vast space that surrounds it, is featured in a new NationalGeographic book, View from Above: An Astronaut Photographs the World.

Between River & Rim: Hiking the Grand Canyon

Pete McBride, filmmaker & Kevin Fedarko, writer

Sunday, February 25, at 2 p.m.

Monday, February 26, at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m.

In an effort to share the Grand Canyon's uncharted glory and shed light on the myriad threats it faces, writer Kevin Fedarko and photographer/filmmaker Pete McBride set off on an audacious and demanding adventure: to transect the length of the canyon on foot. This trek is not the pair's first adventure together, but it may be the toughest.

Native Coloradan Pete McBride has spent almost two decades studying the world with his camera. A self-taught, award-winning photographer, filmmaker and writer, he has traveled on assignment to over 60 countries for the publications of the National Geographic Society, Smithsonian, Outside, Men's Journal, Esquire, STERN and others. Raised on a Colorado cattle ranch, Pete is passionate about storytelling and unique, gripping ways to communicate them, whether it involves vantages from 20,000 feet or swimming below icebergs. His perspective on capturing water-related stories led American Photo Magazine to list Pete as "one of the top five water photographers" in the nation.

Kevin Fedarko lives in northern New Mexico and works as a part-time river guide in Grand Canyon National Park. In addition to his travel narratives in Outside, where he worked as a senior editor, Fedarko's work has appeared in Esquire, National Geographic Adventure, and other publications, and has been anthologized in The Best American Travel Writing in 2004 and 2006. Fedarko was a staff writer at TIME Magazine from 1991 to 1997, where his work helped garner an Overseas Press Club Award for a story on the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.Fedarko earned a Masters of Philosophy in Russian history at Oxford in 1990.

A Wild Life

Bertie Gregory, filmmaker

Sunday, March 11, at 2 p.m.

Monday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m.

Photographer Bertie Gregory specializes in intimate shots of animals in their natural environment, whether that's a frigid Vancouver beach or the streets of London. In fact, it's in those spaces where nature and humanity coexist that he thrives - a result, no doubt, of his teenage years chasing urban swans and pike with his camera. From up close footage of a leopard stalking through Mumbai to evocative portraits of Vancouver's elusive coastal wolf, he has mastered the art of capturing what binds animal and human together.

Standing at the Water's Edge

Cristina Mittermeier, photographer

Sunday, April 8, at 2 p.m.

Monday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Cristina Mittermeier is a Mexican-born marine biologist and photographer who specializes in conservation issues. As a writer and a photographer for the past 25 years,Mittermeier's work centers on the delicate balance between human well-being and healthy ecosystems. Mittermeier is also a writer and series editor of her own publishing company, Earth In Focus editions, and has produced 24 stunning coffee-table books on conservation issues. Her work has been published in prestigious scientific publications including Science and Nature as well as in more popular publications and magazines, including National Geographic. Mittermeier is the founder and former president of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) and was recently recognized as one of the World's top 40 Most Influential Outdoor Photographers by Outdoor Magazine and is the recipient of the 2011 Nature's Best/Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year award and the North American Nature Photographer's Association 2010 Mission Award. Mittermeier is the 2016 recipient of the Imaging Alliance "Photographers who Give Back" Award.

A Rare Look: North Korea to Cuba

David Guttenfelder, photojournalist

Sunday, May 13, at 2 p.m.

Monday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m.

Until recently, Guttenfelder spent his entire professional career working and living outside of his native United States. He began as a freelancer in East Africa after studying Swahili at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Guttenfelder spent 20 years as a photojournalist for the Associated Press, during which he was based in Nairobi, Abidjan, New Delhi, Jerusalem, and Tokyo, covering news in more than 75 countries around the world. In 2011, he helped the AP open a bureau in North Korea, the first Western news agency to have an office in the otherwise isolated country. Guttenfelder has made more than 40 trips to North Korea. In 2011 his story "Afganistan's Opium Wars" was published in National Geographic magazine. Five more have followed on topics spanning Japan's Fukushima nuclear refugees, the slaughter of migratory songbirds, the damming of the Mekong River, hidden North Korea, and the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Guttenfelder has been an industry leader in smartphone photography and social media. He was named 2014 Instagram photographer of the year by TIME magazine and received the Shorty Award for online photography and the 2013 Online Journalism Award.

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National Geographic Live is the live events division of National Geographic. With a broad roster of talent including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers and adventurers, National Geographic Live's critically acclaimed programs have connected with audiences worldwide for over a century. Currently, National Geographic Live events are held in a variety of cities around the world, including, Seattle, Tampa, Los Angeles, Florence and Calgary. In each of these cities, speakers share behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration onstage alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage. For more information, visit natgeolive.com.

National Geographic Partners LLC, a joint venture between National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox, combines National Geographic television channels with NationalGeographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic Studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, location-based entertainment, archival sales, catalog, licensing and e-commerce businesses. A portion of the proceeds from National Geographic Partners LLC will be used to fund science, exploration, conservation and education through significant ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Benaroya Hall is home of the Seattle Symphony and venue of choice for many local arts organizations. It is located on an entire city block in downtown Seattle and is surrounded by numerous restaurants, retail stores and parking facilities. The hall has two performance spaces - the 2,500-seat S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium and the 540-seat Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall - and a 430-stall underground parking garage. Over 450,000 people participate in public and private events annually, making Benaroya Hall the most-visited performing arts venue in Seattle. Benaroya Hall has received numerous awards, including a 2001 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award for outstanding architecture. For additional information, including rental information, event listings and public tour schedules, please visit www.benaroyahall.org.

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