Ludovic Morlot
(c) Sussie Ahlburg
The Seattle Symphony has announced tonight’s concert Music Beyond Borders: Voices From The Seven in protest of Trump’s travel ban. The orchestra says on its website: « The arts community across the country has been contributing in meaningful ways to the discussion around immigration following the recent executive order restricting travel and immigration from these countries. As artists and Americans, we are committed to freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas which create an environment of mutual understanding and the capacity for empathy. The Seattle Symphony is inspired to add their voice in the hopes that the country can come together through music. »
The concert will be simulcast in the 500-seat Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, and standby tickets will be issued the night of the performance. It will also be live-streamed on the Seattle Symphony website and via Facebook Live. It will be conducted by Music Director Ludovic Morlot, Spanish conductor Pablo Rus Broseta and soloists like Anjali Joshi, Santoor, Mae Lin, Violin, and Rahim AlHaj, a Grammy-nominated oud musician and composer. In 1991, after the first Gulf War, AlHaj was forced to leave Iraq due to his political activism against the Saddam Hussein regime. The program will include orchestral and chamber works by noted classical composers including Rahim AlHaj (Iraq), Kinan Azmeh (Syria), Alireza Motevaseli (Iran), Ali Osman (Sudan), Gity Razaz (Iran) as well as a popular dance song from Somalia and “America the Beautiful.”
“Our musicians and I are passionate about using our art form to create connections with others and celebrate the diversity of our community,” shared Music Director Ludovic Morlot. “Many of our musicians are immigrants themselves, so when they suggested we create a concert like this, we enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to bring the universal power of music to speak across boundaries and borders.”
