2001: Benaroya Hall
Nestled in the center of Seattle's downtown district, like an elegant gem casting light upon the surrounding cityscape, Benaroya hall has served as the city's musical calling card since its Opening Night in September 1998. Its windows to the world both invite and reflect; they beckon to passersby and lovers of the arts to step inside a concert hall of world-class proportions--to celebrate the symphonic artistry of today and tomorrow, as well as to hearken back to the simple beauty of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra's premier performance nearly a century ago.
The grandeur and richness of this much anticipated home to the Symphony, so warmly captured in this year's 24 karat, gold-plated ornament, are the result of a passionate effort by countless role players whose vision and dedication ensured its creation. From the behind-the-scenes inspiration of longtime music director Gerard Schwarz to the financial and community support of the city of Seattle and, of course, the generous patronage of Jack and Becky Benaroya, the project attracted many friends along the way. With its infancy in the early 1990s, the hall took baby steps towards the ultimate dream of evolving into an architectural and acoustical masterpiece for the next millennium. Lovingly created as a gift of style and grace, both to devoted members of the Northwest arts community and to a new generation of music enthusiasts, Benaroya Hall welcomes one and all to delight in its visual lushness and pitch-perfect design.
Stand before the stunning glass facade of the 2,500-seat performance hall and peer
inside. Glimpse a world made brilliant with Chihuly chandeliers and Rauschenberg
collage art. Let your eyes travel skyward to the geometrically designed staircases
that will carry you gracefully from tier to tier as you journey towards your balcony
seat. For even outside looking in, it is as if the ordinary passerby can indeed hear
the members of the city's beloved Symphony warming up their woodwinds and
strings, basses and percussion--awaiting your presence in their home, anxious to fill
your evening with beauty, substance, and wonder.
-Sue Harris, Writer (2001)
