I had been wondering when the Seattle Symphony would announce some big, audacious, splashy farewell for Gerard Schwarz’s final season. There was a two concert Hovhaness festival and the season finale is Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, but neither seemed a big enough way to say good bye to a conductor who oversaw the growth of the Seattle Symphony for 26 years. That was until I opened my email yesterday.
In partnership with two leading philanthropists — Agnes Gund and Charles Simonyi — eighteen (yes, eighteen!) new pieces, by American composers will be commissioned and premiered through out the course of the season. That is a new piece of music on every concert led by Schwarz. Suddenly, the season looks like a suitable send off.
The composers composing new works and a list of concerts where new works will be premiered follow the jump.
September 8–10: Beethoven & Wine Festival
World Premiere work by Augusta Read Thomas
September 23–26: Yefim Bronfman Plays Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2
World Premiere work by Joseph Schwantner
September 30, October 2–3: Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7
World Premiere work by Aaron Jay Kernis
October 14–16: Bach’s “Brandenburg” Concerto No. 1
World Premiere work by Daron Hagen
October 23: An Organ Celebration
World Premiere work by Samuel Jones
November 4–6: Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with André Watts
World Premiere work by David Stock
December 7: Yo-Yo Ma
World Premiere work by Bernard Rands
December 29–31, January 2: Beethoven’s Ninth
World Premiere work by Gunther Schuller
January 6 & 8: Violinist Gil Shaham
World Premiere work by Bright Sheng
January 20–22: Mozart’s Requiem
World Premiere work by Daniel Brewbaker
February 3, 5 & 6: Violinist Vadim Repin Plays Symphonie espagnole
World Premiere work by Ellen Taafe Zwillich
February 17–19: Viola Spectacular with Pinchas Zukerman
World Premiere work by Robert Beaser
March 24: Hovhaness Festival with Cellist Lynn Harrell
World Premiere work by Chen Yi
March 26: Hovhaness Festival with Cellist Lynn Harrell
Featuring a new work by George Tsontakis
March 31: Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony
World Premiere work by David Schiff
April 2 & 3: Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony
World Premiere work by Richard Danielpour
June 2, 4 & 5: Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2
World Premiere work by Paul Schoenfield
June 16 & 18: Gerard Schwarz Conducts Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony
World Premiere work by Philip Glass
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Gathering Note 
Every concert should have a contemporary piece.
Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, performed new works.