Seattle Philharmonic: A Major U.S. Premiere: Gipps' Fifth

• Soren Hamm, alto saxophone

Jocelyn Morlock — Hullabaloo
Felix Mendelssohn — Athalia, Op. 74 ("Overture" & "War March of the Priests")
Jacques Ibert — Concertino da Camera (Soren Hamm, alto saxophone)
Ruth Gipps — Symphony No. 5 (U.S. premiere)

Beginning with our 2018 performance of her Symphony No. 2, the Philharmonic has been at the forefront of the revival of interest in the music of Ruth Gipps. Her final symphony, the Fifth, will simultaneously receive its U.S. premiere and its second-ever performance at this concert. We begin with the appropriately-titled Hullabaloo by Canadian composer Jocelyn Morlock, specifically intended as a rousing and lively program opener, and continue with incidental music that Felix Mendelssohn wrote for Jean Racine's play Athalia. The orchestra then proudly presents the winner of the Philharmonic’s 2022 Don Bushell Competition, saxophonist Soren Hamm, in Jacques Ibert's bubbly Concertino da Camera.

Youth 16 and under are free and can receive a complimentary ticket at the Benaroya Hall ticket office 2 hours before the concert start time.

About Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra

http://www.seattlephil.org/

About Soren Hamm, alto saxophone

Heard on the popular radio programs Performance Today and Northwest Focus Live, saxophonist Soren Hamm teaches on the faculties of Seattle Pacific University and Pierce College Puyallup. He is the only person to win both the Solo and (with the Equus Saxophone Quartet) Chamber Ensemble divisions of Seattle’s Frances Walton Competition, and was a winner of the Northwest MTNA Competitions on multiple occasions. He has performed with some of the Puget Sound’s pre-eminent ensembles, including the Northwest Sinfonietta, Seattle Modern Orchestra, and Opus 7 Choir; in 2023, he made his Benaroya Hall debut as soloist with the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra on Ibert’s Concertino da Camera.

Soren is an avid promoter of new music for saxophone. His work with composers including Dai Fujikura, Marilyn Shrude, and Seattle’s John Muehleisen, among many others, has resulted in dozens of premieres, as well as performances at the Bowling Green New Music Festival, Ball State New Music Festival, and the New Music Gathering. Soren is a founding member of Onomatopoeia, the world's first flute/saxophone/horn trio, and helped commission the first original repertoire for this combination of instruments.

Soren holds degrees from Bowling Green State University (MM) and the University of Oregon (BM), graduating from the latter with the distinction of Outstanding Undergraduate Performer in Woodwinds; he also completed Music Education studies at Western Washington University. His teachers include John Sampen, Idit Shner, and Fred Winkler.

https://sites.google.com/view/sorenhamm/home