The Arts

A way to keep up with Seattle theaters, concert halls, galleries, museums and other fine-arts events.

Samuel Jones/Yuen Li photo

Samuel Jones, director of Seattle Symphony’s Young Composers Workshop for 16 years, is resigning, the SSO announced. He plans to devote more time to his own composing — he is currently working on a violin concerto for Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, among other projects — and called the YCW “one of the great joys of my professional life.” The workshop is a 12-week competitive program for pre-college composers, who each year see their new works premiered by SSO musicians in concert. More than 90 students have participated in the workshop during his tenure. He also recently completed a 14-year appointment as the symphony’s composer in residence.

The current crop of young composers will debut their work at a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30,  in Benaroya Hall’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. A new workshop director will be named later, according to the symphony.