On Friday, September 25th, 2026, over 2,000 fans gathered at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington for Opus Harmonia — a full orchestral reimagining of seventeen Seven Lions songs and instrumentals, marking a historic first collaboration between the Seattle Symphony and an electronic music composer and producer.
The concert was conceived by Jeff Montalvo, known professionally as Seven Lions, alongside Andrew Joslyn, the Seattle Symphony’s Associate Director of Popular Programming and Composer/Arranger. According to Montalvo, the project had been a long time in the making. Conducted by Norman Huynh, the performance featured fifty members of the Seattle Symphony performing alongside Seven Lions and a lineup of vocalists that included Brieanna Grace, Dylan Matthew, Fiora, Haliene, Jonathan Mendelsohn, and Kerli.
Opus Harmonia represented two significant firsts: the Seattle Symphony’s first collaboration with an electronic music composer and producer, and the first time Seven Lions has brought his compositions to life with a full orchestra. The arrangements translated elements typically heard in tightly programmed electronic productions — dubstep drops, bass lines, arpeggios, and synth stabs — into orchestral equivalents, with tubas and trombones handling low-end duties and strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion standing in for pads and synthesizer parts.
One moment that stood out during the evening was a percussionist tasked with performing an intricate sixteenth-note arpeggio during the Seven Lions track “Days to Come.” Each vocalist performed in peak form throughout the night, and the audience was encouraged to sing along, cheer, and applaud during individual pieces — a departure from the more reserved atmosphere typically associated with classical symphony performances. At times, members of the orchestra appeared to respond visibly to the real-time energy coming from the crowd.
The setting itself — Benaroya Hall, home of the Seattle Symphony — was notably unfamiliar territory for fans more accustomed to nightclubs, festivals, and traditional concert venues. The crossover drew an audience that bridged both worlds, and the reception throughout the evening reflected genuine enthusiasm from both sides of that divide.
Ahead of the performance, Magnetic Magazine conducted separate interviews with Seven Lions and vocalist Haliene. The Seven Lions interview has been published, with the Haliene conversation to follow in a forthcoming piece.
Source: Magnetic Magazine
