About Northwest Associated Arts
Northwest Associated Arts is a non-profit family of choirs that has been providing the greater Seattle area with choral performances that enliven, enrich, entertain and educate members and audiences alike since 1984. Based proudly in Burien, the age of our members extends well beyond retirement. Our shows aim to provide members a place to showcase their unique talents and passion for the performing arts while fostering a bond of community through music.
From our Executive Team
Welcome to Northwest Associated Arts (NWAA) and our family of choirs! I am honored to begin my first term as President of NWAA and feel incredibly fortunate to step into this role during such an exciting season.
I joined ChoralSounds five years ago and quickly discovered a truly special, multigenerational community of musicians who come together to learn, grow, and share their love of music. Each of our choirs offers its own unique sense of connection—between our members, the music we create, and one another. That connection shines from the stage, creating meaningful and memorable experiences for both our performers and our audiences.
Our 43rd season truly offers something for everyone! ChoralSounds will take the stage at Benaroya Hall to perform “Why We Dream” as part of the LUMA Guild’s Seattle Children’s Benefit Concert with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra. We are thrilled to be part of this special tribute celebrating the music of Little Miss Sunshine. The holiday season brings even more opportunities to celebrate together. In December, ChoralSounds will present its annual Bellevue holiday concert, A ChoralSounds Christmas, and our NWAA family will return to Burien for our beloved ChristmasSounds performances. In March, ChoralSounds will once again partner with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra to perform Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis. April brings SilverSounds to the stage with “British Invasion,” a lively production sure to be filled with singing, dancing, and storytelling. Finally, in May, ChoralSounds, TeenSounds, and KidSounds will come together to close our spring season with “Looking to the Sky.” Featuring a wonderful variety of musical styles and genres—from movies and musicals to beloved choral standards—this concert will be a fitting celebration to conclude another exciting NWAA season!
We are thrilled to see the continued growth and enthusiasm of our young singers in TeensSounds and KidSounds since relaunching these programs two years ago. This season, our teens and kids will join the entire NWAA family on stage for our ChristmasSounds concerts, as well as perform alongside ChoralSounds in May.
As a community-focused arts organization, we are especially proud to provide meaningful choral education and performance opportunities for singers of all ages—from elementary school students to adults in their nineties! We believe these experiences help meet an important need for accessible, enriching arts education in our community, and we are proud to play a role in fostering a lifelong love of music.
I would like to thank everyone who supports NWAA’s mission: to provide performances that enliven, enrich, entertain and educate members and audiences alike while appealing to a variety of musical and artistic tastes. Members are energized by an environment that fosters bonds of community, serving and respecting people of all ages, cultures, and ethnic groups.
We extend our sincere gratitude to 4Culture, the City of Burien, and the Tagney-Jones Foundation for their generous grant support. We are equally thankful to our sponsors, advertisers, businesses, and individual supporters who contribute through financial gifts, their time, and donated goods and services. Their continued generosity and commitment make it possible for us to provide meaningful musical experiences, services, and opportunities for our singers and the broader community year after year.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to YOU, our audience! Your continued support makes everything we do possible. We are so grateful to have you as part of the NWAA community, and I look forward to seeing you in the audience throughout this exciting season!
Katie Knowles
Board President
Our Mission & Vision
Mission Statement
Northwest Associated Arts provides performances that enliven, enrich, entertain and educate members and audiences alike while appealing to a variety of musical & artistic tastes. Members are energized by an environment that fosters bonds of community, serving and respecting people of all ages, cultures and ethnic groups.
Vision Statement
NWAA offers both musical education as well as performance opportunities for a broad range of artists, from grade three through adulthood. We believe that the discipline, camaraderie and pride instilled through the arts are valuable for people at any stage of their lives. We know that offering choral and other experiences and education to singers of all skill levels creates a fertile environment for personal growth and for professional level performances, while fostering a healthy community among our membership and audience.
It is the policy and practice of Northwest Associated Arts and its performance organizations to offer equal opportunity for employment, membership, and participation in all activities and services consistent with its purposes, without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age or disability.
Free Youth Ticket Program
Because we are committed to building a lifetime love for choral music among the youth of our community, we are pleased to offer a FREE ticket to any of our mainstage concerts to anyone 17 & under, when accompanied by a paid adult. Click here for more information.