MORE MUSIC @ THE MOORE Reveals 25th Anniversary Lineup

Seattle Theatre Group has announced the artist lineup and music director for the 25th Annual More Music @ The Moore, the program that provides exceptional young local musicians ages 14-21, regardless of what style they play, the opportunity to make music together. This year's music director is Adam Blackstone, a Grammy Award-winning writer and musician who is the music supervisor, co-orchestrator, and co-arranger of the Broadway musical Hell's Kitchen, who has been music director for top artists including Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, and Maroon 5. This year's participating musicians who will be inspired by Blackstone's artistry are classical soprano Alexandra Deschenes; four-piece Seattle band Alter Expressions, jazz pianist Eleanor Sherry; singer/songwriter Kaiya Buffelen, alternative pop/RnB artist Lionel Green, hip hop artist Mikayla Sullivan; multi-instrumentalist Rishabh McIntosh, and special guests. 

More Music @ The Moore is one of STG's flagship Education & Community Engagement programs. Audiences can find their new favorite emerging artists, see wildly creative musical collaborations, and support music for all ages on Friday, August 7, 2026, at the historic Moore Theatre. Tickets start at $8 (not including fees) and are on sale now. They can be purchased online or in person at the Paramount Theatre Box Office at 911 Pine Street in Downtown Seattle. This is an all-ages event and seating is general admission. 

For 25 years More Music @ The Moore has celebrated the rich talent of youth in the Seattle community. Participating young musicians learn through group collaborations, mentorships from music industry professionals, as well as opportunities for production and promotional support. Since its inception more than 660 young musicians have participated in the program, 130 mentors and 10 music directors have facilitated collaboration and programming, more than 330 songs and 55 genres/cultural styles have been represented, and the final culminating performances have been attended by 36,000+ audience members. As part of More Music @ The Moore, young artists have collaborated and performed with The Roots, Robert Glasper, Mavis Staples, Sheila E., Elvis Costello, Melissa Etheridge, Lucinda Williams, Mike McCready, Jon Batiste and Stay Human and many more. 

MEET THE 2026 ARTISTS

Alexandra Deschenes, a classical soprano, is 16 years old and a junior at Interlake High School, where she is a member of the jazz choir. In addition to being nationally recognized by MTNA and NATS, Alexandra was a member of Seattle Opera's Teen Vocal Studio and Youth Opera Project programs during their 2025 and 2026 seasons. In 2025, she was a regional finalist in the Schmidt competition and attended Interlochen Arts Camp's High School Classical Voice program. Her plans for the following year involve roles such as the Fates in Interlake's production of Hadestown. In her free time, Alexandra enjoys playing piano, especially collaboratively.

Alter Expressions is a four-piece band from Seattle that melds dark wave synths, angular guitars, driving bass, and high energy drums with pop-sensible vocals. This blend makes familiar sounds with a refreshingly modern vibe. Alter Expressions has played many venues including Fun House, Karate Church, The Royal Room, Skylark Cafe. They all received training from School of Rock's House Band program various jazz programs. 

Eleanor Sherry is 20 years old and an incoming senior at Pacific Lutheran University. She is the pianist for the jazz big band on campus. Her main academic focuses are music composition, jazz piano performance, and creative writing. This summer she is blessed to also be in a Zimbabwean marimba band and a Lindy Hop performance team! She has been playing music with people her whole life, and she is so excited to show off her own original music and help bring to life the creative visions of her peers.

Kaiya Buffelen is a 19-year-old singer/songwriter with a deep passion for writing, producing, and recording music. She has been performing publicly since around age 10 and recording music since age 14. She has participated in piano, violin, guitar, and voice lessons in the past and is always eager to learn and collaborate. Kaiya also works with organizations such as Dace's Rock 'n' More Music Academy and Maple Valley Creative Arts Council, which strive to build an inclusive arts community in her hometown of Maple Valley.

Lionel Green is an emerging Alternative Pop/RnB artist whose music blends atmospheric production, emotional storytelling, and experimental textures into what he describes as Dissonance-Pop.

Mikayla Sullivan is an emerging hip hop artist with experience performing through youth engagement programs such as STG's Elevate and 206 Zulu's Beats to the Rhyme. She has been writing verses for a couple of years and is currently learning the production side of hip hop music. Mikayla's music style involves mixing old-school hip-hop styles with modern beats and vocals.

Rishabh McIntosh is a multi-instrumentalist, starting his Indian classical journey from the young age of two. Learning primarily sarod, a traditional Indian classical instrument, he has traveled globally to perform concerts to places such as India and France. Now at the University of Washington pursuing jazz studies on trombone, he aims to bring both passions together along with many more to create unique fusion that brings an ancient art form into the present in new ways.

MEET THE 2026 MUSIC DIRECTOR: Adam Blackstone

On TV, radio or at a live concert at your favorite stadium, the Adam Blackstone sound has certainly permeated your eardrums. Blackstone is a multi‑faceted bass player, musician, Emmy winning Music Director, Grammy winning producer, Tony Award nominated orchestrator, and the musical mastermind behind the live shows of many of today's biggest artists. Blackstone was born in Trenton, New Jersey and it was there that he began to hone his craft under the guise of his father, a jazz musician, who remains one of his greatest musical influences. It was in a church playing drums at the age of 6 that his father discovered he had rhythm and perfect pitch. Once his family moved to Willingboro, NJ which has never been short on talent, he picked up bass in high school and the rest is history.

After earning a scholarship to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, it didn't take long for Blackstone to become engulfed in the soul music pulse that was flowing through the city at that time. Beginning as a session musician, shortly after his start, he was touring the world. In 2009 Blackstone co-founded the company BASSic Black Entertainment, LLC (BBE). BBE is a broad-based music service company that specializes in live music production, connecting musicians and studio production. Under the same moniker, they launched the BBE Record label in 2013. He has served as the Musical Director for acts such as Justin Timberlake, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Maroon 5, and cultivated several Super Bowl Halftime Shows and Pre shows, including the most recent 2026 Super Bowl Pre‑Show performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” featuring Coco Jones and The National Anthem performed by Charlie Puth. With each new endeavor, the artists he works with become family and fall in love with Blackstone's easy demeanor and standard for excellence.

Don't Miss a Seattle News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...

Seattle News

Get the latest news, discounts & more