Long before Grammy-winning composer Mateo Messina was scoring Hollywood films and television shows, he was a kid in West Seattle building his musical foundation from the ground up. Growing up in the neighborhood, attending Our Lady of Guadalupe school, and hustling to sell his early CDs at local shops around the West Seattle Junction, Messina's roots run deep in the local community.

For the past 27 years, Messina has returned home every November to premiere an annual benefit symphony at Benaroya Hall in support of Seattle Children's Hospital. His connection to the hospital is deeply personal and hands-on, having spent roughly 20 years volunteering in the hospital playroom writing songs with young patients and serving nine years on its board of directors. Produced by the LUMA Guild, these annual symphonic performances have raised more than $2 million to fund uncompensated care and pediatric cancer research for families across the region.

While these evenings feature a full orchestra and dressed-up guests, Messina's benefit concerts are far from typical charity affairs. Over the decades, his high-energy stage productions have featured Pike Place fishmongers tossing salmon across the stage, real Starbucks baristas brewing coffee mid-concert, and an entire circus troupe from Georgetown performing alongside the musicians. Past guest collaborators include iconic acts such as Heart, Alice in Chains, Imogen Heap, SYML, and Five For Fighting. To get a quick sense of the unique and heartwarming atmosphere, fans can watch this two-minute video summing up the concert experience.

This year's concert, titled "Why We Dream," takes the stage on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 8 PM at Benaroya Hall. The program musically explores how our minds and hearts process emotional events through common dream themes, performed by the Northwest Symphony Orchestra. In a signature creative touch, audience members will even be invited to wear sleep masks as over 200 voices from the Seattle Ladies Choir, ChoralSoundsNW, NW Girlchoir, and Rainier Youth Choirs surround the hall in an immersive vocal performance. Indie rock band Devotchka will also join as the featured guest artist, performing their music from the Oscar-winning film Little Miss Sunshine.

Although Messina's career has taken him to Hollywood to score nearly 40 films and over 300 television episodes, including his Grammy-winning work on Juno and his upcoming feature film OH SEASON starring fellow Seattle native Joel McHale, his annual November symphony remains a cherished hometown tradition. As Messina reflects, the concert is a one-night-only art experience, but what the community gives back helps families for a lifetime