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UW Symphony Orchestra with UW Choirs

Friday, March 14, 2025 - 7:30pm
$10 all tickets.
UW Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal with director David Alexander Rahbee (Photo: Mark Stone/UW Photography).
UW Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal with director David Alexander Rahbee (Photo: Mark Stone/UW Photography).

David Alexander Rahbee leads the UW Symphony and combined UW Choirs in a program of works by Haydn, Schumann, and Ravel. Centerpiece of the program is "The Haydn Experience II,” an  “imaginary symphony" of music by Joseph Haydn, designed by David A. Rahbee. 


Program

The Haydn Experience II: Music by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) and Michael Haydn (1737-1806)
designed by David A. Rahbee after an original concept by Sir Simon Rattle

L’isola disabitata (Deserted Island)
Overture
Mvt 4: Andante–Presto, from Symphony No. 72, D major
March for the Royal Society of Musicians
Mvt 2: Andante, from Symphony No. 38, C major, Echo
Der Furchtsame (The Fearful) [vocal canon]
Storm from The Seasons
Mvt 2; Finale: Fugato, from Symphony No. 28, C major (Michael Haydn)
Liebe der Kunst (Love of Art) [vocal canon]
Mvt 4: Allegro assai, from Symphony No. 90, C major

Nachtlied, Op.108: Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Daphnis et Chloé: Suite No.2: Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) 
Lever du jour 
Pantomime 
Danse générale 

(in celebration of Ravel’s 150th birthday) 


Program Notes

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809); Michael Haydn (1737-1806): The Haydn Experience II

(Music by Franz Joseph, and Michael Haydn. Constructed by David A. Rahbee, based on an original idea by Sir Simon Rattle.)

Several years ago, when I learned that conductor Sir Simon Rattle, who I admire and respect greatly, would present a concert of an “Imaginary Symphony” made up of many different movements and sections of works by Joseph Haydn, I was skeptical. Rattle has indeed been one the most important and inspirational musicians I have learned from and followed closely since the late 1990s; however I thought this was, quite frankly, a strange idea. After experiencing the performance, though, I realized how GREAT the idea actually is. I realized that both musicians and audiences need to experience Haydn in this way- presenting the wide ranging and varied music of this composer, whose legacy has always been undisputed, but whose music remains largely unfamiliar. It gives us a perspective and a chance to appreciate this music with a wider lens and more intensely, rather than hearing one of his pieces an under-rehearsed overture. Rattle said, “Joseph Haydn is like an iceberg,” and that the average concert-goer is familiar with only a small percentage of his total output. At that performance, Sir Simon asked the audience to hold the applause till the end. On the contrary, I actually would encourage the audience to clap between movements - if and when you truly feel motivated to do so - and not just because of a pause in the music, or silence and or because one feels obliged. I set out to create the "Haydn Experience" in 2018, my own version of this “Imaginary Symphony”, inspired by Rattle, but also adding other elements and tailoring it to also provide important opportunities for our orchestra members. I have created a totally new one for this performance. The result will hopefully provide performers and audiences with an experience that helps them recognize and appreciate the genius of Haydn’s music, its uncommon fusion of popular and noble styles, its humor and originality, and above all, in my opinion, honest and direct expressiveness. He confidently said “Meine Sprache versteht Man durch die ganze Welt” (People understand my language all around the world.); it is my hope that this experience will leave you in full accordance!
—David A. Rahbee

Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Nachtlied, Op. 108 (1848)

Robert Schumann’s Nachtlied, Op. 108, for eight-part chorus and orchestra, gently guides the listener into the serene, dreamlike realm of sleep. Composed in 1849, over the course of just a week, this work is set to a poem by Friedrich Hebbel that explores the theme of death, starting its journey with fear, and ending with acceptance. The piece opens with haunting mystery, as a short, fragmented motif is obsessively repeated, drawing the listener into a world of quiet unease. In its final moments, a delicate descending pizzicato line fades away like a fleeting ghost, and the clarinet emerges as a wistful, reflective voice, adding to the sense of introspective calm. —Mica Weiland

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): Daphnis et Chloé Suite no. 2 (comp. 1909-1912)

Maurice Ravel, a renowned French composer, pianist, and conductor, is often considered a central figure in the Impressionist movement—though he himself rejected this label. His music is celebrated for its intricate orchestration and innovative approach to musical form. Known for his genre-defying compositional style, Ravel seamlessly utilized elements of Baroque, Classical, folk, and jazz music in his works. As a prolific composer, he created a vast body of work, including symphonic pieces, concertos, chamber music, and the ballet Daphnis et Chloé. This hour-long ballet is Ravel’s longest composition, scored for large orchestra and wordless chorus.

Set on the Greek island of Lesbos, the ballet tells the story of the shepherd Daphnis, who falls in love with the shepherdess Chloé. A rejected suitor, the cowherd Dorcon, complicates their love triangle. When pirates abduct Chloé, Daphnis is powerless to stop them. However, with the help of the nymphs of Pan and the god himself, Chloé is rescued. The ballet culminates in a stunning depiction of dawn—one of the score’s most celebrated moments—and the joyful reunion of the lovers.

The second suite, drawn from the full ballet, opens with the evocation of daybreak. The flutes and clarinets create a misty, ethereal texture, while the low strings subtly linger in the background. The music mirrors the start of the day, with birdsong and a lush melody that evokes the warmth of the rising sun. An extended flute solo then represents the moment when Daphnis and Chloé mime the story of Pan and Syrinx. The suite closes with a dramatic shift to driving rhythms and frenzied energy, symbolizing the joyous celebration and reunion of Daphnis and Chloé.
—Mica Weiland


University of Washington Symphony Orchestra

David Alexander Rahbee, Music Director and Conductor
Ryan Farris and Robert Stahly, Assistant Conductors

Flute
Erin McAfee, MM Flute Performance
Tracia Pan, Flute Performance, Statistics
Rachel Reyes, DMA Woodwinds
Claire Wei, Music
Yue Zhong, BA Flute Performance 

Piccolo
Grace Playstead, MM Flute Performance 

Alto Flute
Yue Zhong, BA Flute Performance

Oboe

Max Bolen, Marine Biology
Max Boyd, Oboe Performance
Minh-Thi Butler, BM Music Education 

English Horn
Max Boyd, Oboe Performance

Clarinet
Ysanne Webb, DMA Clarinet Performance
Nick Zhang, BS Computer Science 

E-Flat Clarinet
Luqi Wang, DMA Clarinet Performance 

Bass Clarinet
Cameron DeLuca, DMA Clarinet Performance 

Bassoon
Ryan Kapsandy, BM Bassoon Performance
Rian Morgan, Music/Nutritional Science
Eric Shankland, BA Music History
Eric Spradling, BM Bassoon Performance

Contrabassoon
Alex Fraley, Music Education
Eric Shankland, BA Music History

Horn     
Nicole Bogner, BM Horn Performance
Colin Laskarzewski, BS Physics
Elise Moe, BM Horn Performance
Sam Nutt, Molecular & Cellular Biology
Noelani Stewart, Political Science, American Ethnic Studies


Trumpet
Hans Faul, BM Trumpet Performance
Kyle Jenkins, MM Trumpet Performance
Antti Männistö, Mechanical Engineering
Drew Theran, MM Trumpet Performance

Trombone
Jonathan Elsner, Applied & Computational Mathematics
Neal Muppidi, BM Trombone Performance
Nathanael Wyttenbach, Music Composition

Bass Trombone
Duncan Weiner, Aero-Astro Engineering/Linguistics 

Tuba
Adam Mtimet, DMA Tuba Performance

Timpani
Kaisho Barnhill, Music Education, Psychology
Momoka Fukushima, Percussion Performance
Abigail George, Applied Physics/BM Percussion Performance

Percussion
Ryan Baker, BM Music Composition, BA Psychology
Kaisho Barnhill, Music Education, Psychology
Momoka Fukushima, Percussion Performance
Abigail George, Applied Physics/BM Percussion Performance
Ivy Moore, Bioresource Science and Engineering
Luigi Salvaggio, Percussion Performance
Tyler Smith, MM Percussion Performance 

Harp
Kelly Hou, Alumna
Jared Parsons, guest 

Violin I
Grace Pandra, Violin Performance/Business Administration (Concertmaster)
Hanu Nahm, Violin Performance/BS Microbiology
David Teves-Tan, Pre-Sciences
Hai-Ryung Jang, DMA Violin Performance
Justin Chae, Computer Science
Michaela Klesse, Music
Nahuel Weber-Jacobsen, Social Sciences
Ido Avnon, MS Computer Sciences & Engineering
David Mok, Computer Engineering
Amelie Martin, Mathematics
Brandon Bailey, Computer Science
Adora Wu, Computer Science
Jie Zhou, Music
Alex Metzger, Computer Science
Giulia Rosa, Music
Lyle Deng, Computer Science 

Violin II
Taylor DeCastro, MM Violin Performance (Principal)
Nicole Chen, Informatics
Sean Sasaki, Music Education
Thea Higgins, Industrial Engineering: Data Science
Rylan Ferron-Jones, Civil Engineering
Alice Leppert, Chemistry
Talal Kheiry, Pre-Sciences
Anja Westra, Marine Biology
Danny Zhang, Pre-Sciences
Victoria Zhuang, Pre-Sciences
Jasmine Palikhya, International Studies
Justene Li, Pre-Sciences
Fengrui Liu, Finance
Freya Frahm, Computer Sciences/BM Piano Performance
Hannah Pena-Ruiz, Music History 

Viola     

Flora Cummings, Viola Performance/Biology (Co-Principal)
Mica Weiland, Viola Performance (Co-Principal)
Abigail Schidler, Computer Science/Music Theory
Emma Boyce, Music
Melia Golden, Biochemistry
Mia Grayson, Biochemistry
Annika Johnson, Pre-Sciences
Hailey Nappen, Pre Sciences
Alan Fan, International Studies
Aribella Brushie, Pre-Sciences
David Del Cid-Saavedra, Language in Education
Alissa Harbani, Bioengineering/Music
Melany Nanayakkara, Mathematics

Violoncello         
Cory Chen, BA in Music/Intended Neuroscience (Principal)
Loni Yin, Pre-Sciences
Nathan Evans, BA Music History
Ignacio (Nacho) Tejeda, PhD Mathematics
Alastair Goodchild, Engineering
Amanda Song, Accounting and Marketing
Jack Ruffner, Pre-Social Sciences
Katherine Kang, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Mina Wang, Informatics
Ava Reese, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Eli Kashman, Bioengineering
Andrew Vu, Chemistry
Noah Croskey, Industrial Engineering
Ally Wu, Electrical Engineering
Bashir Abdel-Fattah, PhD Mathematics

Bass    
Amelia Matsumoto, BM Bass Performance (Principal)
Eddie Mospan, BM Bass Performance
Nathan Eskridge, MM Bass Performance
Gabriella Kelley, English
Josh Bonifas, Music/ELS
Ethan Park, Biology

 

University Chorale

Giselle Wyers, director 

Sopranos
Claire Killian
Devyn Mattson
Emily Shields
Katelyn Wales
Kirsten Conover
Lauren Chenoweth
Meliza Redulla
Olivia Spaid
Sofia Groff
Aria Fowler
Elizabeth Brown
Evelyn Jones
Hope Villareal
Jolee Zamira
Mackenzie Martin
Nila Chandramouli
Quinn Ewing
Sophia Conner
Sophie Root
Shriya Prasanna
Tara Zolfaghari
 

Altos
Alexis Georgiades
Anna Vu
Anne Tinker
Claudia Kahana
Dominique Mallo
Emily Dong
Jessica Thaxton
Julianna Cullen
Lainey Graham
Natalie Peterson
Samara Chacko
Heidi Longmeier
Emily Colombo
Haley Westberg
Jaminfaye Reduque
Juniper Blessing
Leah Peterson
Maya Shah
Sydney Jordan
Jenny Ou
Maddie Rivera 

Tenors
Zoya Mir
Alex Trias
Hannah Carpenter
Jackie Smith
Eric Gagliano
Adrian Wong Cascante
Caleb Strader
Elijah Maruchek
Gray Creech
Haoran Peng
Michael Lim
Tim Resca
Tyler Santos
William Gao 

Basses
A.J. Johnson
Chance Kelley
Charlie Dawson
Danny Troyan
Danny Vizenor
DaShaundre Steele
Gavin Morrow
Jonah Ladish-Orlich
Luke Granger
Mario D'Ambrosio
Thayden Boome
Chow Alvarado
Cole Siegrist
Kwabena Ledbetter
Matthew Magbanua
Robbie Troyan
Taylor Bellamy
Andrew Hoch
Benjamin Jaudon 

Chamber Singers

Geoffrey Boers, director

Soprano 1
Helen Woodruff
Kyla Marshall
Jaden Ritscher
June Ricks
Lauren Chenoweth 

Soprano 2
Clara Johnson
Soledad Mayorga-Maldonado
Egija Claire
Annika Iyer
Nandini Rathod 

Alto 1
Shriya Prasanna
Nila Chandramouli
Emily Colombo
Heidi Blythe
Lainey Graham 

Alto 2
Jackie Smith
Haley Westberg
Alexandra Rameau
Maya Shah
Jaminfaye Reduque 

Tenor 1
Maggie Peterson
Maddie Rivera
Hannah Carpenter
Nicholas Renaud
Michael Lim
Brayden Schwartz 

Tenor 2
Gabe Stefanides
Gray Creech
Manny Noyola-Juarez
David Ferguson
Caleb Strader 

Bass 1
Alex Trias
Charlie Dawson
Chow Alvarado
Arshia Ashari
Luis Javier 

Bass 2
Michael McKenzi
Adam Freemantle
Scott Fikse
Evan Norberg
Kyle Mahoney

Biographies

David Alexander Rahbee (Photo: Steve Korn)

David Alexander Rahbee is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Music in Seattle, where he is Director of Orchestral Activities and Chair of Orchestral Conducting. He is Music Director and Conductor of the University of Washington Symphony Orchestra and founder of the UW Campus Philharmonia Orchestras. He is a recipient of the American-Austrian Foundation's 2003 Herbert von Karajan Fellowship for Young Conductors, the 2005 International Richard-Wagner-Verband Stipend, a fellowship the Acanthes Centre in Paris (2007), and is first prize winner in conducting from The American Prize national non-profit competitions in the performing arts for 2020. His work at UW has earned national recognition. In 2021 he was praised by The American Prize as “Consistently one of the most courageous and comprehensive [orchestral] programmers working in higher education in the U.S. today…”

Dr. Rahbee has appeared in concert with orchestras such as the Seattle Symphony, RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Kammerphilharmonie Berlin-Brandenburg, Guernsey Symphony Orchestra, Chattanooga Symphony, National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, Orchestre de la Francophonie, Orchesterakademie der Bochumer Symphoniker, the Dresden Hochschule orchestra, Grand Harmonie, the Boston New Music Initiative, Seattle Modern Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Loja (Ecuador), Savaria Symphony Orchestra (Hungary), Cool Opera of Norway (members of the Stavanger Symphony), Schönbrunner Schloss Orchester (Vienna), the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, the Kennett Symphony, and the Divertimento Ensemble of Milan. His collaborations with the Seattle Symphony include assistant conductor for the performance and recording of Ives’ Fourth Symphony, and as guest conductor for their Native Lands project and the North American premiere of Páll Ragnar Pallson's Quake with faculty cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir. He has collaborated with several prominent soloists such as Sarah Chang, Jon Kimura Parker, Yekwon Sunwoo, Glenn Dicterow and Jonathan Biss. He has been a guest rehearsal conductor for numerous young orchestras, such as the New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, The Symphony Orchestra of the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music at Chapman University, and the Vienna University of Technology orchestra. He has served on faculty of the Pierre Monteux School as Conducting Associate, has been resident conductor of the Atlantic Music Festival and guest conductor at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival.

Dr. Rahbee was an assistant at the Vienna State opera from 2002-2010. As part of his fellowship and residency at the 2003 Salzburg Festival, Dr. Rahbee was assistant conductor of the International Attergau Institute Orchestra, where he worked with members of the Vienna Philharmonic. He has been selected to actively participate in masterclasses with prominent conductors such as Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Jorma Panula, Zdeněk Mácal, Peter Eötvös, Zoltán Peskó and Helmut Rilling, and counts Nikolaus Harnoncourt to be among his most influential mentors. From 1997-2001, David Rahbee was founder and conductor of the Fidelio Chamber Orchestra in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dr. Rahbeeʼs principal conducting teachers were Charles Bruck and Michael Jinbo at the Pierre Monteux School. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in violin and composition from Indiana University, a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory in orchestral conducting, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Montreal in orchestral conducting.  He has also participated in post-graduate conducting classes at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna. His brass arrangements are published by Warwick Music, and his articles on the music of Mahler have appeared in journals of the International Gustav Mahler Gesellschaft, among others.

In addition to being awarded first prize in conducting from The American Prize for 2020, he was awarded 2nd place in 2019. He has also placed among winners for five consecutive years for The American Prize Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award for Orchestral Programming, recognizing his programming with the UW Symphony and its affiliated ensembles for every season since he joined the faculty. The UWSO has also been a finalist in the category of orchestral performance in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Dr. Rahbee is co-editor of Daniels’ Orchestral Music (6thedition) and Daniels’ Orchestral Music Online (DOMO), the gold standard among conductors, orchestral administrators, orchestra librarians as well as other music professionals and students researching for orchestral programming.

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