New publications, recordings, world premieres, clinician gigs, media coverage, and keynote presentations are among recent news reported by School of Music faculty.
William Dougherty, Composition
The newly appointed assistant professor (Composition) and his work with his Philadelphia-based organization and ensemble, Hearing Philadelphia, was featured recently in a segment by NPR’s WHYY News. Dougherty, who previously taught at Temple University in Philadelphia before his arrival at the UW, co-created the group to raise awareness and facilitate healing through music of those affected by gun violence.
Joël-François Durand, Composition
The School of Music director spent a week in Europe earlier this month, where he delivered a lecture on the perception of first-order beats on instruments to performance students at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, in Vienna (Austria). He also led a workshop for the school's composition students focused on his third string quartet, with the Mivos Quartet. In a subsequent concert at the Reid Hall in Paris, the Mivos Quartet performed his second and third string quartets. Finally, Durand was invited to deliver a lecture on his music to the composition classes at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris.
Robin McCabe, Piano
Piano Professor Robin McCabe led a master class with Seattle Pacific University students in February. In April she presented Dr. Katherine Kautsky of Lawrence University in a lecture recital at the School of Music, “Debussy’s Paris: Poets, Politics and the Piano.” She also hosted the April residency of the Eroica Piano Trio, in public master classes and a Meany Hall recital. On April 24, she performed works of Ravel and Fauré on her faculty recital at Meany Hall, and featured her students as well, in works for two pianos, eight hands and 40 fingers. She continues her work as an international consultant and adjudicator for the Beijing Royal Academies of Music. Professor McCabe’s 14 year- old piano student, Eli Antony, (who also plays cello and composes), has been accepted to the UW Robinson Academy for Young Scholars. He begins his UW career in the fall, as a freshman, and as a member of McCabe’s studio class. His composition for cello and piano, “Forest Fantasia,” won first prize in the Washington State Music Association’s annual competition this year. He also took part in a master class with the Eroica Trio at the School of Music in April, one of the young musicians featured in a “Younger Seattle” session with the Trio.
John-Carlos Perea, Ethnomusicology
The acting chair of Ethnomusicology and faculty colleague Marc Seales performed for the UW Native American Law Student Association Salmon Bingo Fundraiser, held on April 25 at the Intellectual House on campus. Perea and spouse and affiliate faculty member Jessica Bisset Perea are co-leading a new UW course titled “Powwow Cultures in Native North America,” an interdisciplinary offering between American Indian Studies and the School of Music. The course covers historic and contemporary powwow practices through a variety of activities, including participation in the annual First Nations @UW Spring Powwow and interactions with powwow musicians, dancers and organizers. The new course was featured by UW News in a recent article: “UW Professors highlight music in powwow culture course.”
In other media coverage, Perea was quoted extensively in an article on KNKX.org, highlighting local radio shows with an emphasis on indigenous jazz.
Stephen Price, Organ Studies
Head of the UW Organ Studies program recently published the Black Composers Project: Music for Organ on the School of Music YouTube channel. The project featured performances from the UW organ, flute, violin, and voice studios, historical context and research by Music History associate professor Anne Searcy, and staff expertise in video recording and post-production editing by John Fredenburg, Doug Niemela, and Colin Todd. Price also recently served as a juror for the Taylor National Organ Playing Competition in Atlanta, GA, and performed "Angels" by the American Composer Gloria Coates with the Seattle Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Lorenzo Marasso at Plymouth Church.
Paul Rafanelli, Bassoon; Dan Williams, Oboe
The UW’s bassoon and oboe instructors, Paul Rafanelli and Dan Williams, make return appearances at the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival in June. Both have performed there several times since the festival began in 2008.
Frederick Reece, Music History
The assistant professor delivered the keynote presentation at the Midwest Graduate Music Consortium (MGMC) Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the weekend of April 18–20. UW graduate students Grace Playstead and Lorin Green also delivered papers that rose out of their coursework with Reece. MGMC is a collaborative organization composed of the graduate students in music from the University of Chicago, the University of Iowa, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan.
In other news, Reece's first book, Forgery in Musical Composition, is out now on Oxford University Press. He was interviewed about the book in an article in the respected European new music publication, Van Magazine, "Between Beauty and Lies," conducted by journalist Phil Hebblethwaite.
Timothy Salzman, Wind Conducting
Head of the UW Bands program was a clinician for the University of North Florida Annual Conducting Symposium held in Jacksonville in early September, 2024. He also served as an evaluator for the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis in March of 2025. Retiring in June 2025 after 38 years on the School of Music faculty, Salzman's final UW concert, "Finish Line," (June 5 at Meany Hall) is a shared performance by the UW Wind Ensemble and an Alumni Band put together especially for the occasion, with former students traveling from across the country to take part in his musical farewell.
Melia Watras, Viola
Professor Melia Watras' new album The almond tree duos was released on Planet M Records in May, 2025. The recording showcases her work as a composer and violist and includes performances by UW faculty violinists Rachel Lee Priday and Tekla Cunningham, and Pacific Northwest Ballet concertmaster Michael Jinsoo Lim. Watras authored an article on her album for The Strad online, which also premiered her music video Amaranth. She was featured in an interview by the Berlin-based music magazine 15 Questions.