University of Washington School of Music

01/05/2024

Happy New Year, Friends! We're kicking off Winter Quarter with a string of January performances by our stellar faculty. First up: A solo concert by drummer Ted Poor, exploring the possibilities of the drum set as an agent of melody and harmony. This Tuesday, Jan. 9, 7:30 pm, at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Poor's 11 opening sets for indie artist Andrew Bird on tour last spring were well-received by musicians and listeners alike, so come on out and hear some of what they heard. We hope you can join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2024-01-09/faculty-concert-ted-poor-drums

01/03/2024

Go, Dawgs, go! And go, Brad McDavid, director of the Husky Marching Band, who is getting his wish to "go out on top" as he retires after 30 years directing the band! What a way to end a stellar career! Congrats, Champ! Learn more here:
https://www.king5.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaab/huskies/uw-band-brad-mcdavid-director-retiring

12/21/2023

TBT to that time Garrick Ohlsson was in residence here at the School of Music, working with our talented piano students—just last month! A definite highlight of our year to date!

Looking back on my time as a guest artist at the University of Washington School of Music.

In November, at the invitation of the Robin L. McCabe Endowment in Piano Performance, I gave three master classes to an outstanding group of budding artists. Here I am with students Katherine Lee, Scott Fisher, Jr., and Tony Sun. How special it was to work with these young talents!

12/08/2023

Tonight!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-08/uw-symphony-clara-osowski-and-frederick-reece

The UW Symphony (David Alexander Rahbee, director) welcomes special guests Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano, and Frederick Reece, UW Music History faculty, for its Dec. 8 concert of music by by Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, Valentin Silvestrov, and Richard Strauss. Clara Osowski and Prof. Reece provide voice and narration on Clara Schumann’s Four Songs. It all gets underway at 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall, and YOU ought to be there! Details at the link. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-08/uw-symphony-clara-osowski-and-frederick-reece

12/07/2023

Our final concert of Autumn Quarter 2023 is tomorrow (12/8) at the Gerlich Theater. Join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-08/uw-symphony-clara-osowski-and-frederick-reece

The UW Symphony (David Alexander Rahbee, director) welcomes special guests Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano, and Frederick Reece, UW Music History faculty, for its Dec. 8 concert of music by by Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, Valentin Silvestrov, and Richard Strauss. Clara Osowski and Prof. Reece provide voice and narration on Clara Schumann’s Four Songs. It all gets underway at 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall, and YOU ought to be there! Details at the link. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-08/uw-symphony-clara-osowski-and-frederick-reece

12/07/2023

Tonight!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-07/wind-ensemble-and-symphonic-band-uplift

We’re in the final push this week, with a whole lot of beautiful music to be heard at the Music Building and at Meany Hall! Case in point, this Thursday’s program by the UW Wind Ensemble (Timothy Salzman, director) and Symphonic Band (Shaun Day, director). They present “Uplift,” a program of music by Jack Stamp, Melissa Wang, Salvador Alan Jacobo, Vincent Persichetti, Steven Bryant, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and others, this Thursday, Dec. 7, 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater. Details at the link. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-07/wind-ensemble-and-symphonic-band-uplift

12/07/2023

Concert is tonight!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-07/brechemin-piano-series

Now hear this: Our fabulous students from the UW piano studios take the stage this Thursday, Dec. 7 to perform works by Ravel, Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev. Concert starts at 7:30 pm in Brechemin Auditorium, and admission is free! Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-07/brechemin-piano-series

12/07/2023

Shoutout to Hannah, Jackie, Alex and University of Washington Choirs! Check out all the choirs tonight at Winterfest, 7:30 pm, Meany Hall.
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-06/winterfest

Tonight is the night! Hannah, Jackie, and Alex would love for you to join the combined UW Choirs for Winterest tonight at 7:30pm. A special shout out to these three wonderful singers who are all members of Treble, Glee, and Chorale! There’s a lot of heart and dedication in our UW choirs.

12/06/2023

Tonight!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-06/winterfest

Join us on Wednesday Dec. 6 at the Gerlich Theater for WINTERFEST, featuring the Chamber Singers, University Chorale, University Singers, Treble Choir, Gospel Choir, UW Glee Club, and Recital Choir—in other words, ALL THE CHOIRS. Concert starts at 7:30 and details are at the link. We hope to see you there!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-06/winterfest

12/05/2023

Concert is tonight (12/5)! Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-05/ethnomusicology-visiting-artist-concert-otoqui-reyes-puerto-rican-bomba

Experience the Puerto Rican music and dance form known as bomba tomorrow night (Tue Dec. 5) at Brechemin Auditorium when our Fall Quarter Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist, Otoqui Reyes, is joined by UW students from Music and Dance in a concert featuring very special guests: Otoqui’s father, Angel “Balancé” Reyes, and his Seattle ensemble, Hijos de Agüeybaná. Concert starts at 7:30 and admission is free! It’s a no-brainer—go see it!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-05/ethnomusicology-visiting-artist-concert-otoqui-reyes-puerto-rican-bomba

12/05/2023

Now hear this: Our fabulous students from the UW piano studios take the stage this Thursday, Dec. 7 to perform works by Ravel, Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev. Concert starts at 7:30 pm in Brechemin Auditorium, and admission is free! Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-07/brechemin-piano-series

12/05/2023

Join us on Wednesday Dec. 6 at the Gerlich Theater for WINTERFEST, featuring the Chamber Singers, University Chorale, University Singers, Treble Choir, Gospel Choir, UW Glee Club, and Recital Choir—in other words, ALL THE CHOIRS. Concert starts at 7:30 and details are at the link. We hope to see you there!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-06/winterfest

12/04/2023

We’re in the final push this week, with a whole lot of beautiful music to be heard at the Music Building and at Meany Hall! Case in point, this Thursday’s program by the UW Wind Ensemble (Timothy Salzman, director) and Symphonic Band (Shaun Day, director). They present “Uplift,” a program of music by Jack Stamp, Melissa Wang, Salvador Alan Jacobo, Vincent Persichetti, Steven Bryant, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and others, this Thursday, Dec. 7, 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater. Details at the link. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-07/wind-ensemble-and-symphonic-band-uplift

12/04/2023

The UW Symphony (David Alexander Rahbee, director) welcomes special guests Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano, and Frederick Reece, UW Music History faculty, for its Dec. 8 concert of music by by Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, Valentin Silvestrov, and Richard Strauss. Clara Osowski and Prof. Reece provide voice and narration on Clara Schumann’s Four Songs. It all gets underway at 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall, and YOU ought to be there! Details at the link. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-08/uw-symphony-clara-osowski-and-frederick-reece

12/04/2023

Experience the Puerto Rican music and dance form known as bomba tomorrow night (Tue Dec. 5) at Brechemin Auditorium when our Fall Quarter Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist, Otoqui Reyes, is joined by UW students from Music and Dance in a concert featuring very special guests: Otoqui’s father, Angel “Balancé” Reyes, and his Seattle ensemble, Hijos de Agüeybaná. Concert starts at 7:30 and admission is free! It’s a no-brainer—go see it!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-05/ethnomusicology-visiting-artist-concert-otoqui-reyes-puerto-rican-bomba

12/04/2023

Join us at the Meany Studio Theater tomorrow, Mon. Dec. 4, 730 pm, when the Modern Band (Cuong Vu, advisor) presents a set of original compositions by group members Jacob Lipp, EJ Brannan, Beau Wood, Jai Lasker, and Shai Permilovsky, and the Studio Jazz Ensemble (Marc Seales, advisor) performs big band arrangements of music by Benny Carter, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, and others. Details at the link. We hope you can join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-04/studio-jazz-ensemble-and-modern-band

12/04/2023

Songs of praise, jubilation, and other expressions of the Gospel tradition, presented by the UW Gospel Choir (Phyllis Byrdwell, director). Mon. Dec. 4, 7:30 pm, at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Details at the link. Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-04/gospel-choir

12/03/2023

Today at 3! Join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-03/opera-workshop-elixir-love-distilled

UW Opera Workshop presents "The Elixir of Love, Distilled," an unadulterated extraction of Adina’s and Nemorino’s love arc from Gaetano Donizetti’s spirited opera buffa, L’elisir d’amore. With Kelly Kitchens, stage direction; Andrew Romanic, music director. Performance is at 3 pm THIS SUNDAY, Dec. 3, Brechemin Auditorium. Admission is free, and so is parking on the UW campus on Sundays, so please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-03/opera-workshop-elixir-love-distilled

12/02/2023

Tonight! 7:30 pm at Brechemin Auditorium. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-02/composition-studio-uw-modern-music-ensemble

Hear works by Earle Brown, Morton Feldman, Katherine Balch, John Cage, and student composers of the UW Composition Program this Saturday, Dec. 2, 7:30 pm, Brechemin Auditorium, when the UW Composition Studio and Modern Music Ensemble (Cristina Valdés, director) present a shared end-of-quarter concert. Student composers featured are Nicholas Mendonsa, Arshia Ashari, Melissa Wang, and Tyler James Bellamy. Admission is free! Join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-02/composition-studio-uw-modern-music-ensemble

12/01/2023

Today, 4:30 pm, in the School of Music Fishbowl. Join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-01/theme-lecture-john-carlos-perea-university-washington

Our 2023 THEME lecture series wraps up this Friday, Dec. 1 with a talk by UW Ethnomusicology associate professor John-Carlos Perea, presenting “Traditioning Witchi Tai To: Jim Pepper, Don Cherry, and American Indian Ways of Improvising.” The event gets under way at 4:30 pm in the School of Music Fishbowl. Admission is free. Join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-01/theme-lecture-john-carlos-perea-university-washington

12/01/2023

Concert is tonight! Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-01/chamber-singers-and-university-chorale-fields-and-fences

"Fields and Fences," the fall concert by the Chamber Singers (Geoffrey Boers, director) and University Chorale (Giselle Wyers, director) features songs exploring the duality of liberation and constraint. The Chamber Singers’ set highlights music by Pacific Northwest composers Reginald Unterseher, Richard Nance, and Jessica French, plus Bach’s Magnificat, performed with the UW Baroque Ensemble (Tekla Cunningham, director). University Chorale performs music by Williametta Spencer,
Hildigunnur Runarsdóttir, Giselle Wyers, and others. Join us on Friday, Dec. 1, 7:30 pm in the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Details at the link!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-01/chamber-singers-and-university-chorale-fields-and-fences

11/30/2023

Concert is tonight! Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-30/faculty-concert-melia-watras-atar-arad-and-flora-cummings-viola-branches

We have a very special program coming up this week on Thursday, Nov. 30: “Branches,” presented by faculty violist Melia Watras, her former teacher, Atar Arad, and her current student Flora Cummings. They’ll be performing works by Bela Bartók, J.S. Bach, Atar Arad, and Melia Watras in this unique exploration of their viola family tree. Concert starts at 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Details at the link in our bio. Please join us!

11/30/2023

UW Opera Workshop presents "The Elixir of Love, Distilled," an unadulterated extraction of Adina’s and Nemorino’s love arc from Gaetano Donizetti’s spirited opera buffa, L’elisir d’amore. With Kelly Kitchens, stage direction; Andrew Romanic, music director. Performance is at 3 pm THIS SUNDAY, Dec. 3, Brechemin Auditorium. Admission is free, and so is parking on the UW campus on Sundays, so please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-03/opera-workshop-elixir-love-distilled

11/29/2023

Hear works by Earle Brown, Morton Feldman, Katherine Balch, John Cage, and student composers of the UW Composition Program this Saturday, Dec. 2, 7:30 pm, Brechemin Auditorium, when the UW Composition Studio and Modern Music Ensemble (Cristina Valdés, director) present a shared end-of-quarter concert. Student composers featured are Nicholas Mendonsa, Arshia Ashari, Melissa Wang, and Tyler James Bellamy. Admission is free! Join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-02/composition-studio-uw-modern-music-ensemble

11/29/2023

Tonight!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-29/uw-percussion-ensemble

The UW Percussion Ensemble (Bonnie Whiting, director) reimagines iconic 1930s percussion music by Edgard Varèse and Afrocubanismo pioneer Amadeo Roldán in their Wed. Nov. 29 program “Ionisation,” 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-29/percussion-ensemble-ionisation

11/29/2023

This morning (11/29) at 10:30. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-29/guest-artist-master-class-atar-arad-viola

Get some valuable tips for confronting stage fright from renowned violist Atar Arad in his talk, “The Tiger in the Room,” part of his master class with UW viola students this Wednesday, Nov. 29, 10:30 a.m., in Brechemin Auditorium. This talk is for ANYONE dealing with anxiety when faced with a public performance or presentation, so please join us. It’s free!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-29/guest-artist-master-class-atar-arad-viola

11/28/2023

Our 2023 THEME lecture series wraps up this Friday, Dec. 1 with a talk by UW Ethnomusicology associate professor John-Carlos Perea, presenting “Traditioning Witchi Tai To: Jim Pepper, Don Cherry, and American Indian Ways of Improvising.” The event gets under way at 4:30 pm in the School of Music Fishbowl. Admission is free. Join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-01/theme-lecture-john-carlos-perea-university-washington

11/28/2023

"Fields and Fences," the fall concert by the Chamber Singers (Geoffrey Boers, director) and University Chorale (Giselle Wyers, director) features songs exploring the duality of liberation and constraint. The Chamber Singers’ set highlights music by Pacific Northwest composers Reginald Unterseher, Richard Nance, and Jessica French, plus Bach’s Magnificat, performed with the UW Baroque Ensemble (Tekla Cunningham, director). University Chorale performs music by Williametta Spencer,
Hildigunnur Runarsdóttir, Giselle Wyers, and others. Join us on Friday, Dec. 1, 7:30 pm in the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Details at the link!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-12-01/chamber-singers-and-university-chorale-fields-and-fences

11/28/2023

Tomorrow (11/29) at 7:30. Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-29/uw-percussion-ensemble

The UW Percussion Ensemble (Bonnie Whiting, director) reimagines iconic 1930s percussion music by Edgard Varèse and Afrocubanismo pioneer Amadeo Roldán in their Wed. Nov. 29 program “Ionisation,” 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-29/percussion-ensemble-ionisation

11/27/2023

Get some valuable tips for confronting stage fright from renowned violist Atar Arad in his talk, “The Tiger in the Room,” part of his master class with UW viola students this Wednesday, Nov. 29, 10:30 a.m., in Brechemin Auditorium. This talk is for ANYONE dealing with anxiety when faced with a public performance or presentation, so please join us. It’s free!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-29/guest-artist-master-class-atar-arad-viola

11/27/2023

Tomorrow (Tues 11/28)! Join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-28/concert-and-campus-bands-sonic-luminescence

Join us on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall, when the Concert and Campus Bands present “Sonic Luminescence,” featuring music by Julie Giroux, David Maslanka, Samuel Barber, Philip Spark, Eric Whitacre, and others. Roger Wu Fu and David Stewart conduct. Details at the link. Come on out!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-28/concert-and-campus-bands-sonic-luminescence

11/27/2023

Garrick hopes you will join us!

TOMORROW, November 28, my three-day guest artist residency begins at the University of Washington School of Music! I find immense joy in teaching young musicians and look forward to a few days filled with inspiration and musical discoveries together.

There will also be a panel discussion focused on the modern challenges and prospects for musicians and audiences alike. All events will take place at the Brechemin Auditorium, and entry is free. If you are in the area, I hope you will join us!

More details can be found here: bit.ly/ohlsson-uwmusicresidency

11/26/2023

We have a very special program coming up this week on Thursday, Nov. 30: “Branches,” presented by faculty violist Melia Watras, her former teacher, Atar Arad, and her current student Flora Cummings. They’ll be performing works by Bela Bartók, J.S. Bach, Atar Arad, and Melia Watras in this unique exploration of their viola family tree. Concert starts at 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Details at the link in our bio. Please join us!

11/26/2023

We have a very special program coming up this week on Thursday, Nov. 30: “Branches,” presented by faculty violist Melia Watras, her former teacher, Atar Arad, and her current student Flora Cummings. They’ll be performing works by Bela Bartók, J.S. Bach, Atar Arad, and Melia Watras in this unique exploration of their viola family tree. Concert starts at 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Details at the link. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-30/faculty-concert-melia-watras-atar-arad-and-flora-cummings-viola-branches

11/25/2023

We are thrilled and honored to welcome world-renowned pianist Garrick Ohlsson to the School of Music Nov. 28-30 for a series of master classes with UW piano students AND a panel discussion with area arts leaders about challenges and opportunities facing musicians (and audiences) of today. All events are in Brechemin Auditorium, admission is free, and details are at the link. Please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-28/guest-artist-residency-garrick-ohlsson-piano

11/25/2023

The UW Percussion Ensemble (Bonnie Whiting, director) reimagines iconic 1930s percussion music by Edgard Varèse and Afrocubanismo pioneer Amadeo Roldán in their Wed. Nov. 29 program “Ionisation,” 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall. Please join us!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-29/percussion-ensemble-ionisation

11/25/2023

Join us on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7:30 pm at the Gerlich Theater, Meany Hall, when the Concert and Campus Bands present “Sonic Luminescence,” featuring music by Julie Giroux, David Maslanka, Samuel Barber, Philip Spark, Eric Whitacre, and others. Roger Wu Fu and David Stewart conduct. Details at the link. Come on out!
https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-28/concert-and-campus-bands-sonic-luminescence

11/20/2023

Hear our wonderful voice students perform tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 4 pm, at the School of Music Brechemin Auditorium. Admission is FREE. It’ll give you a lift, so please join us!

https://music.washington.edu/events/2023-11-21/voice-division-recital