About David
Praised as an "extroverted conductor whose energy is shown at all times with sweeping gestures and demonstrable attention to all details", David Alexander Rahbee is known for his expressive performances, unique and wide-ranging repertoire and a dedication the connection between music and language.
Get in Touch
Latest News
My orchestration of Dukas: La plainte, au loin, du faune (Tombeau de Claude Debussy) is now available!
https://www.ledorgroup.com/product/le-tombeau-de-claude-debussy-la-plainte-au-loin-du-faune-1920/
In the days following Debussy’s death in 1920, the editor of the Revue Musicale, commissioned 10 important composers to each compose a short piano work in his memory. Paul Dukas’ contribution to Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy is La Plainte, au loin, du faune…, which pays tribute to one of Debussy’s most important works, ‘Prélude à ‘l’après-midi d’un faune’. Dukas quotes this work in a hazy, chromatic and atmospheric piece that I believe longs for an orchestral setting. This orchestration works beautifully as a companion piece to Debussy’s Faune, as musicians and listeners alike will notice the thematic reference.
My 4 new orchestrations of songs by Clara Schumann are now available through Sheetmusicplus.com
My intention was to orchestrate these in the style of Robert and Clara Schumann.
Liebst du um Schönheit? [Rückert] (1840)
Warum willst du and’re fragen? [Rückert] (1840)
Ich stand in dunkeln Träumen [Heine] (1843)
Lorelei [Heine] (1843)
Hommage à Haydn is now available from LeDor group!
To honor Haydn’s memory, six composers (Ravel, Debussy, d'Indy, Dukas, Widor & Hahn) each wrote a short piano piece using the letters of Haydn’s name as a five-note motive. They were given H (B natural), A, Y (D), D, N (G). Y and B become D and G by “putting the letter’s alphabetical order over the diatonic series of the sound scale.” The piano works were originally commissioned by the Revue musicale mensuelle de la Société Internationale de Musique in 1909 to mark the centenary of Joseph Haydn’s death.
I orchestrated these six pieces during Covid.
They are available separately or as a suite and can be programmed as a suite or individually. They make great pairings with Haydn symphonies!
https://www.ledorgroup.com/product/hommage-a-haydn/
I share some meaningful points about music and conducting which I have distilled that are part of my daily life.
Language | Grammar | Sharing | Fulfillment | Confidence | Notation | No Cinema! | Together.
https://fb.watch/lW-c5Wr_PU/
—
I has been named winner of The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award (collegiate division), 2023.
From auditions to rehearsals to the polished performance, enjoy a front-row seat for this short film following University of Washington student musicians in the UW Symphony Orchestra. While about a third of the symphony’s musicians are music majors, many others are studying STEM fields. “The makeup of the orchestra is a beautiful thing,” says Symphony Director David Alexander Rahbee. “I want everyone to be involved.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl-MzHnASRE
—
Under videos, please check out The Haydn Experience, designed (by me after an original concept by Sir Simon Rattle) to enlighten and entertain audiences and orchestras with a fresh perspective on Haydn, presenting parts of 10 different works! https://youtu.be/pss0veHE7dg
—
I am winner of the 2020 American Prize (National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts) in conducting (college/university division), and was awarded 2nd place for The American Prize Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming, placing him among the winners for 7 consecutive seasons.
The University of Washington Symphony Orchestra is 2021 winner of The American Prize in orchestral performance (small program, college/university division).
http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2021/10/winners-orchestras-2021.html
—
Read here about what I did with orchestra members during COVID.
https://music.washington.edu/news/2020/04/28/deeper-orchestral-learning-beethovens-250th
—
I am co-author of the 6th edition of Daniels' Orchestral Music, one of the most important reference books/databases in the world of orchestral music, released in June, 2022. Daniels’ Orchestral Music is the gold standard for all orchestral professionals—from conductors, librarians, programmers, students, administrators, and publishers, to even instructors—seeking to research and plan an orchestral program, whether for a single concert or a full season. This sixth edition, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the original edition, has the largest increase in entries for a new edition of Orchestral Music: 65% more works (roughly 14,050 total) and 85% more composers (2,202 total) compared to the fifth edition. Composition details are gleaned from personal inspection of scores by orchestral conductors, making it a reliable one-stop resource for repertoire. The website www.daniels-orchestral.com is updated monthly. The 6th edition is available from https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442275201/Daniels%27-Orchestral-Music-Sixth-Edition or on Amazon.