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 to the connection between music and language.

In repertoire from Bach to Lachenmann, Rahbee has appeared in concert with the Seattle Symphony, RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Kammerphilharmonie Berlin-Brandenburg, Guernsey Symphony Orchestra, Chattanooga Symphony, Northwest Sinfonietta, 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), National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, Savaria Symphony Orchestra (Hungary), Bar Harbor Music Festival Chamber Orchestra, 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. 

Rahbee has made historically informed performances of music of the 18th century a staple of his performing life, in particular, the music of Joseph Haydn. His training and experience in 18th century repertoire is extensive, notably including several years of apprenticeship with the renowned musician Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He has led performances of dozens of Haydn orchestral works with a variety of ensembles, on both modern and period instruments, including his multimedia project titled “The Haydn Experience” which makes connections across Haydn’s oeuvre through a narrative concert experience. 

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He has collaborated with prominent soloists such as violinists Sarah Chang, Glenn Dicterow, David Chan and Joseph Lin, pianists Michelle Cann, Jon Kimura Parker, Ana-Marija Markovina, Yekwon Sunwoo and Jonathan Biss, as well as legendary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell.

He is currently Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Music in Seattle, where he is director of orchestral activities and chair of orchestral conducting, music director of the UW Symphony and founder of the Campus Philharmonia Orchestras. He has been engaged on many occasions to work with young orchestras such as the Sewanee Music Center Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, The Symphony Orchestras of the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music at Chapman University, and the Vienna University of Technology orchestra, the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO), Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO), and Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestras (RIPYO). In addition he has been a Conductor Associate and Guest Conducting Faculty at the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival and Resident Conductor at the Atlantic Music Festival.

Rahbee’s work has earned national recognition. In 2021 he was praised by The American Prize national non-profit competitions in the performing arts as “Consistently one of the most courageous and comprehensive [orchestral] programmers working in higher education in the U.S. today…”. He was awarded first prize for their Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award for Orchestral Programming in 2023. His programming with the University of Washington Symphony Orchestra and its affiliated ensembles has been recognized for every season since he joined the faculty in 2013. He was also awarded first prize in conducting in 2020, and his orchestra, the UW Symphony has also placed among winners in category of orchestral performance in each year from 2018-2022, winning first prize in 2021.

Other awards include the American-Austrian Foundation's Herbert von Karajan Fellowship for Young Conductors, the International Richard-Wagner-Verband Stipend, a fellowship from the Acanthes Centre in Paris, Gold Star recipient of Music & Stars Awards for Best Video Conductor in 2021, and Gold & Platinum winner in the 2022 LIT Talent Awards.

Rahbee was formerly an assistant at the Vienna State Opera from. As part of his fellowship and residency at the Salzburg Festival, he was assistant conductor of the International Attergau Institute Orchestra, where he worked with members of the Vienna Philharmonic and assisted Bobby McFerrin. He has participated in masterclasses with prominent conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Kurt Masur, Jorma Panula, Zdenek Mácal, Zoltán Peskó, Peter Eötvös, Helmut Rilling and Otto-Werner Mueller.

Rahbeeʼs principal conducting teachers were Charles Bruck and Michael Jinbo at the Pierre Monteux School and he counts Nikolaus Harnoncourt to be among his most influential mentors. He studied violin and composition at Indiana University, and conducting at the New England Conservatory and the University of Montreal where he earned his doctorate. He has also participated in post-graduate conducting classes at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna, and spent several summers at the International Bartók Festival and Seminar in Hungary.

His arrangements of various music for brass and an original composition are published by Warwick Music, and orchestrations are available from LeDor, Sheetmusic Plus and the Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy Group. His articles on the music of Gustav Mahler have appeared in journals of the International Gustav Mahler Gesellschaft, among others, and he has also presented at the Colorado MahlerFest symposium. He is co-author and co-editor of Daniels’ Orchestral Music, 6th edition (released June, 2022), and Daniels Orchestral Music Online (updated monthly).

In whatever free time he manages to find, he enjoys exploring, casually following Boston sports teams, and performing satirical pizza reviews.