David Rahbee 45 Common , street, Belmont MA, 02478
Instruments:Conducting, Other
Styles:Classical
Levels:Beginner, Intermediate
Experience:5 years
Rate:$60 / hr
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Personal Statement
As a conductor:
Rather than being a magician or an authoritarian, I am a musical educator with an artistic vision. I encourage teamwork in ensembles, so that students learn how to be responsible musicians by working together, listening to, communicating with, and learning from their colleagues. I guide students to recognize different styles/genres of music and musical notation and how to interpret these in an effective way. I focus on making students keenly aware of the purpose or message behind a piece of music, rather than striving only for technical perfection. While technique and
precision are important aspects of musical performance, they do not mean much unless we constantly remind ourselves that music is language, and that we are communicating with it. I use my knowledge and imagination to find meaning in each phrase of music, and to better understand a composer’s inspiration for writing a given piece; and through this I work with students on how to convey something meaningful to our audience. These skills will prove valuable to students as they develop their professional careers in any field. I deeply want students of whatever level or capability to always feel encouraged to do the best they can. I expect them to be ready and willing to learn more and more, and I constantly find ways to make music fresh. Off the podium, I am a mentor providing support and encouragement to the musicians in their endeavors musical or nonmusical.
One on one:
I seek to arouse students’ curiosity and to encourage them to apply their talents and skills in their own individual ways. I encourage students to discover the multitude of exciting aspects of music so that they feel inspired to learn more, and in doing so, learn how to be their own teachers. I have always responded much more favorably to teachers who encourage growth by inspiration, as it has stimulated me to find out more on my own. It is this approach that defines my philosophy of learning: bring the student to the point where they realize their individual interests and awaken their unique potential. For example, music theory must be taught by examples within a context. A chord, just like a word, is meaningless unless it is part of a musical phrase or sentence. My goal is to make the student aware of how a chord functions expressively in context, rather than simply to construct or recognize it. This opens the possibility for appreciation of how a phrase functions expressively and in turn helps us learn how to execute it in a meaningful way. I strive to provide a chance for every student to gain a significantly enhanced appreciation, understanding, and aptitude for music, whether they plan on a career in music or not.
Education / Training
A recipient of both the American-Austrian Foundation’s 2003 Herbert von Karajan Fellowship for Young Conductors, and 2005 International Richard-Wagner-Verband Stipend, David Alexander Rahbee (USA) has enjoyed an increasingly busy schedule. As part of his fellowship and residency at the 2003 Salzburg Festival, Mr. Rahbee was assistant conductor of the International Attergau Institute Orchestra (under the patronage of the Vienna Philharmonic), where he assisted and worked with members of the Vienna Philharmonic and guest conductors including Bobby McFerrin. As a result he has regularly attended rehearsals of the Vienna Philharmonic since 2003. He appeared in concert with orchestras such as the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Kammerphilharmonie Berlin-Brandenburg, Orchestre de la
Francophonie, the Dresden Hochschule orchestra, Orquesta Sinfnica de Loja, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Savaria Symphony Orchestra, Cool Opera of Norway (members of the Stavanger Symphony), Schnbrunner Schloss Orchester, and the Divertimento Ensemble of Milan. With these ensembles he has lead a wide variety of works from the baroque, classical, romantic, and modern eras. Between 2002
and 2005, he was was an assistant of Marcello Viotti. From 1997-2001, David Rahbee was conductor of the Fidelio Chamber Orchestra in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also worked as guest rehearsal conductor at the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO), the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestras (RIPYO), and at the New England Conservatory. From 1997 to 2000, he served as assistant
conductor of the Hingham Symphony in Massachusetts.
Mr. Rahbees principal conducting teachers were Charles Bruck and Michael Jinbo at the Pierre Monteux School. He holds degrees from Indiana University (BM, violin and composition, 1996), and from the New England Conservatory (MM, orchestral conducting, 2000). He has also participated in post-graduate conducting classes at the Universitt fr Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna. Mr. Rahbee has taken part in conducting masterclasses given by Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Jorma Panula, Zdeněk Mcal,
Peter Etvs, Zsolt Nagy, Zoltn Pesk, and Helmut Rilling.
Video
www.youtube.com/darahbee