2024 Robb Concert4/8/2024 2024 Robb Concert poster by Chris Orphal and Peter Gilbert Friday 29 March 2024 7:30pm 52nd Annual John Donald Robb Concert featuring guitarist Daniel Lippel composers Tania León and Reiko Füting world premieres by Juantio Becenti, Monica Demarco, Christopher Orphal UNM Keller Hall | directions FREE Admission all ages family-friendly community event Composers Juantio Becenti, Monica Demarco, Doug Falk, Reiko Füting, Tania León, Christopher Orphal, John Donald Robb Performers Debra Ayers piano, Monica Demarco electronics, Kristin Ditlow piano, Sally Guenther cello, Daniel Lippel guitar, Jesse Tatum flute, Laura Tohe poet, Jacqueline Zander-Wall mezzo-soprano Commemorative Program Download a free copy of the Robb Concert commemorative program (PDF). It contains artists’ bios and head shots, extended program notes, song lyrics, information on the Robb Symposium Series and biennial Robb Commission, career highlights of John Donald Robb, donor acknowledgments, sponsors, a history of the Symposium Series, a list of notable Symposium guests, upcoming events, and information about the Robb Trust annual appeal. Click here for a copy of the one-page program distributed to audience members attending the concert in person. Play List
Video Teaser Composer Interview Monica Demarco interviewed by Robb Trust graudate assistant Chris Orphal. 2022 Robb Commission1/16/2024 Patricia Alessandrini Patricia Alessandrini is a composer / sound artist, educator and researcher actively engaging with notions of canonicity, representation, interpretation, perception and memory, often in a social and political context, through work which is for the most part interactive and/or intermedial. She performs research on embodied interaction - including instrument design for inclusive performance - as well as on digitally-mediated performance and computer-assisted composition. Her works have been presented in numerous festivals, in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and over 15 European countries. She has also toured extensively as a performer of live electronics. She studied composition with electronics at the Conservatorio di Bologna and Ircam, holds a diploma in composition from the Conservatoire de Strasbourg, a PhD from Princeton University, and a second PhD from the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC). World Premiere of Alessandrini's "Hear" for vocal sextet and trombone  Ekmeles vocal ensemble Ekmeles premiered Alessandrini's new work "Hear" during the 2022 John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium at the beautiful Cathedral of St. John in downtown Albuquerque. Ekmeles is a New York-based vocal ensemble dedicated to the performance of new and rarely-heard works, and gems of the historical avant garde. With a special focus on microtonal works, they have been praised by the New York Times for their "extraordinary sense of pitch". Listen to the world premiere of Alessandrini's "Hear" performed by Ekmeles, featuring trombonist William Lang, recorded live at the Cathedral of St. John in Albuquerque, 7 April 2022 during the 50th Annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium (renamed the Robb Symposium Series in 2023).
2023 Projects9/12/2023The UNM John Donald Robb Musical Trust is actively involved in supporting the community by providing underwriting to organizations, ad hoc projects, educational outreach, programming, concerts, and events. Below is a list of the Trust's recent endeavors.  Adobe Saxophone Quartet Part of the Robb Trust's mission is to promote the compositions of John Donald Robb. To that end, the Trust commissioned the Adobe Saxophone Quartet to perform a new arrangement of Robb's String Quartet No. 2, created by the Trust's graduate assistant Chris Orphal. The arrangement received its world premiere in March 2023 at the Robb Concert, the headliner event of the annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium. The Adobe Quartet subsequently recorded the Robb String Quartet No. 2 arrangement in May of 2023. The Trust underwrote the studio recording, which involved hiring an artistic director to oversee the recording session, a recording engineer, the musicians, and an audio/visual editor to mix and edit the audio and create an official music video.  National Hispanic Cultural Center The Robb Trust underwrites annual community programming produced by the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Most recently was Día de Familia y Comunidad: Fiesta de Barelas March 22, 2023. Visitors had a chance to make paper architecture, maracas, and weavings, and learn from Barelas community organizations. Vicente Griego and Chuy Martinez who presented sing-along performances featuring music from the John Donald Robb Archives at the UNM Center of Southwest Research and Special Collections. The free community event was supported by Bank of Albuquerque and musical performances were sponsored by the Robb Trust.  PBS Learning Project Folk Music of New Mexico: The John Donald Robb Collection is an educational initiative produced by New Mexico PBS and the University of New Mexico John Donald Robb Musical Trust with support from the University of New Mexico Libraries' Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, The Mr. and Mrs. Sanford N. McDonnell Foundation, The Brabson Library and Educational Foundation, and Albuquerque Public Schools. The collection contains video, audio, Spanish transcriptions, English translations, and sheet music for the traditional songs. Support materials include lesson plans (coming soon), student handouts, and video descriptions of the song forms. Supplemental reading material and a documentary film by NM PBS, The Musical Adventures of John Donald Robb in New Mexico, are also available. The Robb Trust provides underwriting and extensive, detailed content. Trust Board members Rosalia Pacheco and Nancy Harbert, and Honorary Board member Enrique Lamadrid, are working closely with NMPBS to bring this project to a completion.  Universidad de Nuevo México Mariachi The Trust pays salary and benefits for two adjunct faculty teaching with the UNM Mariachi Program. Currently, those faculty are Monica E. Trujillo and José Carrillo. UNM Music Department Audiotape Digitization Archival Project  Approximately 25 years ago the UNM Fine Arts Library discarded about 1,500 reel-to-reel audio tapes of events presented by the UNM Music Department. The library no longer had the technology to play these tapes. The tapes represent a historic treasure trove with recordings of faculty, student, and guest performances dating from the 1950s – 1990s.
They were given to the Music Department which placed them in the basement of Hokona Hall where they sat deteriorating and unavailable for decades. In the summer of 2022, the tapes were “rescued” and subsequently cleaned, labeled, and catalogued. They now reside back in the Music Department. The next goal of the project is to get the tapes digitized so the recordings are once again playable on modern equipment. The UNM Robb Trust and its Archives/Underwriting Committee initiated support for the process. Robb Symposium Series5/1/20232023 Events
Fri 10 February 11:00am-11:50am Composition Masterclass with Ellen Reid in cooperation with New Mexico Philharmonic Performers: UNM composition students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Center for the Arts, Room 1111 Program: TBA Fri 10 February 1:00pm-2:40pm Workshop with Jeffrey Brooks clarinet & Silviu Ciulei guitar Composers: UNM composition students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Center for the Arts, Room 1111 Program: TBA Sun 12 February 3:00pm UNM Faculty Spotlight Concert: Clarinet Meets Guitar Composers: John Donald Robb (1892-1989), Marc Mellits (b.1966), Adrian Andrei (b.1980), Redi Marku (b.1984), Olga Amelkina-Vera (b.1976), Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) Performers: Jeffrey Brooks clarinet & Silviu Ciulei guitar Venue: UNM Keller Hall Tickets: $0 Program:
Fri 24 February 11:00am & 1:00pm Composition Masterclass with Sarah Hennies Performers: UNM composition students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Center for the Arts Room 1111 Topic: TBA Fri 3 March 11:00am & 1:00pm Artist Talk with Composer Levi Raleigh Brown Levi will present by Zoom Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Center for the Arts Room 1111 Topics:
Sat 4 March 2:00pm Workshop with Percussionist Alan Zimmerman Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Keller Hall Sat 4 March 7:30pm Concert with Percussionist Alan Zimmerman Composers: Rebecca Saunders, Kenneth Cornell, Raven Chacon Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Keller Hall Program:
Tue 7 March 3:00pm Piano Masterclass with Emanuele Arciuli Performers: UNM Music students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Keller Hall Program: tba Tue 7 March 7:30pm Studio Recital Performers: New Music New Mexico and The UNM Composition students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Center for the Arts Room B120 Program: tba Wed 8 March 11:00am Lecture-Demonstration with Xavier Foley presented by Santa Fe Pro Musica Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Center for the Arts Room 1111 Program: Xavier will demonstrate and give a lecture on good string writing. Wed 8 March 2:00pm Piano Masterclass with Emanuele Arciuli Performers: UNM Music students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Keller Hall Program: tba Thu 9 March 12:30pm Piano Masterclass with Emanuele Arciuli Performers: UNM Music students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Keller Hall Program: tba Fri 10 March 4:30pm Piano Masterclass with Emanuele Arciuli Performers: UNM Music students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Keller Hall Program: tba Wed 22 - Fri 24 & Mon 27 March 51st Annual John Donald Robb Composer's Symposium Tickets: $0 UNM Keller Hall unless otherwise indicated* Composers: Axel Retif, Beth Ratay, Cara Haxo, Carlos Arellano, Chris Orphal, Daniel Davis, Doug Falk, John Donald Robb, Jude Harb, Laura Cetilia, Levi Raleigh Brown, Mario Godoy, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Paula Matthusen, Sky Macklay, Thomas Ropp. Performers: Splinter Reeds (Kyle Bruckmann oboe, Bill Kalinkos clarinet, Nicki Roman saxophone, Jeff Anderle bass clarinet, Dana Jessen bassoon), Moving Lines Ensemble (Charlotte Leung alto saxophone, Adrian Gomez cello, Levi Raleigh Brown percussion, John Barney spoken word), David Felberg and Ruxandra Marquardt violin; Laura Tait Chang viola; Amy Huzjak cello.
Fri 7 April 11:00am Artist Talk with Clara Byom and Joshua Carro Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Center for the Arts Room 1111 Topics: tba Fri 14 April 11:00am Artist Talk with Beth Ratay Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Center for the Arts Room 1111 Topics: Emotions and Math, the Music of Beth Ratay Sun 30 April 12:00pm Studio Recital Performers: New Music New Mexico and The UNM Composition students Tickets: $0 Venue: UNM Keller Hall Program: tba COMPOSERS Axel Retif, Beth Ratay, Cara Haxo, Carlos Arellano, Chris Orphal, Daniel Davis, Doug Falk, John Donald Robb, Jude Harb, Laura Cetilia, Levi Raleigh Brown, Mario Godoy, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Paula Matthusen, Sky Macklay, Thomas Ropp
PERFORMERS
 Splinter Reeds headline the 2023 John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium The John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium is a part of the Robb New Music Series, in partnership with UNM Music and the UNM College of Fine Arts. View and download the 2023 51st Annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium commemorative program: SCHEDULE Wednesday 22 March John Donald Robb Concert 7:30pm * free admission and reception UNM Keller Hall | directions Composers: John Donald Robb, Daniel Davis, Beth Ratay, Levi Raleigh Brown Performers: Adobe Saxophone Quartet (Taylor Gilman soprano saxophone, Cade Gutierrez alto saxophone, Brady Charrier tenor saxophone, Parker Head baritone saxophone, Ashley Kelly coach); Ruxandra Marquardt and David Felberg violin; Laura Tait Chang viola; Amy Huzjak cello; Moving Lines Ensemble (Charlotte Leung alto saxophone, Adrian Gomez cello*, Levi Raleigh Brown percussion, John Barney spoken word) Program ~ Four World Premieres:
 Watch an archival live stream of the Robb Concert provided by UNM Keller Hall. Thursday 23 March Splinter Reeds Masterclasses 2:00pm-2:55pm * free admission UNM Center For The Arts (CFA) multiple rooms:
Thursday 23 March Splinter Reeds Concert Music from the Americas Concert Series 7:30pm * free admission UNM Keller Hall | directions Composers: Mario Godoy, Cara Haxo, Sky Macklay, Laura Cetilia, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Paula Matthusen Performers: Splinter Reeds (Kyle Bruckmann oboe, Bill Kalinkos clarinet, Nicki Roman saxophone, Jeff Anderle bass clarinet, Dana Jessen bassoon) Program:
Watch an archival live stream of the Splinter Reeds concert, provided by UNM Keller Hall. Friday 24 March UNM Student Composers Concert 7:30pm * free admission UNM Keller Hall | directions Composers: Axel Retif, Carlos Arellano, Chris Orphal, Doug Falk, Jude Harb, Thomas Ropp Performers: Splinter Reeds (Kyle Bruckmann oboe, Bill Kalinkos clarinet, Nicki Roman saxophone, Jeff Anderle bass clarinet, Dana Jessen bassoon) Program:
Watch an archival live stream of the Splinter Reeds concert, provided by UNM Keller Hall. Monday 27 March
Sky Macklay Masterclass 9:00am-4:00pm * free admission UNM Center For The Arts (CFA) see room schedule below Composers: UNM composition students Program: Composer Sky Macklay will coach UNM compositions students
In 2020, the 49th Annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium was scheduled early, and German journalist Egbert Hiller had an opportunity to write about the event and the New Music scene in New Mexico.
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