Robb Concert
photo credit Brooke Bailey Portraits
Save the Date
Sunday 30 March 2025 4:00pm
53rd Robb Symposium Series
Annual Robb Concert
Episcopal Cathedral of St. John
FREE Admission
all ages family-friendly community event
Featured composer John Donald Robb
Featured performer Maxine Thévenot
Award-winning Canadian-American musician Maxine Thévenot is known for her skillful musical organ playing, inventive concert programming, and passionate, informed conducting. She combines a profound commitment to her liturgical work as a cathedral musician with concertizing, guest conducting, solo organ recitals, and collaborating with other musicians while striving for representation and access to music of all genres.
Dr. Thévenot is the Director of Cathedral Music and organist at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John, Albuquerque, where she oversees an internationally renowned choral program and is the Artistic Director of the Friends of Cathedral Music community outreach series. She is also the Founding and Artistic Director of Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico, now celebrating its 19th season, and a Professor of Organ at the University of New Mexico.
Dr. Thévenot’s solo recital career has taken her throughout Europe and Great Britain, in every major city across Canada, and 44 of the 50 United States. Recognized for her excellence as a recording artist, Dr. Maxine Thévenot has released 17 well-received CDs on Raven CD. She is a published composer with Paraclete Press and her music has been performed in Western Europe and North America.
In the 2024-2025 season, Maxine will make music in churches in Little Rock, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Victoria, British Columbia, and closer to home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Dr. Maxine Thévenot received her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Saskatchewan (with Distinction), and her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. She was twice awarded the Bronson Ragan Award at Manhattan School for ‘outstanding ability in organ performance’. Maxine is an Associate of the Royal Canadian College of Organists and the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. She was made an Honorary Fellow of the National College of Music, London, UK, in 2006 for her “services to music.”
Sunday 30 March 2025 4:00pm
53rd Robb Symposium Series
Annual Robb Concert
Episcopal Cathedral of St. John
FREE Admission
all ages family-friendly community event
Featured composer John Donald Robb
Featured performer Maxine Thévenot
Award-winning Canadian-American musician Maxine Thévenot is known for her skillful musical organ playing, inventive concert programming, and passionate, informed conducting. She combines a profound commitment to her liturgical work as a cathedral musician with concertizing, guest conducting, solo organ recitals, and collaborating with other musicians while striving for representation and access to music of all genres.
Dr. Thévenot is the Director of Cathedral Music and organist at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John, Albuquerque, where she oversees an internationally renowned choral program and is the Artistic Director of the Friends of Cathedral Music community outreach series. She is also the Founding and Artistic Director of Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico, now celebrating its 19th season, and a Professor of Organ at the University of New Mexico.
Dr. Thévenot’s solo recital career has taken her throughout Europe and Great Britain, in every major city across Canada, and 44 of the 50 United States. Recognized for her excellence as a recording artist, Dr. Maxine Thévenot has released 17 well-received CDs on Raven CD. She is a published composer with Paraclete Press and her music has been performed in Western Europe and North America.
In the 2024-2025 season, Maxine will make music in churches in Little Rock, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Victoria, British Columbia, and closer to home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Dr. Maxine Thévenot received her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Saskatchewan (with Distinction), and her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. She was twice awarded the Bronson Ragan Award at Manhattan School for ‘outstanding ability in organ performance’. Maxine is an Associate of the Royal Canadian College of Organists and the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. She was made an Honorary Fellow of the National College of Music, London, UK, in 2006 for her “services to music.”
Here is Maxine Thévenot performing Praeludium in D, BuxWV 139 by Dietrich Buxtehude and Pièce d'Orgue, BWV 572 by J.S. Bach on the Reuter organ at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John, Albuquerque, NM.
John Donald Robb (1892-1989) led a rich and varied life as an attorney, composer, arts educator, and folk song collector and preservationist. He composed an impressive body of work including symphonies, concertos, sonatas, chamber and other instrumental music, choral works, songs, and arrangements of folk songs, two operas, including Little Jo, a musical comedy, Joy Comes to Deadhorse, and more than 65 electronic works. Robb’s orchestral works have been played by many major orchestras in the United States and abroad under noted conductors, such as Hans Lange, Maurice Bonney, Maurice Abravanel, Leonard Slatkin, Gilberto Orellano, Yoshimi Takeda, Guillermo Figueroa, James Richards and Franz Vote.
Here is John Donald Robb's Symphony No. 1, Op. 16 performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque, David Oberg Music Director and Conductor, March 1988. This was the first performance of the complete Symphony. The Elegy (with cello obligato) was recorded circa 1979 by the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque and was released on Opus One label Number Fifty-one (Max Schubel, owner and founder). The Elegy was composed shortly after World War II and was dedicated to the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who gave their lives in that war.
Here is John Donald Robb's Symphony No. 1, Op. 16 performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque, David Oberg Music Director and Conductor, March 1988. This was the first performance of the complete Symphony. The Elegy (with cello obligato) was recorded circa 1979 by the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque and was released on Opus One label Number Fifty-one (Max Schubel, owner and founder). The Elegy was composed shortly after World War II and was dedicated to the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who gave their lives in that war.
Artistic Directors
Karola Obermüller’s composing, described by the New York Times as "hyperkinetic music”, is constantly in search of the unknown. After obtaining composition degrees in Nuremberg, Saarbrücken, and the University Mozarteum Salzburg, her sense of rhythm and form was forever changed by studying Carnatic and Hindustani classical music in Chennai and Delhi, India.
She has received commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts, Fromm Music Foundation, Ensemble Modern, International Contemporary Ensemble, Theater Bielefeld, Theater Bonn, Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Saarländischer Rundfunk, and the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. She has been a visiting artist at ZKM, Deutsche Akademie Rom, Centro Tedesco di studi Veneziani, Akademie Schloss Solitude, and IRCAM.
Since receiving a doctorate from Harvard University, Obermüller has taught composition and co-directed the composition area at the University of New Mexico. Her music can be heard on CD (WERGO) and online at karolaobermueller.net.
Here is Karola Obermüller's Dehnung (2020) for daegeum, koto, gayageum, two violins, viola violoncello, double bass, and percussion performed by AsianArt Ensemble 15 May 2023, Konzerthaus Berlin. All rights reserved.
She has received commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts, Fromm Music Foundation, Ensemble Modern, International Contemporary Ensemble, Theater Bielefeld, Theater Bonn, Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Saarländischer Rundfunk, and the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. She has been a visiting artist at ZKM, Deutsche Akademie Rom, Centro Tedesco di studi Veneziani, Akademie Schloss Solitude, and IRCAM.
Since receiving a doctorate from Harvard University, Obermüller has taught composition and co-directed the composition area at the University of New Mexico. Her music can be heard on CD (WERGO) and online at karolaobermueller.net.
Here is Karola Obermüller's Dehnung (2020) for daegeum, koto, gayageum, two violins, viola violoncello, double bass, and percussion performed by AsianArt Ensemble 15 May 2023, Konzerthaus Berlin. All rights reserved.
Peter Gilbert (Associate Professor of Music, University of New Mexico) has commissions and accolades from the Barlow Foundation, New Music USA, the Aaron Copland House, ZKM (Institut für Akustik und Musik), the Russolo Foundation, the Look & Listen Festival, the Third Practice Festival, and IMEB Bourges. He writes: “My music usually aspires to create a sonic architecture that helps us lose our sense of time completely and allows us to partake in a kind of more direct aural experience in search of passageways to transcendence.”
Gilbert’s music can be heard on numerous labels including New Focus Recordings and at petergilbert.net.
Here is Peter Gilbert's Soon as the Sun Forsook the Eastern Main performed by Emanuele Arciuli, piano from the album Burned into the Orange released by New Focus Recordings and available on Bandcamp.
Gilbert’s music can be heard on numerous labels including New Focus Recordings and at petergilbert.net.
Here is Peter Gilbert's Soon as the Sun Forsook the Eastern Main performed by Emanuele Arciuli, piano from the album Burned into the Orange released by New Focus Recordings and available on Bandcamp.
Archives
Robb Concert programs
2024 | 2023
John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium *
2023 | 2022 | 2021 (2021 addendum)
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011
2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001
2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991
1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1987 | 1986 | 1985 | 1984 | 1983 | 1982 | 1981
1980
* Robb Concert programs are included in Composers' Symposium commemorative booklets prior to 2023.
Robb Concert programs
2024 | 2023
John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium *
2023 | 2022 | 2021 (2021 addendum)
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011
2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001
2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991
1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1987 | 1986 | 1985 | 1984 | 1983 | 1982 | 1981
1980
* Robb Concert programs are included in Composers' Symposium commemorative booklets prior to 2023.