Instagram story viewer> @unbound_symphony> Posts
Unbound Symphony(@unbound_symphony)'s profile avatar HD Profile

Unbound Symphony

@unbound_symphony

824
followers
568
following
Based in Seattle, Unbound Symphony envisions an orchestral world where women and gender-marginalized artists are empowered.
POSTS STORIES REELS
đŸŽ”đŸŽșHighlights from Unbound Symphony’s Inaugural Performance! The sold-out Inaugural Performance took place on July 10, 2026 at Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien, WA. Thank you to everyone who came out to see our very first concert. The orchestra featured 59 outstanding musicians on stage. The energy in the hall was incredible! FULL PROGRAM: *Starburst by Jessie Montgomery *Concerto for Double Bass by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte; Soloist: Rebecca Lawrence, double bass *Spider Boots by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte & Tessa Brinckman (world premiere) *The Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds (I, V, VI,VII) *Kauyumari by Gabriela Ortiz *Conductors: Hsing-Hui Hsu, Dr. Anna Edwards *Concertmaster: Denise Dillenbeck đŸ—“ïžâœšWe can’t wait to see you again next summer! SAVE THE DATE! July 9, 2027 Unbound Symphony 2027 Performance at Highline Performing Arts Center! ✹ @rebassca @sarahbassingthwaighte @tessabrinckman @annaedwardsconductor @violindenise @ecco_orchestra @bhavanimusic @katie.a.berglof @bensonclarisse @kcmacken A special thank you to @stamper_films for the videography! đŸŽ„đŸŽžïž ABOUT: Unbound Symphony curates supportive musical communities for women and gender‑marginalized artists while enriching the public through inclusive performances, learning opportunities, and community partnerships WWW.UNBOUNDSYMPHONY.ORG by @unbound_symphony
Thank you to those who feel called to fill out our survey. ❀‍đŸ©č https://www.unboundsymphony.org/survey by @unbound_symphony
First notes of our Inaugural Concert! The hall was bustling with energy and anticipation. Here is the opening Starburst by Jessie Montgomery played by Unbound Symphony and Hsing-Hui Hsu conducting. FULL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdvnYsOJ9mg Starburst by Jessie Montgomery Hsing-Hui Hsu, Conductor Denise Dillenbeck, Concertmaster Unbound Symphony's Inaugural Performance: July 10, 2026 PROGRAM NOTES Indian-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla said, “When you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar system.” Jessie Montgomery was 31 when she created “Starburst” for the renowned Sphinx Virtuosi ensemble in 2012. Her work with Sphinx helped her find and expand her voice as a composer and a performer. The players she had in mind while writing “Starburst” were virtuosic trailblazers, and you can hear and feel that in the music. The piece starts with an explosion of joyful sound and rhythm—a rocket launching from earth, sending the listener on a journey through the cosmos. From there, you can hear the shifting interplay of constellations. The piece is over in a flash of energy and inspires breathless wonder. We feel it’s the perfect way to invite you on this journey with us. After all, we’re all travelers in this astonishing solar system! Program notes by Denise Dillenbeck, concertmaster Videography: Stamper Films Unbound Symphony curates supportive musical communities for women and gender‑marginalized artists while enriching the public through inclusive performances, learning opportunities, and community partnerships WWW.UNBOUNDSYMPHONY.ORG by @unbound_symphony
Do you remember this final piece of the Unbound Symphony Inaugural Concert? We're still humming this melody from Kauyumari by Gabriela Ortiz! WATCH FULL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln-nizeFk-A&feature=youtu.be Kauyumari by Gabriela Ortiz Hsing-Hui Hsu, Conductor Unbound Symphony's Inaugural Performance: July 10, 2026 PROGRAM NOTES “Kauyumari” takes its name from the Huichol blue deer, a spiritual guide believed to move between the visible and invisible worlds. Among the Huichol people of Mexico, this figure is encountered through an extended pilgrimage that culminates in the ceremonial use of peyote, a sacred cactus that opens pathways to ancestral wisdom. Each year, pilgrims symbolically “hunt” the blue deer in gratitude for access to this realm of healing, renewal, and cosmic balance. Composer Gabriela Ortiz draws on this powerful imagery to reflect on the return to live music after the pandemic, weaving in a traditional Huichol melody sung by the De La Cruz family. As the melody evolves—bright, rhythmic, and gradually transformed—it mirrors the visionary journey at the heart of Huichol ritual, dissolving into shimmering textures before re‑emerging with renewed clarity. The result is music that feels both ceremonial and celebratory—a reminder of sound’s ability to heal, reconnect, and reveal what lies beyond words. Even through rupture, “Kauyumari” affirms the possibility of joyful beginnings and the vibrant pulse of life. Program notes by Annie Chang Center, viola Videography: Stamper Films Unbound Symphony curates supportive musical communities for women and gender‑marginalized artists while enriching the public through inclusive performances, learning opportunities, and community partnerships WWW.UNBOUNDSYMPHONY.ORG by @unbound_symphony
Audience Choice! Sharing an excerpt from The Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds performed by Unbound Symphony with Hsing-Hui Hsu conducting. WATCH THE FULL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Jb7rvHz5E Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds Hsing-Hui Hsu, Conductor Denise Dillenbeck, Concertmaster Unbound Symphony's Inaugural Performance: July 10, 2026 “Montgomery Variations” is a seven-movement work written after Margaret Bonds visited Alabama in 1963. The piece responds to anti-segregation activism and increasingly violent racist resistance, which resulted in the terrorist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four young girls. In her own notes, Bonds writes that she approached her theme (from the spiritual “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”) like a Bach partita, with “a bold statement of the theme, followed by variations...in the same key—major and minor. Because of the personal meanings of the Negro spiritual themes, Margaret Bonds always avoids over-development of the melodies.” The first movement (“Decision”) introduces us to this theme. It represents the activists’ decision to begin a bus boycott in heavily segregated Montgomery. In the fifth movement (“One Sunday in the South”), a solo trumpet presents the theme above a lilting string accompaniment. Woodwinds and strings play together by passing around a falling baroque-feel figure, which then joins with the trumpet’s restatement of the theme. This serene and peaceful scene is then violently interrupted by the bombing, represented by percussion and ending the movement. The sixth movement (“Lament”) presents the theme in minor with beautiful string harmony, then restates it at a whisper. As some winds join, it builds to a more forceful and complex expression of grief, leading us to the seventh movement (“Benediction”). A lovely, emphatic melody in the upper winds supported by rising strings builds to a full-orchestra climax, carrying sorrow and anger along with hope for the future. Listen for the theme’s final return in the brass; it’s triumphant, but inconclusive. There’s still lots of work to be done. Program notes by Rosie Rogers, bassoon Videography: Stamper Films by @unbound_symphony
Do you love the Double Bass? Hear Rebecca Lawrence @rebassca play the opening bars of the Concerto for Double Bass by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte @sarahbassingthwaighte and the Unbound Symphony! WATCH FULL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yT6ZcL7Xqw Unbound Symphony's Inaugural Performance: July 10, 2026 Double Bass Concerto by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte Rebecca Lawrence, double bass soloist Dr. Anna Edwards, conductor @annaedwardsconductor Denise Dillenbeck, concertmaster @violindenise I - Lacrimosa II - Scherzo III - Pesante furioso PROGRAM NOTES The first movement (“Lacrimosa”) is serious and dramatic. Both the bassist and I experienced some very painful losses the year it was composed, and this movement expresses some of that grief. At its climax, the bass blends into the orchestra with a tutti fortissimo—the woodwinds and upper strings in a flurry of runs, the brass doing glissandi, and the low strings and low winds pounding out the four-note motive. After all of this, you’re left to grieve—alone and quiet. Also, the ending has a surprise bass technique—watch for it! “Scherzo” lightens the mood with bouncy, syncopated rhythms performed by percussion and pizzicato strings. The percussion gets to pull out some of their fun auxiliary instruments, including temple bells and castanets. In the middle of the movement, the bass plays a seven-note pattern over the percussion’s three-beat pattern, intentionally feeling loose and ungrounded. In the bass part, you’ll hear glissandos and string slapping. The final movement (“Pesante furioso”) is the piece’s high-energy climax. The music is often somewhat dissonant, but it’s always directional. It’s challenging to find a balance between the bass and the orchestra, and rather than thinning the orchestra in this movement, I chose to have them alternate so the orchestra wouldn’t overpower the bass. The middle of this movement slows to a dark, mysterious scene, with a persistent four-note ostinato that’s traded through the winds, brass, percussion, strings, and harp. Fairly quickly, the music returns to the driving bass themes, pushing toward the dramatic final repetition of the opening statement. by @unbound_symphony
Do you remember this exciting moment of Spider Boots by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte & Tessa Brinckman from the Unbound Symphony Inaugural Concert? Spider Boots -- World Premiere, co-composed by Sarah Basingthwaighte & Tessa Brinckman Dr. Anna Edwards, Conductor Denise, Dillenbeck, Concertmaster Unbound Symphony Inaugural Performance: July 10, 2026 WATCH FULL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRPzGtaJU04 PROGRAM NOTES Years ago, Tessa was living in an old building on the corner of Bellevue Ave and Olive Way. She was reading at her kitchen table at midnight when she heard a "ticka-tacka-ticka-tacka" sound. She couldn't figure out where it was coming from. When she turned around to look towards the refrigerator, she saw a spider on the floor, walking towards her. It was so quiet, the floors so resonant—that spider had boots. We've made this piece as a double tribute—and we're grateful to Unbound Symphony for this opportunity. It's a tribute to “Deep Listening” composer matriarch, Pauline Oliveros, who nurtured listeners to hear the world—and themselves—anew. And it's a tribute to the back-ity-back days in Seattle, when life was more affordable. It was possible to make a living as a musician from jazz clubs, and talents like Quincy Jones had come up, surrounded by all the old jazz and improvisation greats. Ancestors, everybody! To conjure up the soundscape of Seattle, we lovingly transcribed the calls of Pacific Northwest birds, the horns of the ferries that travel through Puget Sound, and the whistle of the Amtrak that leaves from King Street Station. Program notes by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte & Tessa Brinckman Videography: Stamper Films Unbound Symphony curates supportive musical communities for women and gender‑marginalized artists while enriching the public through inclusive performances, learning opportunities, and community partnerships. WWW.UNBOUNDSYMPHONY.ORG by @unbound_symphony
🚀 We’re excited to share that Unbound Symphony is one of 25 organizations in King County to receive a Launch Grant through 4Culture and Doors Open. This support helps make our orchestra performances possible over the next three years. On December 5, 2023, the King County Council unanimously passed Doors Open legislation to increase funding to the County’s arts, heritage, science, and historic preservation non-profit organizations through a 0.1 percent sales tax. 4Culture is the County’s designated agency to distribute these funds, anticipated to be approximately $100 million per year. A big shout out to Inspire Washington for leading the advocacy efforts! Learn more about the Doors Open program: https://www.4culture.org/doors-open/ https://www.inspirewashington.org/ We're so grateful to all our supporters, advocates, community organizations, and council members who invest in the arts and help create new opportunities. Special thanks to @kc4culture, @inspirewashington, and @kccouncil. Stay tuned for an announcement about our 2027 Unbound Symphony performances! by @unbound_symphony
We’d love to invite all our friends to join us this Sunday for a special Unbound Symphony gathering! 💜 We’re celebrating what we’ve accomplished so far and sharing where we’re headed next. Come meet our founding Board members, see highlights from our inaugural performance, and hear about some exciting plans for the future, including a new commissioning project. It’s been incredibly meaningful to help build Unbound Symphony from the ground up, and we’d love to have you join us for this next chapter. đŸŽ¶ Sunday, September 13 | 11:00am–12:00pm PT | Online - ZOOM The event is free to attend, with a suggested donation of $100 or more. Every contribution helps us continue creating paid opportunities, programming, commissioning new work, and bringing more women and gender-marginalized voices to the concert stage. đŸ€Č💕 Please RSVP by tomorrow, September 10: https://www.unboundsymphony.org/sept-13-zoom-fundraising-gathering If you’d like to support Unbound Symphony directly, you can also donate here: https://www.unboundsymphony.org/donate I hope you’ll join us! And please feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested. đŸŽ»đŸ™ by @unbound_symphony
What a day! ✹ This past Friday, August 28, Erika & the Wolf, a woodwind quintet, represented Unbound Symphony on Classical KING FM 98.1’s Northwest Focus LIVE in Seattle! đŸŽ™ïžđŸŽ¶ Not only did we perform live, but we got to talk about the mission and vision of Unbound Symphony along with Katie Berglof (Vice President & Secretary of Unbound Symphony), with host Dr. Quinton Morris — including how we’re working to create more opportunities and visibility for women and gender-marginalized musicians. Our refreshed version of Peter & the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev (arr. Cramer) features: đŸŽ€ Live Narrator — Erika Fiebig đŸȘˆ Brook Rundle — Flute đŸŽ” Bhavani Kotha — Oboe đŸŽ” Beverly Setzer — Clarinet đŸŽ” Dr. Kate MacKenzie — Bassoon 📯 Carey LaMothe — French Horn Also performed, Aesop's Fables for wind quintet — Breadon Jr. narration (2017), Wind Quintet by Hedwige ChrĂ©tien (1887), and Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (arr. Bhavani Kotha). And the best part? Someone listening requested Bumble Bee as an encore
so we played it AGAIN! đŸŒŸđŸđŸ”„ We’re excited to bring groups of Unbound Symphony musicians like Erika & the Wolf to schools, festivals, community events, and concert series wherever we can share our music and create more opportunities for incredible musicians. Want us at your event? Send us a message! https://www.unboundsymphony.org Thank you, Classical KING FM and Dr. Quinton Morris, for welcoming us and giving us a chance to share both our music and our mission. 🙏 This is what Unbound Symphony is all about. ✹ #UnboundSymphony #ErikaAndTheWolf #ClassicalKINGFM #ClassicalMusic #genderequality by @unbound_symphony
Photos from our Unbound Symphony chamber music pop-up event on Wednesday! We enjoyed the opportunity to play music by women composers at the Met Tract Summer Sounds Series. Special thanks to artist Katherine Faubion for coming and bringing painted instruments! Reed trio performers (8/5) Jenny Ziefel, clarinet Samantha Epp Yun, bassoon Bhavani Kotha, oboe The program included music by Nicole Buetti, Jenni Brandon, Claude Arrieu (pen name for Louise-Marie Simon), and Tatiana Stankovych Thanks to everyone who came out!✹ @bhavanimusic @art_by_kfaub @samantha.epp @thewrappedbassoonist by @unbound_symphony
Sharing a clip of “Fellowship of the Reed” by Nicole Buetti, performed at today’s @unbound_symphony Chamber Music pop-up at the Skinner Building. Thank you to Met Tract Summer Sounds for hosting our chamber music series! Reed Trio performers: Jenny Ziefel, Clarinet; Samantha Epp, Bassoon; Bhavani Kotha, oboe @samantha.epp @thewrappedbassoonist @bhavanimusic by @unbound_symphony

Download All

Save the photos and videos currently loaded on this page.

0Photos
0Videos
Ready to download 0 / 0

Keep this tab open until your download is ready.
back to up