Unbound Symphony

23/05/2026

Join us for an upcoming music event and lecture in downtown Seattle and meet some of the members of Unbound Symphony!

Time & Location 🎵
Jun 22, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum
93 Pike St #307
Seattle, WA 98101

Tickets 🎟️
https://www.folioseattle.org/event-details/unbound-symphony-with-composer-in-residence-dr-sarah-bassingthwaighte

As we prepare for Unbound Symphony Inauguarl festival this July, join us for an evening of chamber music performed by Unbound Symphony players Sooyean Kim (violin), Jenn Shoval (viola), Erika Fiebig (cello), Esther Kwon (double bass), and Bhavani Kotha (oboe), featuring Althea Talbot-Howard's Seville Cathedral, A Study in Memory – in Arch Form (2022), a Phantasy Quartet for Oboe & String Trio.

Composer-in-Residence Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte will give a lecture on her compositional process, the broader landscape of women in orchestral music, and a spotlight on her Concerto for Double Bass which will be performed at the Unbound Symphony Inaugural concert.

Unbound Symphony curates supportive musical communities for women and gender-marginalized artists while enriching the public through inclusive performances, learning opportunities, and community partnerships. Unbound Symphony envisions an orchestral world transformed by feminism, anti-racism, and social justice, where women and gender-marginalized artists lead boldly, speak freely, and thrive within communities rooted in compassion, wellness, and artistic excellence.

Sarah Bassingthwaighte is a Canadian-American composer whose work focuses on climate and social justice. She’s the winner of the European Music, the International Satie, the International Saint-Saëns Competitions, the International Couperin Competition, a two-time finalist for the American Prize in Composition and ICMA Awards, and six-time winner of the NFA Newly Published Music Award. The London Symphony Orchestra recorded Dr. Bassingthwaighte’s album Orchestrating the Wild (an album of symphonic works) for release on Aria Classics in May 2025. Other notable performers include members of the Scottish Royal Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the Port Angeles Symphony, the Beaverton Symphony, and soloists including Lisa Bost, Megan Lanz, Jill Felber, Claudia Anderson, and Steve Schermer. In fall of 2022, Sarah performed the US Premiere of Marquez’ Danzon #3. She will be Composer-in-Residence in Sweden, at the Visby International Centre for Composers (VICC) as well as at the Uncool Residency in Switzerland. She is the author of the book Flute Meets Machine, and has been awarded the Stan Chu Essay award. Dr. Bassingthwaighte is Head of Composition at Seattle Pacific University and teaches flute at Cornish College of the Arts.

21/05/2026

🎵Leadership Update 🎵 Unbound Symphony welcomes Kate MacKenzie as our newest Board member!! Kate is one of our founding members helping bring our organization to life. Thrilled for Kate to make the transition from Executive Director our Board of Directors under our new collaborative leadership structure!

ABOUT
Dr. Kate MacKenzie is a bassoonist, educator, arts administrator, and advocate dedicated to fostering vibrant artistic communities. She works at the intersection of arts administration, policy, and economic development, serving on the board of the Lake Stevens Arts & Parks Foundation and the Snohomish County Arts Commission. She has played a key role in numerous arts initiatives, including founding the Lake Stevens Community Concert Band and supporting creative sector growth through the Cultural Arts Network of Snohomish County.

You can hear Dr. MacKenzie perform as “grumpy grandmother” in Erika and the Wolf, a musical storytime series for children.

As a bassoon historian, Dr. MacKenzie’s research focuses on the overlooked contributions of women in bassoon performance. She has presented lectures and workshops nationwide, including at the International Double Reed Society and the Meg Quigley Bassoon Symposium. Her work on performance anxiety and gender has been published in The Double Reed Journal (Understanding Performance Anxiety: An Analysis of Gender and Double Reed Musicians, Vol. 36 No. 2).

Dr. MacKenzie holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University, a Master of Music from Miami University of Ohio, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of California, Davis. Her primary teachers include Dr. Albie Micklich, Dr. Christin Schillinger, David Granger, and David Seidel.
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Visit our website to learn more! www.unboundsymphony.org

🎟️GET YOUR TICKETS TO OUR INAUGURAL CONCERT🎟️
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/unboundsymphony/2159859

19/05/2026

✨Unbound Symphony Musician Spotlight✨ Welcome to Alison Pesacreta, who is joining our women's orchestra festival as principal trumpet! 🎺✨

Alison is a dynamic and accomplished trumpet artist whose career reflects both artistic distinction and a strong commitment to ensemble leadership. A commanding and expressive performer, she currently serves as Principal Trumpet of the Pacific Northwest Chamber Orchestra and performs with the Centralia College Jazz Band and Hilltop Brass Quintet, where her playing brings clarity, brilliance, and artistic vitality to each performance.

Throughout her career, Alison has held numerous principal and section positions that speak to both her versatility and the trust she earns within ensembles. She has served as Principal Trumpet of the Olympia Chamber Orchestra and Second Trumpet with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra (NWSO). Her chamber experience includes playing principal trumpet with the University of Northern Colorado Brass Choir and with the University of Northern Colorado Brass Quintet, while her early leadership as Principal Trumpet of the Sioux City Youth Symphony helped establish the strong musical foundation that continues to shape her artistry today.

Alison pursued her studies in Music Performance in Trumpet at the University of Northern Colorado under Dr. Robert Murray and at Morningside College with Dr. Peter Wood. Her dedication to growth has remained constant throughout her career, with continued study under distinguished artists including Dr. Scott Meredith, professor of trumpet at Oklahoma City University, as well as Bill Pfund, former Professor of Trumpet at Northern Colorado, and Andrew Plamondon of the Spokane Symphony. She has also participated in the Rafael Méndez Brass Institute and performed in workshops with internationally recognized trumpet artists.

Known for her artistry, leadership, and collaborative spirit, Alison brings both strength and sensitivity to every ensemble she joins. Her work reflects a deep commitment to artistic integrity and to the shared experience of performance, making her a vibrant and inspiring presence on stage.

Learn more about our growing roster of musicians on our website: https://www.unboundsymphony.org/

Hear Alison perform at our Inaugural Concert on July 10! 🎺✨

Get your tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/unboundsymphony/2159859

14/05/2026

A note of gratitude from Bhavani Kotha, Unbound Symphony founder & president:

“THANK YOU to Leslie Ray & Michael Bernstein for hosting a fundraiser over the weekend! 💐And thank you to everyone who has contributed to support the launch of our brand-new women's orchestra! 🎉Together we raised over $8,500 in support of Unbound Symphony's inaugural performance! 🎶

Thank you to artist Katherine Faubion for the silent auction item of a one-of-a-kind painted violin. 🎻Thank you to glass artists Sabrina Knowles & Jenny Pohlman for inspiring us. 🤩Thank you to our special guests Rep. Brandy Donaghy & Parul Houlahan for all the encouragement and support. 🙏And lastly, shout-out to our amazing Unbound Symphony team Erika Fiebig, Kate MacKenzie, volunteers, and fellow Board of Directors!"

THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN! We are so grateful for these opportunities and incredible support as we prepare for the Unbound Symphony inaugural festival & performance July 8-10!

TICKETS: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/unboundsymphony/2159859

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Will you join us at our next fundraising event coming up on May 30?

As we are approaching our goal to raise $80,000, we are feeling OPTIMISTIC and have reduced the minimum suggested donation to $150!

Please come and invite your friends to gather in Bridle Trails for a Bridgerton themed picnic! 🐎Lunch, horses, music, and TWO auction items!✨

RSVP: https://www.unboundsymphony.org/may-30-bridle-trails
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11/05/2026

✨Musician Spotlight✨ Annie Center is a founding member of Unbound Symphony & co-chair of our Artistic Vision Committee! We are grateful for her guidance in shaping our organization during the founding stages! In addition, Annie will be principal violist for our inaugural women’s orchestra festival & performance July 8-10! 🎶🙌👏

Annie Chang-Center, a violist, violinist, and pianist, began her musical journey in Taiwan, performing piano for foreign dignitaries at six years old. After relocating to the U.S. at the age of thirteen, Annie thrived in a diverse international career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player.

Among her many accolades, Annie made her piano solo debut with the San Francisco Symphony at eighteen under the baton of Maestro Herbert Blomstedt, marking the beginning of her career as a piano soloist with major symphony orchestras, including the prestigious Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Hong Kong Philharmonic.
With equal prowess as a violist, Annie garnered recognition by winning a prize in the esteemed Irving Klein International String Competition. Her musical endeavors have taken her to renowned festivals, including Marlboro, Ravinia, Olympic, Utah, Prague, Red Rocks, and Music in the Mountains, where she collaborated with luminaries from the Juilliard, Guarneri, Emerson, Cleveland, and Philadelphia string quartets.

For over a decade, Annie held the position of assistant principal violist of the Phoenix Symphony and principal violist of its Sinfonietta, regularly performing as a viola soloist. In recent years, she performed with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and enjoys giving lecture-recitals where she weaves music with themed, enriching narratives.

Passionate about music education, Annie mentors young musicians in various youth symphonies and the Greater Seattle Public Schools' music programs. The InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy has welcomed her to its faculty. She has also given masterclasses to college and high school students and shared her insights as an adjudicator for youth competitions and the Sounds Espressivo International Competition.

Offstage, Annie demonstrates an unwavering commitment to altruistic endeavors. She contributes articles to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) newsletters and plays an active role in organizing and participating in benefit concerts that provide aid to refugees, individuals experiencing homelessness, and victims of natural disasters.

Read about Annie here:
https://www.unboundsymphony.org/who-we-are/annie-chang-center-bio

06/05/2026

✨Sharing the important words of our composer-in-residence and artistic chair, Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte:

“A surprising confession from me as a female composer:

I want to be real for a moment - starting up a new symphony orchestra is hard. Starting up a new, professional, women's orchestra that performs exclusively the music of women and female-identifying composers is really, really hard. Asking people to take a risk on supporting us, coming to our concerts, and believing in our cause is a lot of work. Setting up the scaffolding - non-profit status, legal documents, blind auditions, payroll, mission and vision and policies - is a massive amount of work.

So why work so hard when there are already thousands of symphony orchestras? Is it really so important to play the music of women only?

Here's a weird confession: last week I was thinking about all of this, and about how many people challenge us about this orchestra. I was talking about how women composers have existed for centuries (for as long as there have been male composers) and the music is excellent, yet I was taught nearly nothing about any of them in my 12 years of college classes, and played only a handful of orchestral works by women. And then I realized that I, an actual female composer who talks about female composers all the time, had absorbed these cultural teachings, and that deep down in the hidden recesses of my brain, even I thought that female composers weren't as good as male composers. Not consciously, and I never would have thought such a thing out loud, but there it was. Do I actually believe it? Absolutely not. But the message had been heard and received by my young self all the way up to now. I've now heard the music of hundreds, probably thousands of women composers, historical and modern, and they are expressive, technically skillful, beautifully orchestrated, thoughtful, amazing works, some that I'd call works of genius. Women are excellent composers and always have been.

I have slowly become more and more aware of how we've all been deprived of this music, we're told it simply doesn't exist, this amazing music. I've discovered that some works by women are better than works by famous men of the same era, male names that everyone knows. It's actually shocking how complete this disappearance has been. In my bachelor's degree, two master's, and a doctorate, there was only passing mention of Nadia Boulanger, Clara Schumann, Pauline Oliveros and Hildegard.

So THAT'S one reason why Unbound Symphony is so passionate about amplifying this music. It's hard work and it's expensive. We'll do all the leg work of finding the sheet music and the rehearsing and the recording. If you can, help us with the financial part - we could really really use the support.
Thanks for reading this far. We love you all and welcome you to the Unbound Symphony community!”

🫶 Please Donate Here:

Support the launch of our BRAND-NEW Women's Orchestra!Created to challenge longstanding inequities in the orchestral field, Unbound Symphony seeks to expand paid performance opportunities and artistic visibility for women in the orchestral workforce. We envision an...

05/05/2026

✨GiveBIG is underway and the official day of giving is May 5!✨🫶

Please head to our page and make a donation to support our brand-new women's orchestra!

💕Donate and double your impact!
https://www.wagives.org/organization/Unbound-Symphony

Unbound Symphony is building something Seattle has never seen before, a professional all-womens orchestra where performers thrive without barriers. We’re halfway to our $80,000 goal, and every dollar you give during the month of May will be matched!

Your gift brings us one step closer to our inaugural Women’s Orchestra Festival on July 10 at Highline Performing Arts Center, featuring world premieres, stunning soloists, and music entirely by women composers.

🔗 Donate now:
https://www.wagives.org/organization/Unbound-Symphony

01/05/2026

🎻 DOUBLE your impact for GiveBIG!

Unbound Symphony is building something Seattle has never seen before — a professional all-women orchestra where performers thrive without barriers. We’re halfway to our $80,000 goal, and every dollar you give this month is matched.

Your gift brings us one step closer to our inaugural Women’s Orchestra Festival on July 10 at Highline Performing Arts Center, featuring world premieres, stunning soloists, and music entirely by women composers.

🔗 Donate now:
https://www.wagives.org/organization/Unbound-Symphony

29/04/2026

We are accepting applications for our inaugural Summer Women's Orchestra Festival!

https://www.unboundsymphony.org/festival-application

Dates: July 8-10, 2026
Venue: Highline Performing Arts Center

All selected musicians will receive a performance stipend

✨Conductors: Dr. Anna Edwards & Hsing-Hui Hsu
✨Composer in Residence: Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte
✨Double Bass Soloist: Rebecca Lawrence

PROGRAM:
• Starburst by Jessie Montgomery
• Spider Boots (World Premiere) by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte and Tessa Brinckman
• Concerto for Double Bass by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte with Soloist Rebecca Lawrence
• Selections from Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds
• Kauyumari by Gabriela Ortiz

ABOUT US: Created to challenge longstanding inequities in the orchestral field, Unbound Symphony seeks to expand paid performance opportunities and artistic visibility for women in the orchestral workforce. We envision an orchestral world where women and gender-marginalized artists are empowered to create, collaborate, and lead within spaces rooted in equity, care, and artistry.