Dedicated, Determined, and Passionate.

 

Donald Rabin is an interdisciplinary artist in the Houston metropolitan area working as a teacher, performer, and scholar. As a Tessa-Koster Scholar and Presser Scholar, Donald values the impact education and the arts have on the human experience. He is a third year DMA in Music Performance Candidate and Masters in Arts Leadership student at the University of Houston. Studying under Principal Flutist Aralee Dorough and Arts Leadership Director Fleurette Fernando, he is grateful for the multitude of experiences in Houston.
 

Enticing his audience with his sound, Donald has been successful as a domestic and international performer. Performances in Italy, Costa Rica, and all over the United States have encouraged a diverse and culturally aware presence on the stage. He has been a soloist with the Truman State University Wind Symphony with performances of the Frank Ticheli "Silver Lining" flute concerto and "Serenade" by Howard Hanson; along with a performance of "Concertino" by Cecile Chaminade with the Truman Symphony Orchestra. 

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Throughout his performance career, he has performed with the Texas Symphonic Ballet, Missouri Symphony, New England Philharmonic, Brookline Symphony, and other ensembles. Additionally, he has performed in Blaffer Art Museum, on Fox News “Good Morning, Chicago”, CBS Chicago, WGN Radio, and the soundtrack for NBC’s Documentary “SkyBlossom”.  He is an active member with the National Flute Association serving as the current Stage Manager (Phoenix 20223/San Antonio 2024) and was a former technology intern (Salt Lake 2019).

 

His performance endeavors have led him to success in competitions such as: National Society of Arts and Letters (National Finalist) and St. Louis Chapter Winner (First Prize ) of the National Society of Arts and Letters Competition, Dennise Jennings Graduate Professional and Teacher Competition (First Prize), The Art of Winds & Percussion International Competition (First Prize), State Representative for the Missouri MTNA competition (Alternate), Naftzger Advanced Musician Competition (Semi-Finalist), ENKOR International Competition (Third Prize), and Southern Illinois Young Artist Competition (Second Prize), among many others.

 

A former Houston Symphony Community-Embedded fellow and Boston Symphony Collegiate Ambassador, Rabin is an advocate for community engagement. Through the Periwinkle Foundation and Houston Symphony, he plays for patients in Texas Children’s Hospital and is a recording artist for Purple Songs (program creates songs for oncology patients). These opportunities have led to a devotion to impact his community through his artistry. 

 

As an arts leader, Rabin was featured in the Houston Arts Journal and the CDC Foundation Museum: A Smithsonian Institution as Project Manager for performance series Come Together Houston. This led to being named the first Arts and Health Fellow at the University of Houston and now he currently serves as President of the Graduate Professional Student Association at the University of Houston. His time at the University of Houston has led to several leadership roles such as: Student Representative to the Strategic Task Force, Search Committee for the Director of the Moores School of Music, Strategic Planning Committee, Graduate Professional Student Affairs Committee, Student Affairs Sub-Committee, and the Graduate Student Health Insurance Committee. For continued service to his community, Rabin has emphasized the importance of the arts through his service as Director of the Uniting America Concert-a two night virtual concert featuring 50 musicians from all 50 states that benefitted three charity organizations in the Chicago area.

 

Donald’s adventurous spirit led to a passion for interdisciplinary artistry. As the former Mitchell Center Fellow, he learned about various art forms, interdisciplinary integration, and the museum curation process. He assisted in the curation of six Convergence Research performances at the Blaffer Art Museum and conducted a Convergence Research Presentation entitled: Tying the Knot - The Tyranny of Trauma alongside two other artists. His efforts led to being a guest speaker at the A2RU Conference in June 2022 and was one of the student representatives for the University of Houston at the Emerging Creatives Conference in March 2023.

 

Among his many talents, Donald is also a devoted conductor. He has conducted the Missouri Symphony, the Truman State Symphony Orchestra, the Truman State Woodwind Choir, the first student-run orchestra at the University of Houston - the Cougar Camerata, and the 2020 Boston Flute Festival Flute Choir. He hopes to continue bringing the arts to his community in multiple disciplines. This would not be possible without Dr. Samuel McClure, Matthew Marsit, and Maestro Franz Krager. 

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Currently, Donald has a private studio and teaches in Conroe ISD, Tomball ISD, New Caney ISD, Montgomery ISD, and has taught in Humble ISD. Previous teaching experience includes Noteworthy-Experiences Studio, Music and Arts-Westborough, the Prodigy-Program, and served as a Graduate Assistant of Music History (I-IV) at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. These positions have helped him develop an educational experience that is filled with positivity and encouragement. Donald’s students have earned recognition in Texas Area Band, Texas Regional Band, St. Louis All-Suburban Band, Junior-Districts, Solo-Ensemble, Massachusetts Junior High School All-State Band, and their respective school ensembles. He also serves as a Berklee College and Boston Conservatory Mentor where he has a certification in Mentorship and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices through the Mentor Collective. This opportunity allows him to share his knowledge and expertise among undergraduate mentees who completed their degree programs. He hopes to help students grow to be better musicians, scholars, and people.

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A strong believer in doing your best, Donald Rabin’s thirst for knowledge and personal growth would not be without his family, friends, and mentors. He would not be the musician he is today without the guidance from Aralee Dorough, Sarah Brady, Mark Sparks, Dr. Julianna Moore, and his first flute teacher Dr. Aurelia Hartenberger.  Additional instruction from Jan Smith, Jennifer Nitchman, Kathryn Ladner, and Judy Dines. Thankful to be a studious professional musician, he believes that the “world is your oyster. You must work hard to accomplish and achieve your dreams.”