Program will include Variations on a Theme of Haydn by Brahms, and The Classical Symphony by Prokofiev

RACHELLE MCCABE

Rachelle McCabe, Professor Emerita of Music at Oregon State University, enjoys an international career as a soloist, duo pianist, and chamber musician, with performances throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, and Southeast Asia. As a concerto soloist, she has appeared with the Seattle Symphony and the Pittsburgh, Oregon, and Victoria symphonies. Known for her impactful collaborative concerts and video productions addressing climate change and global extinction, Rachelle McCabe co-created The Extinction Variations with author Kathleen Dean Moore, weaving her performance of Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli with Moore’s spoken word. She is the artistic director of Corvallis-OSU Piano International, presenting its prestigious Steinway Piano Series and Special Event concerts, along with workshops and educational outreach programs.

A highly respected teacher, McCabe performs, adjudicates, and gives master classes nationally and internationally. In February 2026, she judged the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, and in March she made her third tour of mainland China with her sister, Robin, performing duo recitals at four leading conservatories. She holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan, where she studied with György Sándor and Theodore Lettvin; a master’s degree from Juilliard, studying with Ania Dorfmann; and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, studying with Béla Siki. Additional teachers include Leon Fleisher and Gary Graffman.

ROBIN MCCABE

The winner of numerous prizes and awards, including the International Concert Artists Guild Competition and a Rockefeller Foundation grant, Robin McCabe was the subject of a lengthy New Yorker magazine profile, “Pianist’s Progress,” later expanded into a book of the same title. In 1995 McCabe presented the annual faculty lecture at The University of Washington — a concert with commentary — and is the first professor of music in the history of the university to be awarded this lectureship. Seattle Magazine selected McCabe as one of 17 current and past University of Washington professors who have had an impact on life in the Pacific Northwest. 

In 2005, to celebrate its 100th year as an institution, The Juilliard School selected McCabe as one of 100 alumni from 20,000 currently living to be profiled in its centenary publication recognizing distinction and accomplishments in the international world of music, dance, and theater. Robin McCabe performs regularly throughout the United States, and has made several tours of South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China. In March of 2026 she made her sixth concert tour of China, performing duo recitals with her sister Rachelle.

She is frequently invited to serve on the juries of prestigious piano competitions, including the Gina Bachauer and Hilton Head International piano competitions. In 2027 she will serve on the jury of the Canada International Arts and Music Society’s Competition.