PLU Invitational Band Festival

Passionate about performing music from different cultures, Prof. Asieh Mahyar is the interim Director of Orchestral Studies at Pacific Lutheran University where she conducts the PLU Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Mahyar is a candidate in Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting at Michigan State University, where she studied with Octavio Más-Arocas and Katherine Kilburn. She received her MM in Orchestral Conducting from University of Massachusetts-Amherst under the mentorship of Morihiko Nakahara, and Kristo Kondakci. Ms. Mahyar obtained her BM degree in Choral Conducting from Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, Armenia with Hovhaness Mirzoyan where she continued further studies in Orchestral Conducting to learn more from Ruben Asatryan.

Coming from Iran and being one of the very few female conductors from her country, Ms. Mahyar has broad experience working with ensembles at all levels in different countries. At Michigan State University, she was the Assistant Conductor for MSU Symphony Orchestra, MSU Concert Orchestra, Musique 21 contemporary music ensemble, and the MSU Opera. There she performed with all the ensembles including conducting opera productions. Previously, Ms. Mahyar served as Teaching Assistant at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she worked with UMass Symphony Orchestra and All University Orchestra. She has served as Assistant Conductor of Tchaikovsky Music College of Yerevan, Armenia, and worked with youth orchestras, including Warner Middle School Orchestra, MI, National Music Festival Orchestra, MD, and student orchestras at Eastern Music Festival, NC. Ms. Mahyar’s broad conducting experience includes working with professional and community orchestras such as Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, MI, Marquette Symphony Orchestra, MI, and Jackson Symphony, MI. She is equally working with instrumental and vocal ensembles conducting choirs including MSU Practicum Choir, MI, Komitas State Conservatory Choir, Yerevan, Sorayesh Choir, Iran, and conducts opera productions actively.

Ms. Mahyar has been selected to participate in prestigious conducting workshops and conferences including Cabrillo Music Festival with Christian Macelaru and Octavio Más-Arocas, National Music Festival with Richard Rosenberg, Eastern Music Festival with Gerard Schwarz, Conducting Institute with Miguel Hart-Bedoya, Conductors Retreat at Medomak with Kenneth Kiesler, and Choral Conducting Workshop with Antanina Kalechyts.

Danielle Davey is the Director of Bands and tenured instructor of Music at Mt. Hood Community College where she directs the wind ensemble, coaches chamber ensembles, teaches core music courses, and organizes the private lessons program. Recently, the MHCC Wind Ensemble was featured as a performing ensemble at the 2023 Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA) State Conference. Prior to her appointment at MHCC, Danielle taught instrumental music for 10 years at all grade levels in Oregon, Minnesota, and Massachusetts. Her bands received numerous Superior ratings and first place awards in concert, marching and jazz.

An Oregon native, Mrs. Davey earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Oregon where she earned the Outstanding Undergraduate Woodwind Performance Award. She concluded her master’s degree in conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University in 2010 and now serves on their assessment faculty.

Each summer, Mrs. Davey serves as the host and coordinator for the Oregon Band Directors Association (OBDA) new music reading session. Additionally, she serves as a board member and guest conductor for the Western International Band Clinic University Honor Band (WIBC-U) and is the associate conductor of the Portland Wind Symphony.

Mrs. Davey is an active clinician, adjudicator, and honor band conductor around the country. She maintains memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, Oregon Music Education Association, Oregon Band Directors Association, and the National Band Association. In her spare time, Danielle loves to camp, solfege pop songs, and spend time with her husband and two sons.