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Peter Chatterjee in Conversation with Christian Baldini

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This season, the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra presents the world premiere of When the Alarm(s) Stopped by composer and conductor Peter Chatterjee, a graduate student in conducting at UC Davis. Peter’s work, written for the Taproot New Music Festival, reflects both his intellectual curiosity and emotional insight—qualities that also define his approach to conducting. This will be premiered on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at the Mondavi Center in Davis, in a program that also includes Barber’s Adagio for Strings, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. We spoke about his creative process, the balance between composition and conducting, and his evolving artistic vision. Here is also a comment from my esteemed colleague, Professor Nicolás Dosman: “Peter, a gifted composer, began the master’s program in conducting two years ago. His experience was limited to instrumental works as a composer and conductor. Throughout his studies Peter has not only composed beautiful choral music but has grown into a conductor that can communicate effectively with choirs and orchestras with a composer’s insight.”

Christian Baldini: Peter, you wear two hats: composer and conductor. How do these two disciplines feed each other, and how do you balance them in your daily life?

Peter Chatterjee: I find that the two build on and inform one another quite well. As a composer, I find that having a background in communicating with ensembles, both in the written score and in person, has been extremely helpful. On the conducting side, knowing the types of behind-the-scenes work that composers put into their pieces helps me bring a unique perspective to the music that I wouldn’t have without that other side.

CB: Let’s talk about When the Alarm(s) Stopped. What inspired this piece, and how did your vision for it evolve during the writing process? In your program notes you indicate that “Throughout all of the circumstances of the piece — the building climactic points, uncanny recurring moments, and shifting, melting — the strings function as a sort of plane from which winds and brass emerge and come into conflict.” – How would you expand on the emotional, aesthetic and philosophical dimension of this work?

PC: I had originally started with this concept around the doomsday clock and how we have been nearing closer and closer to the midnight point, the point at which humans have induced an irreparable global catastrophe. Over the time I was working on the piece, my focus shifted a bit to the way in which certain warning systems for social and natural disasters have been eroded in recent decades.

CB: You conduct both orchestras and choirs at UC Davis. How would you describe the main differences between these two worlds? What do you find most rewarding—and most challenging—about working with these different ensembles?

PC: The two worlds are so different but equally rewarding. Overall, the similarities are the most important for me, developing community through music, experiencing what it’s like to learn and perform the standard repertoire, and exploring music of our own time. Most of what I have conducted with the UC Davis ensembles has been music by living composers, so bringing my own compositional perspective has been helpful at times, especially when working with composers in real time. This has been especially with the sinfonietta, premiering new works that don’t have recordings yet, and translating between a live composer and the ensemble.

CB: In your conducting studies, what have been some of the most transformative lessons or experiences?

PC: The idea of knowing a score down to the smallest detail and still being able to have an open mind to what an interpretation by another musician can bring. So much of large ensemble is finding this balance point between what you imagine while studying a score and what the musicians bring with them to the music in experience, personal sounds, etc.

CB: Who are some of the conductors you most admire, and what qualities in their leadership or musicianship resonate with you?

PC: There are so many that I admire, but most recently I’ve been finding most resonance with the work of Marin Alsop. Not only is she a fantastic and groundbreaking conductor, but one whose career has embraced the rich traditions of orchestral music alongside work raising the profiles of so many contemporary composers and young conductors. Salonen and Dudamel are also constant inspirations, especially with the degree to which they brought new music to Los Angeles and San Francisco during their tenures there.

CB: And on the composition side—who are your greatest musical influences, past or present? What draws you to their work?

PC: Color, both instrumental and vocal, is one of my biggest draws to composers like Messiaen and Ellington. The full list would take up way too much time, but when a composer can capture a certain space or color in a visceral way, I’m hooked.

CB: When you compose, what are you seeking to achieve? Is there a particular atmosphere, narrative, or emotional truth that you want your music to evoke?

PC: It very much depends on the piece. For a while I was relating most of my music to nature and the shifts between seasons or atmospheric phenomena. Lately I have been writing music that attempts to explore sonic spaces that relate to unsettled feelings and embracing the lack of clarity that manifests in such situations. I am actually working to push this as far as I can in a chamber opera I’m working on for my dissertation.

CB: Many young musicians today blur the lines between genres and disciplines. How do you see yourself within that landscape? Do you identify with any particular aesthetic, school, or movement?

PC: I’ve found myself traveling in and in between so many different types of musical practice, starting with jazz, then new music, now adding conducting formally into the mix. I think that the blending that’s happening can lead to many exciting places that we didn’t think were possible, and the encouragement that exists for the work right now is incredible.

CB: How has your time at UC Davis so far shaped you as an artist? Are there mentors, courses, or experiences that have been especially pivotal?

PC: On the compositional side, I could not have done as much as I have without the support and advice of the wonderful faculty here. They have all helped so much, but I would especially like to mention Kurt Rohde and Laurie San Martin for their support. On the conducting side, both you and Professor Dosman have been wonderful, as have the members of the choirs and orchestra. Additionally, the UCD choirs’ tour of Vienna and Salzburg in the summer of 2024 was a turning point for me, introducing a side of opera and of musical community that I had not experienced in that way before.

CB: What are your next steps after graduation? (NB: in addition to completing a Master’s in Conducting, Peter is also completing a Ph.D. in Composition) Are there particular projects, collaborations, or long-term goals you’re excited to pursue?

PC: Well, I still have almost two years left, so many paths may still show themselves that I haven’t yet come across, but my goal would be to continue working with ensembles as composer, conductor, or both, and continuing to teach music.

CB: What advice would you give to younger musicians, conductors or composers who are just starting to find their voice?

PC: I would encourage them to embrace their own curiosity and to follow where it leads. There are so many paths to building a life with music that finding a way to keep your own creativity and motivation will help lead to a successful path.

CB: Finally, how do you hope audiences will feel when they hear When the Alarms Stopped for the first time?

PC: There are certain moments of tension, others of release, but rarely if ever relaxation. I hope this comes through.

Peter Chatterjee is a Bay Area-based composer, arranger, and conductor.  He holds degrees from Berklee College of Music and California State University, Northridge. His primary composition mentors were Marti Epstein, Bob Pilkington, Ayn Inserto, Liviu Marinescu, and A.J. McCaffrey.

Peter’s recent compositions have included several works for orchestra, large jazz ensemble, and chamber ensembles centered around the ways that experience and memory and time are altered by heightened emotional contexts. His music has been performed by the Mojave Trio, Emily Thorner, Hrabba Atladottir, UC Davis Sinfonietta, UC Davis Chamber Singers, and the Esterhazy Quartet. His work has also been read and recorded by the Pacific Chamber Orchestra and by the SF Contemporary Music Players. Peter is currently a PhD candidate at UC Davis, studying composition with Mika Pelo and Kurt Rohde, orchestral conducting with Christian Baldini, and choral conducting with Nicolás Dosman.

California, Christian Baldini, Music, Symphony Orchestra, Uncategorized

Leyla Kabuli in Conversation with Christian Baldini

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On November 23, Leyla Kabuli will return to the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra (in which she was a member of the first violin section years ago, for two seasons) as our piano soloist for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Below is an interview with Leyla.
Leyla grew up in Davis, California, and she went through the public school system. During her time at Harper Junior High School, she was concertmaster of the school orchestra, directed by Greg Brucker. I had the opportunity of asking Mr. Brucker about his recollections of Leyla as his student, and this is what he had to say about her:
“When she [Leyla] was a part of the Harper Orchestras from 7th -9th grade, she was by far one of the most talented raw musicians and musical minds the school and our program had seen, if not the best musician to come through the program to date. Her talent on the violin was incredible, and that was her second instrument. When she played the piano for the class, we were all absolutely moved. It was magical. […] There is no question we were witnessing a true musical prodigy on the piano. Her kindness, care and concern for others, and her connection to those around her showed a deep wisdom and compassion far beyond her years. And it has been a true pleasure to follow her growth and progress as a musician since, from her amazing performances while at the high school, SF Conservatory, and since throughout Northern California and beyond. She is a true talent, and one of the great prides of our program historically. It was an honor to be a teacher to her, and a true pleasure.”
Christian Baldini: Leyla, it is such a pleasure to welcome you back to the Mondavi Center, and this time in a different capacity. You will be our soloist for this very beautiful and demanding Piano Concerto by Rachmaninov. How does it feel to be back?
Leyla Kabuli: Thank you very much for inviting me to play my favorite piano concerto with my favorite orchestra.  It came as a big surprise, and I am honored to be a soloist with the UCDSO. It’s super exciting to rehearse and perform at the Mondavi Center again.
CB: What are some of the features that define this Piano Concerto? What speaks to you in it, and are there any recordings that you really like of it?
LK: This is the ultimate emotional piece that touches the hearts of everyone in the orchestra and the audience.It’s technically demanding, with wide-spread chords. I especially like how the piano relates to the orchestra throughout; at times it’s role is to accompany the other instruments as in the simple flute and the clarinet accompaniments in the second movement. The energy in the third movement is incredible. How could Rachmaninoff express so many feelings in those notes? Among the many recordings, my favorite is the one by Sviatoslav Richter and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra in 1959; it’s the composition of one genius performed by yet another genius.
CB: Let’s talk about repertoire. Who are some composers that have influenced you as an artist? Which composers have you had the chance to explore in depth (even at your young age, you are quite an experienced performer!)? And who are those composers and/or works that you’d like to explore more?
LK: I learned many, many pieces from every different era of classical music, but I found that exploring Bach in depth was most beneficial also for appreciating the works of other composers. In recitals, I like to include the works of composers whose beautiful piano music is not part of the standard repertoire. Interestingly, some of the pieces I discovered in recent years were suggested by non-musicians. For example, I got introduced to the piano works of Nikolai Medtner by a friend’s father, who is a famous plant biologist at the Carnegie Institution. Whenever I play Medtner, I also play a few shorter pieces by his extremely supportive friend Rachmaninoff, who tirelessly helped to promote Medtner’s music.
CB: You have already been involved in important social justice work, including your committed performance on From the Top, which was a tribute to Syrian refugees, of “Black Earth”, by Turkish composer/pianist Fazil Say. What is the meaning of music to you? Does it have a role in society? Why is it so important nowadays?
LK: Following my performance on NPR’s From the Top with host Christopher O’Riley, I collaborated with the show on other projects. The music video of my shorter arrangement of Fazil Say’s “Black Earth” was intended to raise awareness for two organizations that help refugees, especially in the Mediterranean region. It surprises me that so many people have seen that video and contributed to these organizations, and some even sent me very touching letters, which all prove that music has the power of uniting communities. The arts connect people in ways that nothing else can, and our cultural diversity serves to enrich our experience. Music provides a means for communication and expression beyond any spoken language. It transcends boundaries, barriers, and all perceived differences between people. I’d like to repeat Leonard Bernstein’s famous quote: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”
CB: Besides being a remarkable pianist and an excellent violinist, you also play the bassoon. In addition, you are pursuing a degree in electrical engineering and computer sciences at UC Berkeley, and I am pretty sure you must be a great athlete. How do you find time for everything, and how do you organize yourself?
LK: I really couldn’t claim to be any of those things. I did prepare for the junior high school basketball team tryouts until my violin teacher asked if basketball meant so much to me that I would risk breaking my fingers, which would mean the end of piano. I tried wrapping my fingers with bandages for a while, but had to quit before the tryouts. In general, I’m not that well unorganized, and my to-do list is hopelessly long. My classes and work as a teaching assistant twenty hours a week are prioritized, and then I try not to get stressed out about the many other things that can’t be finished. One day I hope to find a way to multi-task and parallel-process piano practice with other homework.
CB: Tell us about your first few steps in music. How did you start, and when? Who were the main influences (people, teachers, and also musical experiences) in your life so far?
LK: Actually, performing at the Mondavi Center is very meaningful to me. When I was almost seven, my mom took me to a concert of Itzhak Perlman. Although we listened to classical music at home all the time, the live performance was a completely different experience. I probably understood that Perlman was the main star of the concert, but I was fascinated by his piano accompanist Rohan de Silva and the gigantic concert grand piano. It was very disappointing that I wouldn’t be allowed to climb on the stage and play the big piano right after the concert, and more shockingly, according to my mom, one needed many lessons to play it. In the months that followed the concert, I demanded those lessons, assuming they would take place right there on the Mondavi stage, and that de Silva would be the teacher. Finally, my mom was convinced and we bought an electric keyboard with a wobbly stand from everyone’s favorite wholesale store. Then my life changed when I got accepted by a fantastic teacher in Davis, Angelia Lim, who taught me the joy of playing the piano and even convinced my mom to buy a used baby grand after a couple of years of lessons. When I was ten, in addition to weekly lessons with Mrs. Lim, I started the Pre-College program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) as a scholarship student, first with John McCarthy, and then with Yoshikazu Nagai. In the next seven years at SFCM, I studied  violin with Doris Fukawa, and bassoon with Dr. Yueh Chou. I also had exceptional chamber music coaches there, including  Machiko Kobialka. Many great pianists coached me in masterclasses and summer programs such as Piano Texas, BU Tanglewood, Colburn Academy, Oberlin, Southeastern Piano in South Carolina, and IIYM in Kansas. As the keyboardist of San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra for four seasons, I was coached in orchestral piano by SF Symphony’s Robin Sutherland; I got to play the piano, celeste and organ in Davies Symphony Hall. I have been so very lucky to receive the gift of music from these extraordinary musicians.
 
CB: We are the lucky ones to witness and appreciate your talent first hand, Leyla! Thank you very much for your time, and for sharing your extraordinary talent and wonderful energy with our musicians and our audience. I very much look forward to sharing this with everyone at our performance on the 23rd of November!
LK: I really appreciate it that you are giving me this opportunity. I look forward to Rach at the Mondavi Center!
Leyla_3
Leyla Kabuli is a third-year student at the University of California, Berkeley, studying Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences and Music. She graduated from the Pre-College Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2017, where she studied piano, violin, and bassoon as a scholarship student for seven years. She was the keyboardist of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2015 to 2019. Leyla’s piano awards include three consecutive National YoungArts Awards in 2016, 2017, 2018, the American Prize in Piano Concerto, and the US Chopin Foundation scholarship. She won first prizes in the Los Angeles Young Musician International, eMuse, American Prot´eg´e, Wildflower, Pacific Musical Society, MTAC, CAPMT, Kruschke, Mindell, Ghiglieri, Classical Masters, East Bay, Berkeley Etude Club, US Open, and Junior Bach competitions. Other awards include top prizes in Virginia Waring International Concerto, Seattle International, Enkor International, MTNA Piano Duet, Ross McKee, USIMC, and Zeiter competitions. She was also a semi-finalist in the prestigious International Piano-e-Competition, Cooper International Competition, Hilton Head International Piano Competition, Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition, and the First International Arthur Rubinstein Youth Piano Competition. She has performed at Davies Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Benaroya Hall, McCallum Theater, Zipper Concert Hall and other major venues. In addition to the national broadcast of her featured performance on NPR’s From the Top with host Christopher O’Riley in 2016, Leyla collaborated with the show on a benefit video and performed at From the Top’s 2017 Gala. Her Bay Area performances included San Francisco’s Noontime Concert Series as the Helen von Ammon Emerging Artist Award recipient, Ensemble SF Concerts, and Concerts at the Presidio. She was a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, Waring Festival Orchestra, Nova Vista Symphony, El Camino Symphony, South Valley Symphony, Bay Area Soli Deo Gloria, Sonoma Philharmonic, and Palo Alto Philharmonic. Leyla has studied piano with Angelina Lim and John McCarthy, and currently studies with Yoshikazu Nagai of SFCM and with Michael Orland at Berkeley. She attended many festivals, masterclasses and summer programs, including PianoTexas, Southeastern Piano Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Colburn Academy, and IIYM. As a soloist, active chamber musician and collaborative pianist, she organizes and frequently participates in benefit and outreach events in California and around the country.