The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra continues to launch innovative concerts and programs to enrich the Bellingham arts community and beyond.
Dawn Posey, Concertmaster with the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, is in her fourth season with the BSO. She first started playing in her father’s community orchestra when she was 13.

Posey is also the go-to person for the BSO’s Trailblazers educational outreach program. She put together a similar series years ago with the chamber group Kassia Ensemble in Pittsburgh and has modified it for a string quartet to take it into as many area schools as possible.
Trailblazers tells the stories of female composers and female historical figures who have paved the way for so many future women to flourish, she explains. Each composer is paired with a trailblazer from their same country. The ensemble plays music and talks about women from Peru, Bolivia, France, China, and the United States.
Posey appreciates the leadership, both artistically and administratively, at the BSO. “It allows me to dream big and play my best,” she says. “The orchestra is a great team, and I always enjoy how everyone brings 110% to our performances.”

Instrument Petting Zoos
Another fun program the BSO is committed to is its instrument petting zoos, which is coordinated with Bellingham Wind Works.
“The instrument petting zoos are all about the opportunity for kids — and their adults! — to discover and participate in music in ways they might not have access to in their everyday life,” says Kat DeVaney of Bellingham Wind Works. “At the petting zoo, people can hear up close, touch, and even play a variety of instruments they see on stage, such as violins and violas, cello, bass, drums, shakers, and even a mini marimba!”
The entire string and percussion family is presented to the young ones to admire and explore. Wind Works volunteers talk about the materials the instruments are made of, how they make their sound, and differences when materials or sizes change.
“The most exciting part is letting the kids try out the instruments,” says DeVaney. “Some of them come in with experience on one instrument but have always wanted to try another; some want to sample the whole world. We end up seeing all these connections formed between kids and music, and, for some, it can be the start of a whole new facet of their life.”

Bellingham Symphony Orchestra is Adding a Chorus
The BSO is adding a community chorus to its repertoire for the 2025/2026 season. It will be led by Music Director Dr. Frederick B. Mabalot.
“The symphony’s 50th anniversary felt like the perfect time to establish a new choir,” says Maestro Yaniv Attar, who is in his 11th year leading the orchestra.
“Joining this esteemed organization offers an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to the artistic and cultural vibrancy of the Bellingham community, a place where music is deeply cherished,” says Dr. Mabalot, who also is artistic director and conductor for the Bellingham Chamber Chorale and director of music and liturgy for the Church of the Assumption.
Mabalot’s compositions have been performed in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, the Philippines, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“What excites me most about my role with the BSO is the power of collaboration — bringing together passionate musicians to create performances that inspire, uplift, and unite,” Dr. Mabalot says.
“Choral-orchestral music holds a unique and transcendent beauty, where the union of individual voices and orchestral sound creates something far greater than the sum of its parts,” he continues. “To be a part of this transformative process is both an honor and a deeply fulfilling calling.”
Our region has numerous choirs, but Mabalot says, “The BSO Chorus will be a distinctive ensemble, defined not only by its technical excellence but also by its commitment to connecting deeply with the emotional and spiritual essence of the music we perform.”

Dr. Mabalot says that at the heart of his work lies a deep and abiding passion for sharing music as a transformative and healing force. “I believe that music has the unparalleled ability to transcend barriers, awaken empathy, and unite us in our shared humanity.”
Through the BSO Chorus, he aims to create performances that are not merely entertaining but also deeply meaningful — that invite reflection, evoke profound emotion and nurture a sense of hope and connection.
“Our goal is to create a seamless integration with the orchestra, resulting in performances that are artistically stunning and profoundly moving,” he says. “Audiences will have the opportunity to hear the BSO Chorus perform great masterworks that celebrate the triumphs, struggles, and beauty of the human spirit.”
The BSO Choir, led by Dr. Mabalot, will join the orchestra in the 2025/2026 season for performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “Ode to Joy,” The Planets, and additional works by Brahms and Bach.
For those wishing to join the new chorus, Dr. Mabalot invites singers who are skilled and passionate, ready to dedicate themselves to this musical mission.
Those interested in learning more or joining the BSO Chorus can visit online here to schedule an audition.
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