Kris Rahamad is a Pasadena based composer, violinist, violist, and educator.He began his musical journey with Violin at the age of 5 and has been playingever since. In 2017 and 2023 respectively, Kris received his BFA in ViolinPerformance from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and his MM inComposition from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California StateUniversity Long Beach. During his collegiate career, he studied with Dr. LorenzGamma, Dr. Mark Menzies and Andrew McIntosh at CalArts, then later with Dr.Martin Herman and Dr. Adriana Verdié at CSULB, where he participated in EarlyMusic ensembles by Allan Vogel and David Garrett.In his professional career, Kris made his international debut as a performercomposer at the largest international arts festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe2014 in Scotland, with the play, Pomegranate Jam and was later added to ShaunBuswell’s, Fringe Orchestra Challenge as a violinist, covered by BBC. He returnedto the Festival Fringe in 2017 as a music arranger and violist for the original play,Gunshot Medley; written, directed, and produced by Dionna Daniel (Zola Dee). InLos Angeles, Kris has performed Violin and Viola with a variety of Orchestras,Contemporary Classical/Avant-Garde orchestras, and Metal Bands such ascomposer Alvin Lucier’s Ever-Present Orchestra, Henry Shin’s Pasadena CommunityOrchestra, the Dog Star Festival Orchestra, Ulrich Krieger’s band Blood Oath,Hunter Hunt Hendrix’s band Liturgy, and recorded on Sprain’s 2023 album, “TheLamb as Effigy.”
The San Gabriel Valley Symphony is a professional orchestra created by working musicians and local leaders to reflect and serve the San Gabriel Valley—focusing on community engagement and social impact. Our mission is to show the next generation in the SGV that a career in the arts is not only possible, but capable of creating real change in their communities and beyond.