Composers at the Museum

Composers at the museum

Join us for this special concert at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Student composers have selected a work of art from the museum gallery and use it as inspiration for a new composition.

Free | Reservations Required (limit of 2 reservations per group)

Seating for this concert is full. Please contact Lori Hopkinson if you would like to be added to the waitlist.

BRANCH FREEMAN (b. 1997)

The Ends of Artifice

I. Movie Star

II. Bird

III. The Flagellation of Christ

Nathaniel Wolff, English horn • Zhiwei Ni, clarinet • Justin Cao, bass • Megan Apostol, harp Michael McKeague, Alexa Clawson, Aidan Gold, percussion

This piece was inspired by: (1) Thornton Dial, Movie Star, 1994, charcoal, pastel and graphite on paper; (2) Edward Julius Detmold, Macaw, 1924, color etching and aquatint; and (3) Bernardo Castello, The Flagellation, pen and brown ink, brown wash over black chalk. These works are part of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art Collection; not currently on view.

BETHIA KONG (b. 2003)

pinkish haze

Anna Linder, Kelsey Payne, violin • Leo Kubota, 

Alex Aranzabal, cello

This piece was inspired by: Richard Misrach, The Diving Board (Salton Sea), 1983, ektacolor print. On view in the Focus Gallery.

ANDREW FAULKENBERRY (b. 1999)

L’arbre

Nathaniel Wolff, oboe

This piece was inspired by: Wols, Untitled (Tree [L’Arbre]), ca. 1946-1947, oil on canvas. Part of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art Collection; not currently on view.

GABRIEL STOSSEL (b. 2001)

Lux Caelestis

Kelsey Payne,  Dexter Mott, violin • Katherine Park, viola Isaac Pagano-Toub, cello

This piece was inspired by the following works by Mina Loy: Moons I (left), L’Aube, Stars, Light, and Teasing a Butterfly, 1932, mixed media on board. On view in the Boyd Gallery.

AIDAN GOLD (b. 1997)

The Making of the Sleigh

Nathaniel Wolff, oboe • Jean Marie Smith, horn

Justin Cao, bass • Bethia Kong, melodica

 Amy Ahn, harp

This piece was inspired by: Emilie Stark-Menneg, Sleighing, 2023, acrylic on canvas. On view in the Zuckert Seminar Room.

KATHARINE PETKOVSKI  (b. 1997)

ABOVE

Daniel Dastoor, Kayla Bryan, violin

Wanshu Suzie Qiu, viola • Camden Archambeau, cello

This piece was inspired by: Mina Loy, Communal Cot, 1949, cut-paper and mixed-media collage mounted on board. On view in the Boyd Gallery.

CHRIS WILLIAMS  (b. 1986)

A veil of rippled glass

Waverly Long, viola • Sophia Jho, harp

Aidan Gold, percussion

This piece was inspired by: Ann Hamilton, mirror, 2000, iris print. On view in the Becker Gallery.

ELIJAH DANIEL SMITH (b. 1995)

Wreckage

Jean Marie Smith, horn • Wanshu Suzie Qiu, viola • Isaac Berglind, Camden Archambeau, cello • Michael McKeague, percussion 

This piece was inspired by: Jefferson Pinder, Mule, 2006, 8 mm film transferred to digital video. On view in the Media Gallery.