Undergraduate Composers Concert

April 19, 2025

8:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Old Cabell Hall

undergraduate composers concert poster 2025

The University of Virginia Department of Music proudly presents the first annual Undergraduate Composers Concert on Saturday, April 19, at 8:00 PM in Old Cabell Hall.

The program, featuring all world premieres, will present original works across a diverse range of musical styles. The concert highlights compositions by students enrolled in MUSI 4581 – Composition I or MUSI 4582 – Composition II with Professor Leah Reid, as well as those completing Distinguished Major Projects under the mentorship of Professor Reid and/or Professor Matthew Burtner.

This concert presents a dynamic collection of works that explore striking contrasts—light and dark, turbulence and serenity, past and present, and the intersections of nature and emotion.

Hunter Colson’s Quartet in A Minor (Movements I & II), a Distinguished Major Project, channels the spirit of Romantic chamber music, shifting between stormy intensity and ethereal beauty. Another Distinguished Major Project, Hannah Martin’s Wadden Sea, sonifies the seasonal rhythms of migratory birds and the environmental uncertainties they face, weaving together brass quintet and speaker.

The program also features works inspired by the vastness of nature, astronomy, and introspective journeys. The Other Side of the Mountain for solo viola and Coywolf explore the liminal space between wilderness and civilization. A choral piece offers a deeply personal tribute to a life lost too soon. Nature’s presence is further reflected in Waves, which hypnotically evokes the mysteries of the sea, and Birds, a vivid suite capturing avian societies in miniature form.

Other works delve into personal and literary narratives: A Letter to Anna conjures a bygone era of passion and refinement, while Sullen dramatizes a pivotal scene from Sense and Sensibility. Hydrogen is a playful, Disney-inspired song designed as a fun and educational tool for children. Several duets and chamber pieces navigate the interplay of emotion—a piano and violin duet contrasts hope and despair, while a violin and viola duet unfolds across movements of playfulness, drama, and virtuosity.

Through this diverse array of works, the concert invites listeners into a world of contrast, connection, and creativity.

Performances will feature esteemed UVA faculty members Ayn Baliya (viola), Jiyeon Choi (clarinet), John Mayhood (piano), and David Sariti (violin), along with talented student performers and ensembles.

To see more biographical information about the musicians in this concert, please click

Composer Biographies 4_19_25.pdf (50.63 KB)

This special event, generously co-sponsored by the Music Department and the Jefferson Trust, is free and open to the public—no tickets are required.

Distinguished Major Project Composers

Hannah Martin

Hannah Martin (she/her) is a fourth year Music and Biology student, with a concentration in Environmental and Biological Conservation. After taking Ecoacoustics in her first year at UVA, she has been fascinated by works at the intersection of her studies. She finds herself focused on ornithology and avian conservation after both having worked at the Avian Conservation Center in Charleston, SC and having studied abroad for a Polar Biology program that highlighted migratory Arctic birds. She also remains dedicated to the trumpet, her main instrument since the fateful day she picked it up in 6th grade, and has performed in various UVA Music ensembles, most notably the Cavalier Marching Band for all four years.

Hunter Colson

Hunter Colson is a fourth year music major, musician, and composer from Washington, D.C. He has studied the piano and has composed for a variety of ensembles. He completed an extensive film scoring program at the Film Scoring Academy of Europe. At UVA, Hunter is a Miller Arts Scholar and has won several awards including the Miller Arts Scholar Rising Fourth Year Award. He is a member of the Radio Music Society, Student Game Developers, the Catalyst Program, and is a Lawnie. Hunter’s Distinguished Major Program in Music is a collection of works mainly inspired by music of the romantic period.

Old Cabell Hall is located on the south end of UVA's historic lawn, directly opposite the Rotunda (map). At UVA, parking is available in the C1 lot off McCormick Rd, and the Central Grounds Parking Garage on Emmet St. is walking-distance to the hall. Handicap parking is available in the small parking lot adjacent to Bryan Hall.

All events are subject to change.

For more information on this event, please contact the UVA Department of Music at 434.924.3052 or email music@virginia.edu.

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